Ford gave the 1961 Thunderbird a Swing Away steering wheel, and it solved an old problem in a clever way. With the transmission in Park, the wheel and its whole column slid over toward the middle of the car. As a result, the driver had a clear path in and out of the seat.
It sounds like a small thing today. Yet in 1961 it was a real selling point on a car that was all new from the ground up. Ford also priced it so low that most buyers ticked the box.
The idea stuck around for years, too. Before long it had spread to other Fords, and later it evolved into a wheel that tilted as well as moved.
How the Swing Away steering wheel worked
The trick started with the gear selector. According to Hagerty, the entire column and steering wheel slid toward the center of the cabin once the Cruise-O-Matic automatic was in Park. Old Cars Weekly likewise says the wheel worked only with the selector in Park.
Moving the whole column left a gap in the dash, so Ford had to fill it. Ford Authority explains that a metal plate behind the instrument panel traveled with the column to close the opening. Meanwhile, Street Muscle adds that a color-keyed vinyl panel covered the space on the left side once the column moved aside.
Accounts differ on exactly how far the wheel traveled, and the figures vary from source to source. All of them agree on the direction, though. The wheel went right, toward the center of the car, and away from the driver’s knees.
A safety lock built into the column
Ford didn’t want anyone driving off with the wheel parked in the middle of the car. That’s why the design included an interlock. Street Muscle reports that the car could start with the wheel in either position. However, the shifter couldn’t leave Park until the column returned to its normal driving spot.
Ford Authority describes the same rule. The transmission stayed locked in Park “for safety reasons” until the driver swung the wheel back. In other words, the feature only worked when the car was standing still.
That extra protection came at a cost for later owners. Street Muscle notes that the safety mechanism alone made the column a complex part to work on. Its 2016 story followed the aftermarket firm ididit as it rescued a worn column from a 1962 car.
A $25.10 option that became standard
Ford first offered the Swing Away steering wheel as an option on the 1961 Thunderbird. Ford Authority puts the price at just $25.10. At that price, it says, the option ended up on the majority of 1961 Thunderbirds built.
The brochure leaned on it, too. Hagerty says Ford’s sales literature touted the Swing Away as part of what made its personal luxury car “totally” new. Then, for 1962, Ford made it standard equipment, as both Ford Authority and Street Muscle confirm.
The feature soon left the Thunderbird behind. Street Muscle says Ford also offered a swing-away column on 1963–1966 Galaxie models and 1965–1966 LTD models. Ford redesigned the Thunderbird’s own column for 1964, the magazine adds. Later, Ford Authority writes, the idea grew into the Tilt-Away wheel, which reached cars like the Mustang and the Mercury Cougar.
The Bullet Bird that carried it
The Swing Away arrived on a car that looked nothing like its boxy predecessor. Old Cars Weekly says the 1961 Thunderbird traded corners and angles for smooth, curving lines. The 1961–1963 cars have since become known as the Bullet Birds, according to Mac’s Motor City Garage. The site credits Ford lead stylist Elwood Engel with a hand in the design. It also traces the all-new sheet metal back to Ford’s 1953 X-100 dream car.
Under the hood, the choice was simple. Every Bullet Bird used Ford’s 390-cubic-inch V8 rated at 300 horsepower, Mac’s Motor City Garage says. A three-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic came with it. The Over-Drive fact sheet also gives the wheelbase as 113.0 inches.
For 1962 and 1963, buyers could add more power. Old Cars Weekly describes the M-code option, with three Holley two-barrel carburetors on a 340-hp 390. It reports that this engine added $242.10 to the retail price.
Parade duty and the Indy 500
The new car got plenty of public exposure in its first year. For John F. Kennedy’s inauguration on January 20, 1961, 50 Thunderbird convertibles were ordered for use in the inauguration events, Classic Industries reports. Most wore Mahogany Metallic paint with white tops.
A few months later, the Thunderbird paced the Indianapolis 500. The Henry Ford holds a photo of the official pace car from May 30, 1961. According to the museum, Ford supplied a gold Thunderbird to honor the race’s 50th anniversary. In addition, Old Cars Weekly says Ford provided 34 convertibles for that race in total.
Sales held up well, too. The Over-Drive fact sheet lists 73,051 Thunderbirds sold for 1961, including 10,516 convertibles. By Ford Authority’s account, most of those cars left the factory with the $25.10 Swing Away steering wheel, a year before Ford made it standard.
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