One of Ford’s most fascinating motorsports escapades was its decision to enter modified versions of the new 1963 1/2 Falcon Sprint in European rallies, the most famous being the Monte Carlo Rally. While those entries certainly raised the profile of those sporty new compacts, you can’t help but feel that the poor Sprint was simply a dry run for the Mustang, which was introduced about a year later. Still, it was an exciting time for Falcon fans, and this neat convertible is for sale on Hemmings Auctions in Northridge, California.
The Falcon was very successful as a rally car, especially considering the relative lack of experience that American teams brought to the sport, and Ford played up that success in its introductory advertising for the Sprint, showing it in the swanky locales where people congregated to watch the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally. While none of the actual race cars were convertibles like our auction car, they did have a “scatback” roofline, a name that has not aged well.
Standard equipment included a special steering wheel, dashboard-mounted tachometer, wire-wheel covers, and a 260 V8.
Here’s the door tag breakdown of our featured convertible. Something that may or may not be an issue where you live is the re-riveted door tag, which was undoubtedly removed when the car was repainted in 1990.
- 76B: Sprint Convertible with bucket seats
- E: Viking Blue paint
- 82A: Blue bucket seats
- 17D: April 17, 1963, build date (My birthday! Not my birth year, but exactly one year ahead of the Mustang’s introduction.)
- 31: Cincinnati, Ohio, District Sales Office (it’s come a long way)
- 4: 3.25:1 axle ratio, no limited-slip
- 5: Four-speed manual
And the VIN:
- 3: 1963
- H: Lorain, Ohio, assembly plant
- 15: “Futura” Convertible
- F: 260-cubic-inch V8
- 204406: This Falcon was the 104,406th car scheduled to come off the line at the Lorain plant for the 1963 model year
The big news for the Sprint was the 164-horsepower “Challenger” 260 V8, which wore a chrome open-element air cleaner that this car doesn’t have anymore. Nonetheless, the two-barrel small-block was highly modified for rally use, but the base engine was still a respectable powerplant in 1963, especially when it was pushing along a car as light as a Falcon.
In June of 1963, Car and Driver compared a stock Sprint Convertible with an actual Falcon rally car, and the stocker wasn’t left completely in the dust; it turned a quarter-mile time of 18 seconds at 73 miles per hour compared to the racer’s 16.8 seconds at 85. Furthermore, the race-prepped car was running a deep 4.51:1 rear axle ratio instead of the standard 3.25:1 in the convertible.
This car has all the special Sprint goodies on display, including the optional four-speed transmission. The steering wheel horn ring resembles the one used on the original Mustang, further cementing this car’s status as the prototype for the pony car. I especially like the dash-mounted tachometer, and although it’s probably unnecessary on a car with hydraulic lifters that pump up at 5000 rpm, it certainly looks cool.
The upholstery is in excellent condition, and given a few stray wrinkles here and there, I’d say it’s been replaced at some point. The car will come with a set of NOS upholstery and carpeting, just in case, I guess. Notice the Thunderbird-like mini console between the sporty bucket seats, a natty touch that Ford always seemed to do well in the early 1960s.
The convertible top looks very clean, a challenge with a white top, although some commenters on the Hemmings ad asked for pictures of the car with all the windows down, just to ensure that they all work.
While it was nowhere near as popular as the upcoming Mustang would be, the Sprint sold fairly well for a midyear offering, with 15,081 units finding homes, 4,602 of them convertibles. The opening bid of $13,000 has not yet been met, but a solid Falcon Sprint Convertible is certainly worth that price, regardless of its success on the Monte.
Related Reading
1963 Ford Falcon Futura Convertible – Hot Fun in the Summertime (by Paul N)
1963 Ford Falcon Futura 260 – Friendly And Fast(ish) Fido (by JP Cavanaugh)
Collapsing shock towers not withstanding right? Right?
