FAB 1

FAB 1

I visited the Heritage Motor Cenrte @ Gaydon this morning.

I've lived in this area all my life and this place is only 15 miles away and I have never been there before.

Going mid week and being there as soon as they opened, I just about had the place to myself.

The admittance fee is £11 but if you agree that they can claim the "Gift Aid" tax back you can then visit as many times as you like for one whole year.

I shall be going back again at the weekend for more pictures.

FAB 1
In the live-action film Thunderbirds (2004) the car was still pink and had six wheels and a glass canopy (now tinted). The Ford Motor Company supplied the prop - a heavily modified Ford Thunderbird.

The FAB1 appears at the 2004 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The vehicle supplied by Ford was actually fully functional (except that it couldn't fly), completely road-legal and appeared in a segment on UK motoring show Top Gear where it was road-tested by James May.
He noted that it wasn't the most practical car ever conceived, mostly due to its excessive length which made it difficult to drive through small English villages.

The boot panels would open to expose the gas turbine engine before flight and wings would extend from the undercarriage. During flight, the rear set of wheels folds into the vehicle's body completely. This prevents them from creating unnecessary drag and so slowing the aircraft down.

Skis for going over heavy snow are also added to the vehicle. The bullet-proof, run-flat tires are fitted with studs in order to give extra traction.

The central passenger compartment of FAB1 doubles as an emergency life raft in the event of an emergency at sea. Buoyancy tanks hidden in the body paneling ensure that the compartment remains afloat after it has broken away from the rest of the vehicle.