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Cars and water don’t mix. Electrical connections short out, fenders rust and drenched carpets reek a musty odor. Despite the drawbacks, some clever folks have tested the waters with cars that float. Even Fred Flintstone cruised along in a hollow log with wheels!
The Amphicar is probably the most famous of the water cars. Some 4500 were built in Germany during the mid-1960s. The majority of them ended up in the United States…but riding on another boat. This was a real car, capable of 70 mph on the highway and 8 knots on the water. The 43-hp rear mounted motor resembled that of a Triumph. The transmission could easily be switched between the wheels and the propeller. Many of the parts were borrowed from Mercedes and Porsche.
The flat bottom was very stable in the water and also gave a thrill ride over snow. With a higher clearance than some 4-wheel vehicles, it was truly an all-terrain machine. As might be expected, the maintenance costs were high.
A few years ago Dotty and I visited the LBJ Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. While the ladies were ogling the beautiful surroundings, a few of us wandered to the garage. Among a couple of retired executive Lincolns, we found an Amphicar. The guide later told us that old Lyndon loved to play practical jokes. Once he drove an unsuspecting young couple on a tour of his ranch in the Amphicar. Near the end of the tour he approached a pond. Suddenly he veers off the road, yelling to the top of his voice,
“H e l p! …we can’t stop!….” Then, splash…into the water. After they are thoroughly soaked, he then engages the propellers and they ride to the other side.
Some brave souls actually made sea crossings in this vehicle. An Amphicar made the trip from England to France at least three times, once on high seas! Another ventured off the California coast to Catalina and back.
These cars have appeared in several movies, including “Rotten to the Core,” “The Sandwich Man,” and “The Presidents Analyst.” I think I also recall one in a James Bond episode. Madonna used one in a music video and Pepsi featured it in their “Come Alive” commercial series.
Two other boat/car makers were Hobbycar of France and Germany’s AmphiRanger. Due to limited appeal and high production costs, both companies “sank” during 1996; but, there’s still a chance to sail in your Ford Fiesta. The Dutton Marina is a British fiberglass kit that uses jet propulsion and Fiesta running gear. Go to
www. amphicars.com for more information.
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If you really want to see the first class look, flip the pages of the slick May 2005 Vanity Fair magazine. (The one with the Desperate Housewives flaunted across the cover.) Their feature on mega yachts includes a picture of the Aquada, the latest “toy” for the rich and famous. New Zealand’s mega mogul Alan Gibbs is shown “driving” this water car around his 194-foot boat… of course surrounded by two classy babes. Oh yes, his helicopter hovers overhead.
When Gibbs and party get to their favorite spot, his only command is, “Get the toys out!” Suddenly the helicopter is launched, the 42-foot yacht tender is lowered, six jet skis hit the water and Aquada pops up from below deck.
The Aquada is a sleek high speed vehicle at home on land or water. The wheels retract into the body for water cruising. The cost? To the penny -$271,318.90. Go to gibbstech.com for a great video.
What a life! I don’t think we will see one of these on Lake Wylie any time soon!
Hook, Line and Sinker
On at least two occasions the Associated Press has reported dissident Cubans departing in their vehicles. First, the Coast Guard found an occupied 1951 Chevrolet pickup bobbing in the water. Later, they discovered a 1959 Buick, with the doors welded shut, floating half way to Miami. When the startled rescuers asked about this novel craft, the Cuban “driver” shrugged and said, “Oh, it’s very safe!” Hmmm. Maybe General Motors is on to something!
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Leave it to the Chinese. The Beijing Jeep Company has developed an amphibious model that the public can buy for around $15,000. It merges an old Russian design with modern American Jeep technology. It travels 50 mph over the ground and 6 knots in the water.
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During WW II, the U.S. Army applied amphibious technology to a lowly Jeep and built a vehicle called the Seep. (Hopefully, that wasn’t a descriptive term!)
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And the finale for a journey in a “car”: In 1947, a husband and wife left New York harbor for a trip around the world in a WWII Ford GPA amphibious jeep or Seep. They bought their car at a government salvage sale, added length to 18 feet, and named it HalfSafe. When they finally returned to the U.S., they had visited 38 countries and “drove” 11,000 miles at sea and 39,000 over land. They hold the record for the smallest vessel to circumnavigate the globe. [They also qualify for two other awards: “The Dumbest Humans” and the all-time record for “The Endurance Between Two Humans in a Small Space!”
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