As the muscle automotive market took shape, Ford introduced a Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt for drag racing for 1964, heavily modified to incorporate Fords 427 CID (7.0 L) V8 race engine with two four-barrel carburetors on a high-riser manifold, ram-air via the openings left by deleting the inboard headlights, equal-length headers, trunk-mounted battery, fiberglass hood, doorways, fenders and front bumper, acrylic glass home windows, and different lightweight choices including deleted rear door window winders, carpeting, radio, sealant, solar visors, armrests, jack, lug wrench, heater, soundproofing, and passenger side windshield wiper. The automobiles wore Fairlane 500 trim, and were only supplied with the two-door sedan body. This special model, of which 111 to 127 total had been made (sources disagree),delivered 600 hp (447 kW) at 7,000 rpm and was referred to as the Thunderbolt.

Racing in NHRA Tremendous Inventory class on 7-inch (180 mm)-broad tires, the Thunderbolt was primarily based on the mid-stage Fairlane 500 two door pillared sedan, and in 1964 set elapsed time and prime speed records at 11.6 seconds and 124 mph (200 km/h), .took the Super Inventory title, and gained the Producer's Cup; it is probably the quickest and fastest manufacturing drag racer ever produced. The car as delivered was in reality slightly too gentle to meet NHRA's 3200 lb (1451 kg) minimum weight unless it was raced with a full tank of gasoline, which might bring it to 3203 lb (1453 kg). NHRA guidelines then[clarification needed] required a metallic front bumper, so the vehicles began to be provided with an aluminum bumper and former purchasers have been provided with one.

Finally,[clarification needed] the NHRA changed the foundations to require 500 fashions of a automobile to be manufactured for Super Stock competition, and Ford, which had been shedding $1500 to $2000 on every Thunderbolt bought at the sticker worth of $3900, gave up. The primary eleven Thunderbolts have been painted maroon (often called Vintage Burgundy in Ford literature), the rest white; 99 had guide transmissions. Many are still raced. About 50 similar Mercury Cyclones were additionally produced by Ford in 1964, destined to be modified to represent Ford in A/FX competition, which they dominated as well.

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