Diving into Amphibious Vehicles: Amphicar

By: Eric

So what is an Amphibious Vehicle? It’s a vehicle that is used for transport, on land as well as on water.

To think of a car that goes in water was a pretty cool idea. In fact the first times an amphibious vehicle was used was in World War II.  Then in 1960s the Amphicar came out and was popular on the streets and in the water.  Even though In today’s times people are still making Ampibous vehicles,like the Gibbs Quadski, and the Gibbs Aquada, or the Hydra Spyder and Hydra Gator from CAMI (Cool Amphibious Manufacturers International). But the Amphicar is still the most popular and well known amphibious vehicle. This classic car and classic design idea will never sink!   

Is it car? Is it a Boat? No it’s an Amphicar.

The Amphicar is a German amphibious automobile which first produced for sale to the public in 1961. The vehicle was designed by Hanns Trippel and was manufactured in Germany from 1961 to 1967. The Amphicar was marketed and sold in America. Only 4000 were produced by 1965, making it a prized novelty automobile for collectors. Although it isn’t the most sportiest vehicle, Amphicar is only capable of over 70mph on road, 8 knots on water. So, compared to other cars and boats, its performance isn't all that great.

The Amphicar is water tight, and has the engine mounted in the back of the craft.while in the water the Amphicar uses its front wheels to steer. Also the Amphicar simply changes gears when entering or exiting the water. And yes Amphicar is made of steel so it is prone to rust, but a little maintenance from modern paints and waxes would fix it up just fine. Today, there are still conventions called "swim-ins" were you can see some of this old Amphicars, like the convention at Grand Lake ST. Marys in Ohio during the fourth month of July.

Sources

"Top 10 Incredible Amphibious Cars - Wonderslist." WondersList. N.p., 05 Mar. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.
AMPHICAR BACKGROUNDER." Start Here. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.
"(843) 717-2444." Welcome. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.
"A New Amphibious Sports Car Known as the Amphicar Being Tested at Long Island in ...HD Stock Footage." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.