Huh?? The rumor mill never sleeps…..sheesh
The Ford shock towers could and would displace. HO small blocks assured that, even with the cross braces Facts matter
Sweet find! I have been wanting to put bucket seats in my ’83 Ranger,NOT a three person cab! but won’t pull the trigger until I find one of these consoles to put between them. So far, no real luck. They are either junk or command a billion dollars
One thing that bugs me on a side note. Even the earliest pictures of the Shelby Cobra show a 4BBL intake manifold. Were they actually a 260, or were they really a HP289 prototype? There is one pic I have, they did use a 2BBL 221 for mock up to place engine mounts and various other tidbits
Cute little fun car .
In California where this car is from those pop rivets on the VIN tag would be an immediate impound .
-Nate
In the past, I have heard people refer to the early Falcon’s styling as ‘conventional’. At the time it was actually quite predictive of future trends. The ‘tortured sheet metal look’ that was prevalent when it was designed was abandoned for a fresh looking, cleaner design.
The ’61 Continental and ’61 T-Bird followed suit, with their smoother, less busy body work.
In a few years most manufacturers embraced the look. Just to name two examples, the ’62-’64 Chevrolets and the mid-sized ’65-’66 Dodges and Plymouths followed the Falcon’s more conservative look.
It is only in hindsight that the Falcon would be considered ‘conventional’.
The “scatback” doesn’t really look right with it though; it looks as though it was designed for a smaller car and it knocks the proportions entirely out of line, making the lower body look bulbous to boot on the ’63s. The “Thunderbird” roofline introduced for the Futura mid ’62 and infecting all the ’63 sedans is a little better, at least it’s not undersize in a misguided attempt to make the rest of the car look bigger but there’s still that square/round mismatch.
It’s too bad the Sprint wasn’t offered as a post sedan with the original bubble rear window right up to the ’64 full reskin (why not? You could get a Corvair Monza 4-door sedan and those all had the original flattop roofline until the ’65 redesign).
Yes, I agree the scatback does conflict styling wise with the rest of the car. A compromise probably due to make it a hardtop. Most sedans ( both 2 and 4 doors) of the era had the back quarter glass only going halfway down. To have the window fully retract, as in a hardtop, a smaller window and a shorter roof, or a wider ‘C’ pillar are required.
But still, I was never really a fan of the Thunderbird roof line of the time.
So much criticism! Nerds, right?
You’re correct. Considering its original mission, the Falcon wasn’t conventional in 1960. As the former owner of a ‘63 coupe, I never had a problem with its looks. The rear afterburner taillights were cool, the rear bumper shaped around them, the side accent lines which flowed from a shapely point on the front fenders to wrap around the taillights are cool. The ‘63 grille was cool, and the Falcon was proportioned well.
The Falcon was made to be dependable and cheap and until Mustang came along, it was suitable. Problem was its gutless base engines, right?
The Sprint was neat. Small V8 engines were possible in a Falcon engine bay. That setup worked for over a decade whenever the Falcon-based Ford products were optioned with a V8. Nerds be damned!
Interesting response. Resorting to personal attacks?
Of course, you have no way of knowing one of my old cars is a ’62 Falcon tudor sedan with a retro-fitted 302 V8 and a C4 with an 8″ Ford rear end. And with the necessary front suspension upgrades. With ’69 Mustang bucket seats.
As would be done in the late ’60’s to early ’70’s. So, you are preaching to the choir.
I like these early Falcons a lot, and the details of the 63 make it one of the prettiest to me. An optional 289 would have been the cherry on top, but Ford said no.
Three summers ago at an AACA regional show in VA, I saw a 1963 1/2 Falcon Sprint convertible that was close to factory fresh. If I recall it only had 25,000 miles or less, either still one family owned or second owner knew the original owner. The car was so special among a show field of classic cars I talked to the owner. It was highly optioned direct from the factory, not a barn find, just a car that was loved & kept in pristine condition from new. A true time capsule, it looked like it came off the showroom floor in 1963. I appricated looking at this Falcon more than some of the million dollar classics on the snowfield that day.