Hangar 1 · the puppet series and its revivals
Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds
Toys, die-cast, model kits, figures, books and home video from the 1965–66 Supermarionation series, the two 1960s films and Thunderbirds Are Go (2015–2020).
Catalogue · collector guides · Amazon & eBay searches
Thunderbirds toys, models & collectables
An independent UK guide to what was made, who made it and how to find it — from 1960s Dinky Toys and the 1992 Matchbox range to today’s die-cast and kits. Plus models of the USAF Thunderbirds display team and the Ford Thunderbird.
- 65specimens
- 12shelves
- 3hangars
Featured specimens
From the cabinet
- Thunderbirds: The Vault — Marcus Hearn A 240-page history of the series for its 50th anniversary, including photography of original 1960s merchandise. Current
- Hobby Master HA3815 F-16C Thunderbirds No. 1 (2010) A 1:72 die-cast F-16C in the markings of Thunderbird No. 1 from the 2010 season. Recent
- Hasegawa F-16C Block 52 Thunderbirds (1:72 kit) An injection-moulded kit of the team’s current F-16C, with a bonus patch. Current
- American Muscle 1957 Ford Thunderbird Roadster (1:18 die-cast) A large 1:18 die-cast 1957 Thunderbird in Raven Black with a white porthole hardtop, modelled on an “E-Code” car. Current
- AMT 1956 Ford Thunderbird (1:25 kit) A first-generation two-seater with removable porthole hardtop and continental spare wheel. Current
Browse by section
Three hangars, one name
Hangar 2 · the display team
USAF Thunderbirds
Die-cast models and plastic kits of the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron — the Thunderbirds — whose F-16 Fighting Falcons have flown the team’s displays since 1983.
Hangar 3 · the classic car
Ford Thunderbird
Scale models of Ford’s personal luxury car, sold for the 1955 to 1997 model years and again from 2002 to 2005 — from 1:18 die-cast to plastic kits.
The era timeline
1965 → today
- 1953
The USAF Thunderbirds are formed
The U.S. Air Force’s air demonstration team is activated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, flying the F-84G Thunderjet.
- 1954
The Ford Thunderbird goes on sale
Sold as a 1955 model: an upscale, sporty two-seat convertible.
- 1956
The team moves to Nellis and the F-100
The Thunderbirds move to their current home, Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and take up the F-100 Super Sabre, which…
- 1965
Thunderbirds premieres on ITV
The first episode, “Trapped in the Sky”, is shown in the ATV Midlands, Westward and Channel regions; other ITV regions…
- 1966
Production ends after 32 episodes
Filming ends in August 1966 with the sixth episode of Series Two. AP Films is renamed Century 21 Productions the same y…
- 1966
Thunderbirds Are Go reaches cinemas
The first feature film, directed by David Lane and distributed by United Artists.
- 1968
Thunderbird 6 is released
The second film. Its poor box-office performance rules out further sequels.
- 1969
Thunderbirds fly the F-4E Phantom II
The team flies the Air Force’s front-line fighter, then switches to the T-38 Talon trainer in 1974.
- 1983
The F-16 arrives
The F-16A Fighting Falcon becomes the team’s display aircraft; the F-16C follows in 1992.
- 1991
BBC2 brings Thunderbirds back
The BBC shows the series nationwide on BBC2; the first run averages more than six million viewers per episode.
Know what you’re looking at
Collector guides
- Identifying vintage Dinky, Matchbox and Corgi Thunderbirds toys
How to tell the main vintage and modern die-cast apart — catalogue numbers, colours, copyright marks and missing parts — using only facts we can source.
- Spotting reproductions and restored items
Reproduction boxes, repainted models and replacement parts are part of the hobby — the problem is when they aren’t declared. What to look for and what to ask.
- Caring for and displaying die-cast and plastic models
Museum conservation advice applied to a home collection: light, humidity, handling, cleaning and “zinc pest”.
- Buying safely on eBay
How eBay’s Money Back Guarantee works, your rights with business and private sellers, and practical checks before you bid on vintage Thunderbirds toys.
- Three Thunderbirds: the TV craft, the display team and the Ford
Searching for “Thunderbird models” turns up three unrelated things. Here’s how to tell them apart — and find the right one.
- Scales explained: 1:18 to 1:350
What “1:72” actually means, which hobbies use which scales, why Thunderbirds craft come in so many sizes — and a calculator to work out any model’s length.
- Condition and box grading: what “mint” really means
The grading words used by auction houses and sellers — Mint, Near Mint, Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor — plus MIB, MOC and the rest, explained with sources.
The collector’s glossary explains the jargon, from “near mint” to “sprue”.
New on Amazon.co.uk · second-hand on eBay.co.uk
Where to look
Models still in production — current die-cast, kits, books and Blu-rays — are easiest to find new. Our Amazon store lists them shelf by shelf with ready-made Amazon.co.uk searches.
Vintage Dinky Toys, the 1992 Matchbox range and other discontinued items turn up second-hand. Our eBay searches link to live eBay.co.uk search results (never single listings, which disappear once sold) — read buying safely on eBay first.
We earn a small commission from qualifying purchases through these links. We never show shop prices — check the current price and seller details on the shop’s own page.
Independent guide
Thunderbird Models is an independent fan and collector’s guide. It is not affiliated with, authorised or endorsed by ITV Studios or any other owner of the Thunderbirds rights, Anderson Entertainment, the toy and model makers we write about, Ford Motor Company or the United States Air Force.
“Thunderbirds” and the names of the show’s craft and characters are trade marks of their owners; we use them only to describe the products we write about. We don’t use the show’s logo, official artwork, stills or publicity photos — the specimen plates on this site are our own abstract graphics, and our photos are freely licensed and credited.