This car (for sale) will fetch over $1,000,000.00

[dmiller]

This is for those who might be interested in *classic cars*.

A (truly) one of a kind car. There were no others made, except for this one.

Here's the story -- from the local paper here -------- >>>

One-of-a-kind car could make Lakewood Township man millions

Steve Kuchera News Tribune

Published Thursday, January 03, 2008

Never heard of a 1963 Ford Thunderbird Italien? Not surprising — only one was ever built. And Tom Maruska of Lakewood Township has it.

Not for long, however. The custom-made concept car, which Maruska spent more than a year restoring to mint condition, is going on the auction block in Scottsdale, Ariz., later this month. The car will be transported to Arizona later this week.

“Concept cars in the past have sold for between $1 [million] and $3.25 million,” Maruska said. “And with each of those cars, there were two or more of them in existence. This is the first one-of-a-kind concept car that will cross the block down there. So it is really hard to say what it will do.”

Tom Maruska of Lakewood Township has restored this 1963 Ford Thunderbird Italien, which is believed to be a one-of-a-kind concept car. Maruska received the damaged and aged car on Feb. 19, 2006, and has spent about 1,800 hours restoring it to mint condition.

Tom Maruska of Lakewood Township has restored this 1963 Ford Thunderbird Italien, which is believed to be a one-of-a-kind concept car. Maruska received the damaged and aged car on Feb. 19, 2006, and has spent about 1,800 hours restoring it to mint condition.

Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson Auction Co., which will sell the Italien on Jan. 19, won’t guess what the car might bring.

“We feel the car will bring some serious money because it is going to attract some serious interest,” he said. “Nothing else like it exists. I think the price will reflect the car’s rarity and significance. The folks bidding on it will understand and appreciate what it is.”

The Italien represents an exciting time in the auto industry, Davis said. During the 1950s and early 1960s, concept cars were showcased across the nation. To create the Thunderbird Italien — named to reflect its Italian inspired sporty lines — Ford took a 1962 Thunderbird convertible and replaced its body with a fastback design. Ford showcased the car in its Custom Car Caravan at auto shows across the country and in the 1964 New York World Fair’s Cavalcade of Custom Cars.

When the Italien goes on the block, it may be its first public viewing since the World Fair. Davis expects the car to be sold about 6 p.m. CDT. The auction is scheduled to be carried live on the Speed channel.

The Italien was slated to be scrapped after the 1964 World Fair — a common fate for concept cars at the time. But the car was sold to actor Dale Robertson of TV’s “Tales of Wells Fargo.” He later gave it to his gardener. The car ultimately reached the hands of a California collector of rare Fords whose dream of building a museum was stopped by a terminal illness.

Maruska bought the Italien in January 2006 for an undisclosed price.

“It was a solid, rust-free California car, but the interior was entirely baked out and the paint was baked to a point were there were large cracks and craters in it from sitting out in the sun,” Maruska said. “It needed a total restoration.”

Which is what Maruska loves to do. He began his first Thunderbird restoration in 1988, after his brother, Ray, passed on to him a dilapidated Thunderbird. Since then, he has restored 12 or 14 Thunderbirds, a Chevrolet Camaro and an Amphicar, a novelty vehicle that can be driven on land and water.

Maruska’s restoration work accelerated after he sold his floor-covering business five years ago.

“Over the years I dragged home a bunch of project cars,” he said.

“So when I retired I just started restoring them.

It was a lucky thing to run across this car. It’s been fun and interesting working on it.”

He took the car apart and stripped its body down to bare metal, then repainted it candy apple red. Working from Ford archives and old magazines, he rebuilt the interior. He bought seven hides of leather and had them custom dyed to match the car’s original interior color. The only job Maruska passed on to others was rebuilding the Thunderbird’s 390 cubic inch engine.

Maruska figures he spent between 1,500 and 1,800 hours restoring the Italien.

“It is an incredible restoration,” Davis said. “The car is impeccably restored and reflects pretty much the way it looked when it was doing the show circuit back in the early ’60s.”

Here's some pics of it ---

Rear view (promo pic) of it today --->>>

when he got it --- >>>

After he restored it --- >>>

Edited January 4, 2008 by dmiller

[frank123lol]

Thanks DM I love old cars,Better yet I love the history of od cars,and how they

ended up,how they were restored.

[Tom Strange]

My dad used to restore T-Birds. Looks like that blue was the original color... it'll bring a pretty penny, but it should've been restored to the blue... IMO!

With restorations it's not so much what you like as what was it 'originally'...

...looks like he did a nice job though...

[Danny]

Cool D M

10 years and many many dollars my

project is finally getting the inside covered.

Last step. 55 Ford F100

I love old cars and trucks.

