The 30 Minute Rule begins October 22 at 7:00 PM EDT. An Initial Bid Must Be Placed By October 22 at 6:00 PM EDT To Participate After 6:00 PM EDT
Astronaut William E. Thornton’s personally-owned 1967 Plymouth GTX, finished in 'Turbine Bronze Metallic' with a white bucket-seat interior. The GTX was built on December 14, 1966, VIN RS23L75128201, Order No. 2020, and equipped with Chrysler’s formidable 440-cubic-inch V8, four-speed manual transmission with console, and 3.54 Sure Grip rear axle.
Thornton purchased the lightly used GTX while working as chief engineer for Del Mar Avionics in Santa Monica during the summer of 1967, shortly before his selection to NASA Astronaut Group 6. He drove it back to Texas, and after the family relocated to Friendswood, the Plymouth became his regular commuter to Johnson Space Center and Ellington Air Force Base. The car consequently offers an unusual intersection of two defining elements of late-1960s American culture: the golden age of Detroit muscle and the Apollo-era astronaut corps.
The car retains its original Chrysler CERTICARD bearing Thornton’s name and Los Angeles address, as well as an original NASA sticker in the windshield with a letter “T” above it, said to have identified the astronaut by surname. The original engine was replaced under warranty by Chrysler/Plymouth in 1967 or 1968 after developing broken rings and related problems.
The GTX was repainted in 1980 and has been stored indoors since that time; the engine was rebuilt during the same period. More recent maintenance includes a rebuilt tachometer, new fuel pump, brake master cylinder, power-steering pump, and rear-axle pinion bearings, together with an aluminum radiator and Edelbrock carburetor. The original radiator, Carter AFB carburetor, and other removed parts accompany the car. The odometer presently shows 52,574 miles, but has rolled over; the actual mileage is believed to be approximately 152,574 miles.
According to Thornton’s son, the GTX occasionally attracted spirited competition on the roads around the space center. In one memorable episode on NASA Road 1, Thornton found himself alongside fellow astronaut Alan Shepard in a Corvette; the pair repeatedly accelerated away from successive stoplights in what became an impromptu contest, arriving at their destination with both cars smelling of burned rubber.
Thornton was meticulous about the car’s upkeep and acquired a factory Plymouth service manual, which remains with the vehicle and bears some of his notations. His son later learned basic automotive maintenance on the GTX, took his 1975 driving test in it, and received the car from his father in 1980. It subsequently spent much of its life stored in garages and aircraft hangars, was briefly sold to a family friend in 2008, and was reacquired by Thornton’s son in 2021.
The car runs and drives and exhibits expected scratches, bent trim, and areas of rust at the lower rear quarter panels. Its greatest distinction lies in its extraordinary personal history: a big-block, four-speed Plymouth GTX driven during the formative years of NASA’s Apollo program by physician, scientist-astronaut, and future Space Shuttle veteran William E. Thornton—a rare artifact of both American automotive and spaceflight history.
The vehicle will be shipped from Texas at the buyer's expense.
From the William E. Thornton Collection.
