Beschreibung
Specific information:
This car has been expertly restored by the Potomac Classics Company 2 years ago. After 2 years the car is still in top condition, and is ready for use on water and land. The entire restoration has been captured on photo. The car has been body off. The car has attended various Amphicar meetings in recent years. There are a total of 13 copies for the Swiss market, of which this is one. Restoration is fully documented
General information:
43 bhp, 1, 147 cc Triumph OHV inline four-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, coil-spring independent trailing-arm front and rear suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 82. 7 in.
Developed over a period of 15 years at a cost of $25 million, the Amphicar was debuted at the 1961 New York Auto Show, as the first fully amphibious vehicle sold to the public. Resembling a combination of 1957 Thunderbird and Glasspar ski boat, it was motivated by a rear-mounted four-cylinder engine, borrowed from the Triumph Herald and driving the rear wheels. On land, it drove like any other small European automobile of its day.
Upon reaching a boat ramp, the doors’ special watertight seals were locked into place, a bilge plug was installed, the front luggage lid was locked, and the car was driven—slowly—into the water. A lever then directed the engine’s power to dual rear propellers, and off the Amphicar went. The “captain” would steer his craft using the front wheels, which served as rudders. Putting the car into reverse in the water would spin the propellers in reverse, serving as a brake, much as on conventional boats. For returning to shore, both the rear-wheel drive and the propeller drive could be operated at the same time.
About 3, 878 Amphicars were built between 1961 and 1968. The majority, as planned, were exported to the United States, where they sold for $3, 395, a price comparable to the Austin-Healey, to buyers that included President Lyndon Johnson. Surviving Amphicars are restored and enjoyed by enthusiastic owners’ clubs worldwide.
