Ford Thunderbird in Rancho Mirage, California also lays claim to being the inspiration for the name of the car. Ernest Breech, a Thunderbird Country Club member, who was then chairman of Ford Motor Company was supposedly deeply involved in the creation of the Thunderbird. Breech asked the Club's permission to name the new model after the Club and the club consented to the use of the name. The Ford Thunderbird began life in February 1953 in direct response to Chevrolet's new sports car, the Corvette, which was publicly unveiled in prototype form just a month before. Under rapid development, the Thunderbird went
Thunderbird 2 pod vehicles seen in "End of The Road". No model manufacturer has yet made a "Thunderbird 2" model which incorporates these grabs. The Sealant Device is an underwater machine capable of sealing cracks in the sea bed or underwater air pockets. The device is initially buoyant but can be submerged and towed underwater by Thunderbird 4 to a disaster zone. Four steel pins are then activated which cement themselves into the ground whilst the central section acts as the sealant. The Sealant Device is seen in the episode "Atlantic Inferno". No models have been produced of this device. "Thunderbird 2" is used