As kids, most of us would imagine cars swimming and flying as well as driving on the road. Well, in our day and age we have seen and are seeing more and more examples of flying cars. But to find cars that go on water as well as the road, we could look back! Six decades ago, an amphibious car existed, named the Amphicar. Not only did it exist, it was a mass production vehicle. Even US President Lyndon B. Johnson owned one. Produced in the 1960s, it is known for being able to travel on both land and water, making it one of the few civilian amphibious car models ever mass-produced. The German company Amphicar Corporation manufactured 3878 of the Amphicar design from 1961 to 1968.
The Amphicar looks like a regular convertible car. It is powered by a rear-mounted engine. It has a top speed of around 70 mph (113 km/h) on land. And on water, its top speed is about 7 knots (13 km/h). The transition from land to water does not require the driver to exit the vehicle. It transforms into water mode by engaging the front wheels as rudders and activating a pair of propellers at the rear. It was designed to be a versatile vehicle that could be driven into the water without the need for a boat ramp. So, the transition is fast and seamless which makes this amphibious car even more interesting.
US President Lyndon B. Johnson on his Amphicar LBJ Presidential Library
Its sporty design was not something very out of the ordinary despite the car being also a boat. It is a vintage car with a feature unlike other cars. And even nowadays it is hard to find a car like the Amphicar. But, the car did not have a lot of success money wise. It did not achieve the commercial success it was aiming for. But it is definitely a classic car that is like no other…