[simonzelotes]

Thanks for posting that,Miller...I'm still waiting for Danny to put up some pictures of his '55 pickup somewhere...

Is that guy from your neck of the woods?...There was a guy from Minnie who at one time expressed interest in a '60 squarebird I've been "working on" for 20 or so years...I go to the Barret-Jackson auctions most every year,and even though everything sold there is a little too high falutant for me, they say that drooling and dreaming is good for the soul...

I don't think the car will bring a million dollars...It's a beautiful restoration and all,but this particular Italien was unveiled after the T-Bird was really enjoying it's glory years...Had it been a Mustang bodied concept car,...an idea that sparked a whole generation of Mustangs,he may get his million...I was at the B/J auction when one of the concept cars brought 3.5 mil. It was a '53 Oldsmobile convertible---but not just any Oldsmobile---it was the car that GM used as a take-off to begin mass-producing the Corvette...A concept car that breeds a successful production car will bring in much more than a car whose idea was scrapped...

[YID]

I want one, oh please.

Actually, I'd like to take an Dodge Ram 1500 and make it a convertible. In the Texas weather it might be cool to drive it.

Edited January 4, 2008 by YID

[dmiller]

My dad used to restore T-Birds. Looks like that blue was the original color... it'll bring a pretty penny, but it should've been restored to the blue... IMO!

With restorations it's not so much what you like as what was it 'originally'...

...looks like he did a nice job though...

Hey there Tom. I hear you about the *originality* aspect. There's one pic I didn't post yet.

Here's a pic of the interior when he got it, and it's all in red.

Wouldn't the interior color more aptly be the original, rather than the body color??

I don't know, so that's why I'm asking! What say ye, eh?? ;)

[dmiller]

I don't think the car will bring a million dollars...It's a beautiful restoration and all,but this particular Italien was unveiled after the T-Bird was really enjoying it's glory years...Had it been a Mustang bodied concept car,...an idea that sparked a whole generation of Mustangs,he may get his million...I was at the B/J auction when one of the concept cars brought 3.5 mil. It was a '53 Oldsmobile convertible---but not just any Oldsmobile---it was the car that GM used as a take-off to begin mass-producing the Corvette...A concept car that breeds a successful production car will bring in much more than a car whose idea was scrapped...

Hey there Simon. I meant to put the word *probably* in the title of the thread,

but must've spaced it out, and we can't edit titles of threads here.

Interesting what you said about the *before and after* approach to concept cars. I never knew that.

Makes sense though that one at the beginning of a generation of models would be more valuable,

than one made in the latter years of one that's already been in production.

Is that guy from your neck of the woods?...There was a guy from Minnie who at one time expressed interest in a '60 squarebird I've been "working on" for 20 or so years...I go to the Barret-Jackson auctions most every year,and even though everything sold there is a little too high falutant for me, they say that drooling and dreaming is good for the soul...

Yup, he's from here. Actually -- he used to be my boss. He owned a carpet and tile contracting company that I worked for. He wasn't the world's best boss, but perhaps he's mellowed out since he retired. I worked for him back about 15 or so years ago.

Every once in a while he would come to work in one of his T-birds, and they were a sight to see. So it could very well have been him that contacted you. He was always on the prowl for a new T-bird to work on, and I've heard him discussing purchases of one's that needed restoring before. I figured he was getting the cars locally, not nationally.

Whatever -- I wish him luck in his sale. We have cable tv with the speed channel at work.

Everyone at the group home is interested in seeing how much this sells for,

so we'll be tuned in and watching Jan. 19th (I think it is).

[Tom Strange]

I honestly don't know dave... I see what you're saying... wonder where the blue came from? That blue IIRC was a T-bird color... I've seen red ones as well, just don't remember 'candy apple' red... either way it's a neat car.

[waysider]

Had a '67 Le Mans with spinners, bucket seats, 326, etc, that I literally GAVE away.

Can you hear me kicking myself?

[dmiller]

Had a '67 Le Mans with spinners, bucket seats, 326, etc, that I literally GAVE away.

Can you hear me kicking myself?

Waysider -- ya wanna hear a REALLY sad story???

Back in the early 70's, I had an *A* model mandolin that said Gibson at the top of it.

But -- the word *Gibson* was straight on the peghead, and not at a slant like you normally see.

I bought the thing for (maybe) 100 or 150 bucks.

I was pretty much convinced it was a fake -- since the word Gibson wasn't "slanted".

Upshot of it is -- I traded the thing for a 12-string guitar worth (asking price) 500 bucks.

Turns out the mandolin was not only an original 1930's model, but highly sought after,

and now highly collectible, and is worth many thousands of dollars with no questions asked. :(

Yea -- dumb things we did in our youth. I hear that loud and clear.