Check out this video

[bb1970]

1963 Ford sales video. T-bird vs. Riviera. Kind of interesting to see. I'd love to see the Buick side of this. 1963 Thunderbird vs Riviera Filmstrip - YouTube Sorry if it's a re-post.

[Guest rsmalling]

Cool Video! In spite of what Ford says, Ill still take a Rivi! . T-Birds did out sell all the first Gen Rivieras I believe I read somewhere. Thanks for posting that one bb1970

[Guest Rob J]

I't has been posted before, but still cool to watch. I'm with you Rob, the T-Bird just doesn't do it for me quite like a 65 Riv does.

[Guest Kingoftheroad]

I like both cars. I'm keeping my 64...

[mt65riv]

A better value, clearly. It's $33.18 less expensive! I love it. Great post.

They are both winners in my book, but I have a '59 T-bird and '65 Rivis. I like them both, but for different reasons. The '65 Riv is a much more luxurious car than the '59 Bird, but I would think that a '65 Bird would be more comparable. I think I'll go out to the shop and see which one makes me smile more...

Mike

[XframeFX]

I thought I'd bring this back since this original post post might've been too far back as it is for me and to provide a current link.

Hilarious Ford Sales piece to their people.

Scroll down for 2nd link.

Part-1:

 

Part-2:

 

[1965rivgs]

  I have the Ford factory print version of this comparison and I agree with everything Ford has to say...until I compare the exterior styling and the mechanicals.

  After reading the comparison years ago, it encouraged me to go out and purchase a mid sixties T-Bird, at least as a summer driver....almost several times since but I havnt found the right car yet.

 

Tom Mooney

[Aaron65]

This video always makes me feel conflicted...I own a '63 T-Bird but have always loved first-gen Rivs and am actively looking to buy one now.   

[jframe]

That's ok, I'll still take a 1st Generation Riv regardless. 😁 When my Dad got his new '65, one of the guys in the plant he worked at bought a new '65 T bird about the same time. Dad was proud of that Riv, so he parked it right next to the other guy's T bird. General consensus in the plant was that most liked the Buick better, and I can see why. Timeless styling, if nothing else. To me, the T bird just hasn't aged as well, and is somewhat more glitzy to me. Guess I'm a little partial, but you know what they say about opinions.

[Hazdaz]

That was fun to watch!  Listening to the marketing double-speak was great. 

 

I'm a big T-bird fan, but even with that, the Riv was my first classic car.  If/when my classic car garage expands, at some point an old T-bird might be added. 

 

Looking at them side-by-side the T-bird does look more old fashioned, while the Riv has a much more clean, modern look to it. 

[60FlatTop]

In the Oldsmobile sales training the salesman is taught to reply to the Buick Wildcat engine by saying "Wildcat? Does that run on cat food or fish?" That was a couple of years later but I bet the Ford guys wish they gad said it.

[Seafoam65]

Hilarious! The spokesman failed to point out that the Thunderbird couldn't go more than a few weeks without something breaking on it.  Back in 1965 my family's next door neighbor in Houston was the Thunderbird tech at the local Ford dealer. He was an alcoholic, and joked that he was the only mechanic at the dealership that was willing to work on T-birds, so he got stuck with all of them. He said that they broke constantly and the other guys wouldn't work on them because of all the comebacks. He further claimed that he drank too much because working on T-birds drove him to drinking! My family drove our new 65 Riviera 120,000 miles and we never had any problems with it for 21 years. My Dad still says it was by far the best car he ever owned.

Edited March 5, 2021 by Seafoam65 (see edit history)

[Aaron65]

I can say for certain that my '63 is not much fun to work on.  Everything's hard to get to, especially for such a big car.  

[jsgun]

I was shopping for a Thunderbird before I bought my Riv. I decided to go Riv instead, because the styling is more sophisticated, and a borderline muscle car. It's almost like a precursor to what the Chevelle, GTO, and Cutlass would become. I still would like to own a Thunderbird, because I like that extreme spaceship, concept car type styling. I've always heard the electricals are a nightmare on 60's T-birds, but i'm ok with reengineering that as needed. Around here, the 61-63 was fairly expensive and the 64 and later were considerably cheaper. But now they're really increasing in price.

[telriv]

I have a '62 convertible that I have known since it was almost new. Most all of this car has had all the re-enginnering done already.Which can be for sale for the rght number.

 

Tom T.

[Craig Balzer]

On 4/4/2021 at 9:46 AM, jsgun said:

I was shopping for a Thunderbird before I bought my Riv. I decided to go Riv instead, because the styling is more sophisticated, and a borderline muscle car. 

 

JSGun -- I have the best of both worlds.

 

[Seafoam65]

I've never seen a photo of the two cars side by side.....the Riviera is so much better looking it's like comparing

a model T to a Ferrari.

[Chimera]

Yeah, Thunderbirds are cool. I have been liking the 1971 form (alligator print vinyl top anyone?!), but frankly it is hard to beat the style and performance of the Riviera...as we know.

 

 

[kreed]

I have a 62 Thunderbird Sport Roadster and absolutely love it ! My 63 Riviera is a totally different drive and feel. Both are great cars IMO . Not sure which I would give up first .  
KReed

ROA 14549

[XframeFX]

Coincidence both cars having wire 'caps! I like the Sport Roadster wire caps more. And oh, that red tonneau! Very nice, thank-you

Edited April 8, 2021 by XframeFX (see edit history)

[jsgun]

On 4/6/2021 at 3:40 PM, Craig Balzer said:

 

JSGun -- I have the best of both worlds.

 

 

The color on that 65, matches my envy perfectly. 

I've seen a couple of bulletbirds in traffic around here. They are so radically different looking than modern traffic... they might as well be hovering with a martian at the wheel. I'm not surprised that several members here are into them, as they were in the same market just on the opposite extremes.

[Craig Balzer]

JSGun

I pretty much get 2 to 3 thumbs-up or compliments every time I take out the T-Bird.

The Riviera is sidelined while TelRiv refurbishes my carbs but I fully expected at least the same reaction once I get it back on the road.

Craig