1963 Ford Falcon Futura Sport
Ford repositioned its compact upmarket for 1963 with the new Futura series replacing the previous year’s Deluxe models. The five-passenger Sport hardtop coupe featured bucket seats, a center console, and upgraded appointments at a base price of $2,319.
Simulated wire wheel covers with decorative spinners and chrome rocker panels distinguished the exterior from standard Falcons. Production totaled 10,972 Sport hardtops for the model year.
Standard power came from the 170 cubic inch inline six-cylinder generating 101 horsepower, though the smaller 144 cubic inch version producing 85 horsepower was still available early in the model year.
Buyers could select a three-speed manual transmission or the two-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic. Midway through production in February 1963, Ford introduced the Futura Sprint package with the 260 cubic inch V8 borrowed from the Fairlane, creating the first V8-powered Falcon.
The compact rode a 109.5-inch wheelbase with unibody construction. Total Falcon sales exceeded 265,000 units across all body styles for 1963. Components from these first-generation Falcons would later form the basis for the 1964½ Mustang introduced the following year.
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