Chart courtesy of Gene P. and Paul T.
Ford’s Thunderbird has inspired hundreds of collectible items including coffee mugs, key rings, pens, pins, badges, coins, and a wide variety of apparel items like T-Shirts, caps and jackets. But one of the most widely collectible item for any automobile, including the Ford Thunderbird, is the die cast scale model. Thunderbird scale models were produced for nearly every different T-Bird ever built, dating back to the original 1955-1957 Thunderbird, and come in many different sizes from the tiny, 1/87th, to the most popular1/18th scale.
(Chart courtesy Gene P and Paul T.)
The first of the die cast models of the 2002-2005 Thunderbird were actually labeled ‘1999’ Concept or ‘Show Car’ models, and were introduced years before the actual car itself. These 1/24th and 1/25th scale models were often included in ‘Press’ packages distributed at auto shows and media events and came in a variety of colors including ‘Inspiration Yellow,’ ‘Torch Red,’ ‘Thunderbird Blue,’ and ‘Evening Black.’ For the first buyers of the new Thunderbird, including the limited-edition Neiman-Marcus edition, Ford produced the ‘Manage the Wait’ set. This set of custom made items was created to ‘tease’ buyers who had placed early deposits on new Thunderbirds and to maintain their enthusiasm for their cars. I’ll cover the ‘Manage the Wait’ set in greater detail in a future blog, however, one of the items included in this set was a 1/24th scale die-cast Thunderbird.
Die cast models of the 2002-2005 Thunderbird included 1/18th, 1/64th, 1/43rd, 1/25th, 1/24th, and 1/18th sizes, with the most popular and collectible of those being the 1/18th scale. The 1/18th scale Thunderbird, which was produced by Maisto and Beanstalk. While models made by both manufacturers are similar in construction, the ‘Beanstalk’ model is considered to be of somewhat higher quality due do various details. Both the Maisto and the Beanstalk models featured opening doors, hood and trunk, and steerable wheels. The Beanstalk models had more highly detailed interiors and offered some of the special ‘fashion’ colors including ‘Vintage Mint Green,’ ‘Desert Sky Blue,’ ‘Coral,’ (for the 007 James Bond Edition, made by Beanstalk and Minichamps) and the highly coveted ‘Merlot.’ Both Maisto and Beanstalk produced some of the more common colors which included ‘Torch Red,’ ‘Evening Black,’ and ‘Mountain Shadow Grey.’ In addition to these models was a special edition ‘Neiman Marcus’ which came in a special box and featured a silver hard top, chrome 21-spoke wheels, and contrasting black and ‘silver satin’ interior accents.
Of all the colors of the 1/18th die cast models, the rarest and most expensive are the ‘Merlot’ and ‘Whisper White.’ The ‘Merlot’ model as brought as much as $ 400 retail, while ‘Whisper White’ models have sold for as much as $ 300. All this for a die cast model that sold for between $ 30-35 retail when they were first introduced. Another interesting note on colors includes the ‘Concept’ Yellow, and the true, ‘Inspiration Yellow.’ These two colors are sometimes confused as the same by novice collectors, but are in fact different in a number of ways; the ‘Concept’ Yellow is a more pale yellow color as seen on the early concept versions of the new Thunderbird and does not have the side marker lights or the rear-mounted ‘third’ brake light. The true ‘Inspiration Yellow’ is a somewhat darker shade of yellow and does feature the side reflector and third brake lights. There are also different versions of the 1/18th die cast model in ‘Evening Black.’ One features a contrasting black and red interior, while another Maisto edition ‘Show Car’ has a full red interior as featured on the 1999 Ford Thunderbird Concept. Of all the Maisto and Beanstalk 1/18th scale models, the ‘Evening Black’ and ‘Concept Yellow’ are among the most common and least expensive, followed by ‘Torch Red.’
While most of the 2002-2005 Thunderbird die cast models have been discontinued, Hot Wheels re-introduced a small 1/64th scale model about a year ago in ‘Evening Black.’ As these die cast models become more scarce and desirable, prices continue to increase. Most sizes and colors are readily available on Ebay auctions and the rarer colors often generate lively bidding and some unusually high prices. I’ll discuss some of the other Thunderbird collectibles in a future article, so stay tuned!
