The interior of an Amphicar, from one of my 2005 pictures.
LBJ on a car-boat on April 10, 1965.
A car that can swim. One off concept, right? Weird Soviet car made for only six months? No. The Amphicar was made for four years (1961-1965), and titled for 3 more. It was made by Quandt Group, a German company. Nearly 4,000 are still on the road/water, and there's even an owner's club. Only available as a soft top convertible, it was a decent quality vehicle for the 1960s, and watertight if well maintained. It had a top speed of 7 mph on the water. The 43 hp engine - from a Triumph Herald 1200 - provided decent if lackluster performance on land, but performance was sufficient to be street legal, with a top speed of over 70 mph. Some owners upgrade their 43 hp engines to 75 hp engines from later Herald models, giving it improved performance. It is one of the most successful amphibious vehicles ever made.
Its tail fins were higher than any other vehicle ever produced, even higher than the 1959 Cadillac!
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