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Thunderbirds are go: we select our favourite big-screen birds

19 January, 2016

Over the years, Thunderbirds have appeared in dozens of movies and TV series — and here are a few of our favourite big-screen Birds

American Graffiti

In American Graffiti (1973), although the white ‘baby’ Bird only makes a brief appearance, driven by Suzanne Somers, the car (and the girl) provide the impetus for all that happens to the movie’s main character, as portrayed by Richard Dreyfus.

Patrick Swayze may have wowed the girls with his Dirty Dancing (1987), but the boys were probably more interested in Jennifer Grey — and the bright-red ’56 T-bird that appeared in the first part of the film. 

T-Bird Gang

If the actors were the stars in the two films noted above, then the cars were most definitely the stars in the 1959 movie T-Bird Gang — a low-budget black-and-white thriller that involves murder and gang of juvenile delinquents. However, the only reason to watch this film would be to see the featured ’56 Thunderbird.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

Pneumatic horror host, Elvira, ended up driving a ’58 Thunderbird convertible in her movie, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988). Appropriately, her car was ‘tastefully’ customized by George Barris to include a spiderweb front grille plus skull-and-crossbone wheel inserts.
Disney got around to featuring a Thunderbird in its 1961 film The Parent Trap, with one of the main characters driving around in a light-blue 1960 model, while fans of Perry Mason will probably remember Paul Drake’s black 1960 convertible.

Thelma & Louise

Less seriously, there was the flying 1963 convertible in the Robin Williams comedy, Flubber, although the best ‘flying’ Thunderbird has to be the 1966 convertible that came to a sticky end in Thelma & Louise. Then there was the ’64 convertible that played a small role in the 1964 Bond blockbuster, Goldfinger. 

Die Another Day

Interestingly, Thunderbirds appeared a few more times in 007 films — next in 1965’s Thunderball, as driven by the villainous Spectre No. 2, Emilio Largo, and then again in 1971 for Diamonds Are Forever. Finally, the all-new Thunderbird, as resurrected in 2002, appeared in Die Another Day driven by Halle Berry.

We couldn’t find any motor sport–type films involving the Thunderbird, although if you check out the 1969 Paul Newman racing title, Winning, you’ll get to see a Thunderbird cutting a lap at the brickyard.

TV series which feature cameo appearances from a Thunderbird include The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, 77 Sunset Strip, The Rockford Files, Crime Story, The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, Bewitched, CHiPS, Hawaii Five-O, and Charlie’s Angels, amongst many others.

This article was originally published in New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 290. You can pick up a print copy or a digital copy of the magazine below:


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NZ Classic Car magazine, November/December 2026 issue 408, on sale now

18 October, 2026

Star status for classic Porsche
A long search ends: finding the right car
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, the Porsche 911 heralded an iconic lineage of sports cars, known for their exceptional performance, remarkable racing reliability, and adaptability, second to none.
New Zealand Classic Car, in conjunction with Star Insure, recently conducted a photo competition to find 13 suitably impressive classics to grace the pages of the magazine’s 2027 calendar. A flood of entries showed that Kiwis recognise eye-catching designs and restorations. Many are handy with a camera, too, and have entered some outstanding results.
The choice was not straightforward, with multiple stunning entries, and Geoff Long’s immaculate 1990 Porsche 911 (964 Factory designation) took top honours. Fortunately, Geoff had Ethan Hanlon handy to take the accompanying photos while working in his office.
“I’ve got a young employee who is doing work experience in my office at the moment, and he’s a very avid photographer. So, I said, I’ll buy you breakfast and then why don’t we go and take some photos. He found the right spot, and he spent over an hour photographing.”
Originally sold new in Japan, hence the right-hand drive, the Porsche was resident there for four years before being exported to New Zealand, as Geoff recalls.
“I bought it two-and-a-half years ago, but I looked for it for over two years, because it’s just the colour scheme, interior and exterior I was after. The service file that came with it is extensive; I mean, it’s been beautifully looked after, which is what I wanted to continue, as it does get driven. It doesn’t sit in the garage.”

Classics on the green

16 October, 2026

Many pretenders vie for the title, but the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance gets my vote as the biggest thing since sliced bread.
The 71st edition of the world’s pre-eminent and best-known concours event featured 28 classes, judged by a 180-strong jury, which also chose the recipients of 26 special awards.
The size of the event, the number of visitors, and, most mind-numbingly, the sheer number of amazing cars, is almost overwhelming. There are so many quality cars to gaze upon, and so many people gazing at those cars, that it is almost impossible to cover everything.
Notable among the many attractions were the centenary celebrations of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an elegant Talbot-Lago Grand Sport, Hermann Graber’s Swiss-bodied cabriolets and coupés, the jewels of Otto Vu Italian V8s, early Alfa Romeos, Lincoln and its centenary, and cars with unorthodox propulsion systems.