Although the two-seat Thunderbird had been discontinued after 1957, there remained a constituency committed to a sporty car. To satisfy this demand, a Sports Roadster adaptation of the T-Bird convertible was introduced for 1962, making two seats out of four.

To create the Sports Roadster, designer Eugene Bordinat designed a fiberglass cover for the convertible’s rear seats, with raised headrests for the front buckets and a closure panel between them. Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels, a passenger grab bar on the instrument panel, and special emblems on the front fenders completed the package, which was made a separate body style, designated 76B. Fender skirts were not available, since they would have interfered with the faux knock-off hubs on the wheels.

Painted in white, this car has red upholstery and has been restored. In addition to the requisite Sports Roadster equipment, the Thunderbird also has an AM radio. The engine is the 330-hp version of Ford’s 390-cid Interceptor V-8; according to Ford records, the four-barrel carburetor setup on this 390-cid engine is considered the Z-code and is the powerplant in this exciting and novel design.