AKA ‘Bullet Bird’, the ’62 THUNDERBIRD M-CODE SPORTS ROADSTER could be optioned with a single four-barrel 390/300 or tri-power 390/340 M-Code big blocks.
If you were a Ford guy in 1962 and wanted to buy a new car to drag race or even dominate stoplight Gran Prix competition, the new M-Code Thunderbird would not have been your first choice. Compared with Ford’s traditional performance offerings, the tri-power T-Bird, especially in Sports Roadster trim, was too heavy and too expensive.
The M-Code Sports Roadster was the heaviest of the lineup at 4,471 pounds, and most expensive, sans options, at $5,439. Just 120 customers stepped up Ford’s tri-power’62 THUNDERBIRD M-CODE SPORTS ROADSTER.
Back in the day, even Elvis Presley owned one! Its head-turning styling, luxury and performance packaging, made it a very desirable road warrior. The Sports Roadster started out as an option for convertibles and cost a tick over $650. It quickly changed from an extra-cost option to a limited-edition model, Body Code 76B. It was
equipped with unique 48-spoke Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels, and adorned with special front-fender badges and passenger-side, dash-mounted grab bar. The feature that made it stand out was a fiberglass tonneau cover, giving the four-passenger Sports Roadster the appearance of a slick two-seater!
Approximately three months into the 1962 model year, the ’62 T-Bird received a major infusion of power. The top-performing M-Code 390 cubic inch big-block, rated at 340 horsepower, was equipped with a new manifold fitted with three Holley two-barrel carburetors. It represented a 40-horsepower boost over the optional 390 rated at 300 horsepower, putting it in a class by itself. Few 1962 domestic production cars could match its performance-styling appeal and today, it’s a very desirable collectible that you can drive and enjoy.
Everything you want to know about the ’62 THUNDERBIRD M-CODE SPORTS ROADSTER, and the complete Thunderbird lineup can be found at OVER-DRIVE magazine, http://, https://over-drive-magazine.com/2026/02/17/1962-ford-thunderbird-fact-sheet/