Amphicars - Wet Ways To Get Around

The water comes up the side of the car so that there is about 14 inches of freeboard, which is the part of the car above water, but if the windows are wound up the water can come up twice as far! So, most Amphicars don't leak. In the water it steers by the front wheels. Its propellers are in the rear and help it move around in the water. 3,406 Amphicars were brought into the United States between 1961 and 1967. None of the models made in 1968 were brought into the United States. This was because the U.S. Government made new rules that made it harder and more expensive for people to buy them. For example you need two licenses, one for land and one for water. Since 90% of all Amphicars were sold to Americans, the Amphicar Corporation lost a lot of money when Americans stopped buying them. The Amphicar factory in Berlin, Germany closed for good in 1968.

The remaining unused parts were bought by Hugh Gordon of Sante Fe Springs, California. People who own Amphicars can get spare parts from him. Many people like to build models of Amphicars from kits, but if you want to see a real one you can find them in some museums in England.

To find out more about the Amphicar visit amphicar.net.