The Boeing 707-321C with construction number (c/n) 18824 and manufacturer serial number (msn) 397 was rolled out of Boeing's Renton, Washington factory on December 17, 1964, and two weeks later was sold to Pan American World Airways, where it received the name Clipper Racer. The four turbofan engines installed under the wing were Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B models, with a thrust of 18,000 pounds each.
