[Lee Stewart]

In an interesting side note, the 1962 version of the Thunderbird Sports Roadster, which was the first year of this package, had offered a set of Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels to further disguise this leviathan as a sports car. These wheels were actually the most expensive option on the entire trim package, weighing in at an extra $372.30 (a commanding $3,625.81 in 2022 dollars). Despite this, the wire wheels became highly problematic and had several issues holding air, as well as supporting the massive weight of the car itself. A notable incident involved none other than Elvis Presley, who found himself driving a Sports Roadster in 1962, when one of the wheels collapsed under heavy cornering. This sole incident had consequently caused Ford engineers to re-think the entire design after the faults of Elvis' Thunderbird made national headlines, which resulted in the majority of 1963 Thunderbirds to be sold with steel wheels.