Summary

Re-creation of the "Coral Key Marine Preserve Boat" as seen in the "Flipper" television series from 1964-67. From The Dr. Stewart A. Berkowitz Collection.

Details

This 1966 Thunderbird Iroquois is a re-creation of the "Coral Key Marine Preserve Boat" as seen in the "Flipper" televisions series from 1964-67. "Flipper," broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967, starred a bottlenose dolphin who was the pet of Porter Ricks, chief warden at Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve, a fictional version of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, FL, and his two young sons, Sandy and Bud. Often considered an aquatic version of TV's "Lassie," the show was an extension of the 1963 film "Flipper" starring Chuck Connors and Luke Halpin as Porter and Sandy Ricks, and of its 1964 sequel "Flipper's New Adventure." For the TV series, the producers departed from the films by endowing Flipper with an unnatural degree of intelligence and an extraordinary understanding of human motives, behavior and vocabulary, drawing legions of viewers in the process. "Flipper" was filmed in Miami at Greenwich Studios, at the time called Ivan Tors Studios, in Miami, FL, and at Key Biscayne, FL. Nassau was an occasional location, especially for underwater footage. The show was produced in cooperation with the Miami Seaquarium, an aquarium also located on Miami's Key Biscayne. Two different Thunderbird Iroquois boats were used in the show's production, including a 22-foot model with all-white upholstery and a single porthole on the sides of the cuddy for the first two seasons, later upgraded to a 23-foot model in the third season with two-tone upholstery and two portholes on the sides of the cuddy. Emulating the latter boat from the TV series, this 1966 Thunderbird Iroquois motorboat features twin Mercruiser 120hp inboard/outboard engines and "Coral Key Marine Preserve" graphics. A 2016-issued appraisal report is on file, confirming the Thunderbird's features, specifications and equipment. From The Dr. Stewart A. Berkowitz Collection.