Very rare pre pro 75 thunderbird

[Diecast]

Just as a matter of interest, does anyone have pictures of an already disassembled 'production' Thunderbird so we can compare the internal castings?

I have no doubt that Antonin will have disassembled several!

Sorry, I am awfully busy now. But this topic is so interesting that it let me to negligent my professional´s duties and to make something else, much more pleasant.This is one of the biggest and most interesting discovery during the last period. I am absolutely fascinated by this discovery, which again fits into the mosaic of the Lesney history. But the casting provides more questions than answers. The body has the second brace that means, it is a late type of the casting. It is probably not a pre-pro, but something like intermezzo or second pre pro. I am enclosing a photo (first casting), which shows the position of the first and second brace.
Antonin

[Idris]

The body has the second brace that means, it is a late type of the casting. It is probably not a pre-pro, but something like intermezzo or second pre pro. I am enclosing a photo (first casting), which shows the position of the first and second brace.

Thanks, Antonin! That's a completely unexpected and very interesting development.
There are plenty of examples of retooling in the range, e.g. 1a roof, 9a/b, 17a/b, 46b, but this is something different - a purely cosmetic change to one small part of the model.
I'm stumped!

[Diecast]

I am stumped also Hugh. For me it is absolutely illogical. Why should be a roof rack on this car? If it should be a Sunroof, why the rivet? (as Ghosty mentioned it). I can imagine a roof rack on 25d Ford Cortina, 31a or 31 b Ford Station Wagon, 33b Ford Zephyr, 45b Ford Corsair, 56b Fiat 1500, 67b VW 1600TL, 73c Mercury. But I can not imagine it on e.g. 8e Ford Mustang, 32a Jaguar XK140, 32b Jaguar "E" Type, 53a Aston Martin, 75b Ferrari Berlinetta. The roof rack on the sport cars would be commercially absolute flop and fiasco. Why should be changed the die of the nice model in the second half of its production???
Antonin

[Martin Avis]

I think I can see two small differences between Battersea's model and Antonin's.

1. There is a release ring under the bonnet (hood) on the strange model, which I can't see on Antonin's one and

2. The front corner reinforcements appear to be a slightly different shape.

I have combined the two images into one for easier comparison:

mb75.jpg (106.67 KiB) Viewed 1044 times

Martin

[Martin Avis]

Here's a thought.

The Thunderbird was retired from the range in mid '65 to make way for the Berlinetta. At exactly the same time the 56b Fiat was introduced - with a very similar roof rack.

Could it be that the production team simply used the old Thunderbird dies to experiment with roof rack designs before committing to the production version on the 56b?

mb75ii.jpg (109.3 KiB) Viewed 1037 times

Martin

[Diecast]

I was thinking about it also, Martin. It sounds logical and plausible.
Antonin

[Batterseaboy]

Doesn't,t the fiat have holes to retain the luggage cluster

[Miller]

Doesn't,t the fiat have holes to retain the luggage cluster

I guess, in this case your argument about the holes doesn´t count! The 56b Fiat has casted lines to create a roof rack look, although they are completely covered by the luggage! Maybe they firstly planned to leave the roof as it is. When they decided to add the luggage, the holes were later added.

One will never know their intensions or the timeline of the step by step developments...

[Batterseaboy]

I wondered if it was going to be for a gift set maybe with luggage pulling a trailer

[radar]

Interesting

Maybe ask Tinman on the logistics of shoehorning a reconfigured sliding roof out of a Studebaker wagon into the T Bird.