The Amphicar
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Film now showing
Newsreel showing the launch of
the Amphicar in Germany in 1962
The two propellors beneath the rear ensured a maxium speed in water of up 8 knots
Much of the advertising promoted
the twin capabilities of the Amphicar
The car's have always been a headturner on the road -especially when there's more than one
The high ground clearance meant they have been useful travelling over difficult terrain
Duration of video: 1 mins. 21 seconds
With the engine in the rear, luggage
space was provided at the front
Many owners like to add their own personal touches to their car, such as this license plate
Some of the very best restored
Amphicars are now kept in museums
The car was often promoted as
being ideal for hunting and fishing
To many owners, choppy waters simply
add more of a challenge and excitement
All Amphicars were made as convertibles and during stormy weather, the roof provides useful protection
(c) Universal Motoring History Enterprises
It was promoted as "the car that swims" -half car, half boat- a vehicle capable of taking a driver along the highway -and the water.
Amphibious vehicles had proved popular during World War 2 and somehow the idea of a production amphibious vehicle caught the imagination after the war.
The idea was mooted several times, but it was the German company, Amphicar Vertriebgesschaft, which took the idea all the way to production.
70 mph / 8 knots
What they produced was a "craft" which was powered by a state of the art Triumph Herald engine which was mounted in the rear and ensured a maximum speed of around 70 miles an hour on land and eight knots in water. Other parts of the car came from such established companies as Mercedes, Porsche and elsewhere.
The car itself was made of a watertight steel body with a flat bottom and as the bottom is so high above the ground, it has the added advantage of being able to negotiate difficult terrain much better than most standard cars. It was given a four speed transmission and with a 13 gallon fuel tank it can travel up to 80 miles on water before refuelling. All models were also built as convertibles.
After a number of prototypes were produced, manufacturing effectively started in Berlin in early 1962 and carried on for five years.
4000 produced
In total, about 4000 Amphicars were produced, with more than 80% being exported to America.
The manufacturers had anticipated a significantly greater response, but the lack of sales was put down to a number of factors. One was that at a price of around £1000 in the UK and $2500 in the US it was regarded as too expensive for the average person. Another was that while it had the novelty of being to travel on road and in water in the same continuous journey, there were already many cars and boats in existence which could do either, and with a much better performance, which meant the Amphicar would score high in the novelty count, but not in terms of functionality or as regular transportation.
Many people believed they also failed to sell in the numbers originally anticipated because more emphasis should have been placed on their fun value rather than their engineering and mechanical qualities.
They did catch the public imagination though and over the years owners have included everyone from US presidents to international movie stars. They have also gone where no other car has gone before -literally across the water between France and England and Spain and Africa.
With so few cars produced, the ones that remain and are in sound condition with a good body are now highly sought after, although very few ever come onto the market.
Annual get-togethers
While it is exceptionally rare to see an Amphicar driving along any stretch of road these days -the annual get togethers amongst the diehard owners means they can still be found "swimming" in the water in the right places -especially at the major US reunions which sometimes attract several dozen devoted owners.
As for the future, with much more stringent regulations now in place with regard to road going (and water going) vehicles, it seems unlikely that a contemporary production amphibious vehicle will ever be produced again.
