The flying bridge, which compromises the sleekness of the original design, was added after the
Thunderbird was purchased by the Nevada casino owner Bill Harrah in 1962. Harrah was a protege
of Whittell's who shared his passion for fast cars and planes. The income from his casinos gave
him the same kind of carte-blanche budget Whittell had always enjoyed. He had a world-famous,
open-to-the-public collection of cars and planes that occupied several huge warehouses in Reno.
His reputation for insisting that every vehicle in the collection be in perfect operating condition
gave Whittell the consolation of knowing his beloved boat would get the attention it deserved.

As Whittell's health had declined, the Thunderbird spent years suspended in the boathouse, all but
forgotten. It was badly in need of some TLC, and Harrah was the perfect man to provide it. After
the initial stem-to-stern restoration, the boat was transported back to Harrah's Reno workshops
every winter for a down-to-the-bare-wood refinishing job topped off with ten coats of varnish.