The ClassicCars.com Journal has featured several videos from the Yours in old FoMoCo iron… channel on YouTube. Adrian Clements is a Ford expert extraordinaire and this video on the colors available for the 1969 Ford Thunderbird should be of interest to all folks interested in cars of the era.
The 1969 Ford Thunderbird was the last in a series of three before a restyle that would last through 1971. The most notable change from previous years was the change from full-width taillights to pods on both ends of the tail panel. Lest we forget, the Thunderbird was a personal-luxury vehicle, so it often featured options that often came off as being more custom than your typical family car. While not a Lincoln, the Thunderbird could be seen as Lincoln’s little brother even though the T-bird was a Blue Oval product.
So, it should be no surprise that, out of 20 colors available for the Thunderbird, nine were exclusive among Fords:
- Lilac Frost
- Diamond Green
- Midnight Aqua
- Midnight Orchid
- Diamond Blue
- Morning Gold
- Tahoe Turquoise
- Copper Flame
- Oxford Gray
If your blood runs Ford Blue, then you may recognize several colors that don’t really feel special, and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong – for example, Diamond Blue was available on 1968 Fords, but it was exclusive to the 1969 Thunderbird.
If you look at a color chip page from 1969, you’ll note that these exclusive colors were shared with Lincoln. That makes sense because both the Thunderbird and Lincolns were built at Wixom, but the Thunderbird was also built at Los Angeles so we cannot rely on that fact alone.
If you enjoy this video, you will enjoy other videos we’ve featured from the same channel.
Midnight orchid is one of fords best colors ever!
Have you seen the Mach I in that color?