1963 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop

The Wixom, Michigan auto plant is one of Ford's largest and oldest manufacturing sites. The Wixom plant was built in 1958 and currently encompasses 4.7 million ft², employing 1,600 workers.

During its long and continuing history, the plant has been mainly used for the manufacture of Lincolns and the Ford Thunderbird. Currently, the Lincoln Town Car and the Ford GT are produced there. Production of the Lincoln LS ended in the first week of April, 2006.

Wixom was the most profitable plant in the industry during the 1980s when Cadillac downsized its lineup and lost ground to Lincoln. Recently however, Lincoln has not kept up with changing tastes among luxury car consumers, who now prefer sportier, more performance-focused luxury cars instead of ostentatious "luxury yachts."

Due to Lincoln's falling sales, Ford announced on January 23, 2006 that the Wixom plant would be idled in 2007, as part of The Way Forward. Some analyists however argue that the plant might not be closed. A report in the Oakland Press stated, "The fate of the Wixom plant, however, will depend on the shape of Ford's future product plan, which seems to be currently in flux." Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm, reportedly offered $115 million in tax cuts to keep the plant open.

1963's numbers were down at 63,313. The Landau became the number 2 model after the standard hardtop, at 12,193 sold, while a Limited Edition "Principality of Monaco" Landau model, personalized with a plaque displaying the owner's name and the car's limited production number, were limited to and sold 2,000 units. They all came with special white leather interior and a rose colored vinyl padded roof with Landau irons. Only 5,913 convertibles and 455 Sports Roadsters sold, indicating a decline in convertible popularity at the time.

The 390 CID (of 389.6 CID or 6.4 L true displacement) engine, with a bore of 4.05 in (103 mm) and stroke of 3.78 in (96 mm), was the most common FE engine in later application. It was used in many Ford cars as the standard engine, as well as many trucks.

It was a popular high-performance engine too; although not as powerful as the 427 and 428 models, it provided good performance, particularly in the lighter weight vehicles, and was in much greater supply.the 390cid 2v is rated at 265 bhp @ 4,100 rpm.