1961 Ford Thunderbird bubbletop “Thunderflite”
Ford never built a space age Thunderbird concept so Dean Arnold did.
From out of the distance came a rolling cloud of dust. Second by second the shape at the head of it became clearer yet no more familiar. Standing still, we eyed its relentless progress across El Mirage’s lunar-like surface.
This alien craft glinting on its way across the dry Californian lake — the sharp nose, the sweptback lines and clear canopies — was it a spaceship, a plane, a jet-powered car?
Having endured the Depression and World War II, America from the late 40s to the 60s was all about the future, nowhere embodied better than in the space race and that iconic trip to the moon. Naturally, car design followed suit with concepts such as the Club de Mer, the Golden Rocket and the 1956 Buick Centurion. Sadly, spiralling costs and new marketing strategies put an end to all the fun but that visionary era provided Dean with his inspiration.
Next they added thin seats that looked like they’d been plucked from a top secret fighter plane. Naturally the controls and gauges had to be equally flight-inspired, and the theme was rounded out with two glass canopies.
The 1961 T-Bird had a distinctly space-age interior; Dean has simply enhanced it with contrasting red trim and a cut-down wheel.
The drawing on the napkin and the fictional back story led Dean to Don Johnson’s door. Don’s a consultant specialising in automotive and yacht design, and was the ideal partner to realise the Thunderflite concept. He turned the sketch into a series of design studies until they had enough for the real work to start.
Much of the car was handmade, including the fins and front bumper, Dean spending days shrinking, stretching and working with his English wheel to make his concept flawless and believable.
A cursory glance tells you Thunderflite is as much about art as engineering. Take the drilled detail running between the bubbletops.
Unlike most concept cars, Thunderflite is a driver and runs a chromed 302ci V8 with red metalflake accents, Koolflex hoses and a Flex-A-Lite fan and radiator. A Holley intake manifold and 650 carb sit on top while dual Cherry Bombs handle the exhaust. The tranny is the original modified, and the independent rear is from a 1994 SHO Thunderbird.
Better still, it took the top spot in a poll of the coolest cars on display.
This drive at El Mirage was another emotional debut for Dean — the first time he’d really driven Thunderflite. On the dry lake bed he had the time and space to enjoy his achievement and to think about Suzie and the pleasure she’d have taken from seeing Thunderflite finished and on the move.
Being at the wheel for the first time was fun but the strange thing is, you feel like you’re flying. The Air Ride suspension means the wheels turn freely and the bubbletops are really good optically, although I might have to get cameras for reversing!
