Formula

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Formula Boats

Thunderbird Products

Pacemaker Corp.

Fuqua Industries

Egg Harbor City, New Jersey

In 1963, James R. (Jim) Wynne and Walt Walters worked with Don Aronow to design the Formula 233, so-named for its 23.3' length, for Aronow's recently formed Formula Marine Co. Wynne's personal boat, the 17' Wyn-Mill was commercialized as the Formula Junior model. The mold for the Formula Junior was soon sold to Thunderbird and continued to be produced as a Thunderbird model. This was a winning boat - leading its class in the Miami-Nassau and Miami-Bimini races (Sports Illustrated, August 2, 1965). Address was Formula Marine Corp., 2940 N.E. 188th St., Miami, Florida.

Some history from the Formula Boats website:

Don Aronow founded Formula in 1962 in Miami, Florida. The original 233 deep-V hull design was built at his direction and later earned notable victories on the national offshore racing circuit. Formula was the first of Aronow’s boat companies. In 1961 Thunderbird was acquired by Alliance Machine and Foundry and they followed up by purchasing Formula in 1964. Both Formula and Thunderbird models were then produced in North Miami. An Atlanta-based conglomerate, Fuqua Industries, acquired Thunderbird /Formula in 1969.

Vic Porter came aboard with the was named president of Fuqua’s entire small-boat division. At that time there was also a manufacturing facility in Paso Robles, California. In mid-1976 Vic Porter purchased Thunderbird/ Formula from Fuqua. The second generation of Porters joined in the management team as they finished their college work and gained experience in the business. The trihull design was discontinued in 1979, and company emphasis centered on the offshore deep-V hull configuration of the Formula models.

The 1971 ad below mentions manufacturing facilities are located in New Jersey, Florida, and California, and Japan. Deliveries were made from Egg Harbor, New Jersey; North Miami, Florida; and Paso Robles, California. The model listing below gives an address at 14100 Biscayne Blvd. Miami Florida.

Model Information