When Ford built the one millionth Thunderbird it painted it gold but never sold it
- The one-millionth Ford Thunderbird was painted gold
- The special car was never sold
- Ford had other plans for the gold Thunderbird
Published on Mar 24, 2025 at 4:23 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Mar 24, 2025 at 9:18 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
When the one-millionth Thunderbird rolled off the production line, Ford knew it was a historic moment – and to mark the special occasion, the carmaker decided to paint it gold.
The Thunderbird – affectionately known as the T-Bird – was launched all the way back in 1955.
Its original production run lasted until 1997, and then the car was revived in 2002 until 2005.
During that time, more than 4.4 million T-Birds were produced – and this is the story of the one-millionth.
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The Ford Thunderbird is an iconic car
The Ford Thunderbird was introduced as a two-seat convertible but it was later offered in a whole host of body styles including a four-seat hardtop coupe, a four-door sedan, and a five-seat convertible.
By the time 1972 rolled around, Ford had ushered in the sixth generation of the Thunderbird.
The car was longer than ever, measuring 214 inches (5,436mm), and was now a boxy and angular four-door with an upright grille and a quad headlamp set up.
That same year, production numbers for the T-Bird were teetering on the edge of one million.
When the time came for the one-millionth Thunderbird to roll off the production line at the Ford plant in Pico Rivera, California, the automaker Ford chose a luxe gold color for its bodywork.
The gold paintwork was complemented by a white vinyl roof and a special set of wheels that were finished in gold.
Inside, the T-Bird’s seats were covered with luxurious white button-tufted leather and fluffy brown carpet.
Ford also adorned the car with three medallions, one on either side of the roof and one on the dashboard, that singled it out as the one-millionth Thunderbird to be made.
All in all, it was a pretty spectacular car.
The gold T-Bird was never sold
Now, you might be thinking that such an important piece of automotive history could sell for a small fortune.
But Ford had other plans and decided against selling the T-Bird.
Instead, Ford loaned it to a man named George Watts – a classic car expert who had previously bought and restored the first-ever T-Bird.
Watts held onto it for a year, before handing it back to Ford after which it was given to Bob Petersen – founder of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
Petersen donated the very special T-Bird to the Petersen Automotive Museum where it remains as the gold car that will never be sold.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
