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101 Cars: Amphicar
It could have happened only in the 1960s
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SPEED Staff  |  Posted August 04, 2008   Charlotte, North Carolina
The Amphicar was basically a boat with a fully sealed underside, it had four wheels and a real-engined body configuration. (Photo: Amphicar.com)

A few pages back, you read about car-as-airplane. So why not car-as-boat? Unlike the Aerocar, which never made it past the prototype stage, 3,878 Amphicars were built in Germany, and the United States was far and away its biggest market. Basically a boat with a fully sealed underside, it had four wheels and a real-engined body configuration. Conversion was simple: drive into the water, shift the four-speed trans into neutral, and engage the props via a separate floor lever, and you're sailing, er, powerboat/car-ing. The front wheels act as the rudder, and unlike rear-rudded boats, the Amphicar goes in the direction you turn the wheels. There is a bilge pump to keep the cabin dry, but, like any boat, the Amphicar will sink if it takes on enough water but probes quite seaworthy in calm conditions. Amphicars were built in Germany, and the price actually decreased over time as more units were sold. U.S. safety and emissions legislation enacted in 1968 spelled its end. Others have tried, but no other civilian amphibious vehicle has been anywhere near as successful. And talk about a conversion starter.

Specifications
Engine: 1.1-liter Inline four (Triumph)
Horsepower: 43
0–60 mph: 18 seconds
Top Speed: 75 miles per hour (on land), 7-8 miles per hour on water
Price New: $2,800-3,300
Value Now: $10,000 for sound runner, $25,000-30,000 for fully restored; $60,000-70,000 should buy the world's best.
Jeep Photos



Claim to Fame

CLAIM TO FAME: It's a freaking car that acts like a boat


Soundtrack

SOUNDTRACK: "Anchors Away"


Perfect Passenger

PERFECT PASSENGER: Someone who doesn't get seasick. Or carsick.


Behind the Wheel

BEHIND THE WHEEL: Most sell through www.Amphicar.com


Did You Know?

DID YOU KNOW? The Amphicar was built by a subsidiary of German industrial concern DKM, which also owned the company that manufactured Luger pistols.


The Perfect Drive

THE PERFECT DRIVE: Driving through the Swiss Alps... then across Lake Geneva



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