Ford Thunderbird The Thunderbird was redesigned for 1961 with sleeker styling that gave the car a distinctively bullet-like appearance. A new engine, the "FE" V8, was the standard and only engine initially offered in the Thunderbird. The V8 produced and was mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission. The new Thunderbird was immediately well received with 73,051 sold for 1961. The car was 1961's Indianapolis 500 pace car and was featured prominently in US President John F. Kennedy's inaugural parade, who appointed Ford executive Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defense. It also benefitted from product placement, notably on the popular television series 77
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