1965 Amphicar 770

The Amphicar (originally called the Eurocar) was produced from 1961 to 1965 with 3,878 examples built. It was the first amphibious vehicle to hit the United States market and was manufactured by Quandt group and assembled in Berlin and Lubeck Germany, 'a Subsidiary of Bavarian Motor Works' (BMW). It was introduced in 1961 at the New York Auto Show following 15 years of engineering work and an investment of $25 million.

The Amphicar was designed by Hanns Trippel, had unitary construction, and was powered by a mid-rear-mounted 1,147cc straight-4 cylinder Triumph Herald engine backed by a four-speed (German Hermes) Synchromesh transmission. There were four gears on land, and 1 speed forward and 1 speed reverse on water (a special transmission drove the two propellers). It was capable of 70 MPH on land and 10 miles per hour (7 knots) in the water. The Amphicar is commonly referred to as the '770', an unofficial designation that references its factory-claimed top speeds of seven knots on water and 70 mph on land.

The front wheels provided directional control both on land and water. The front compartment housed the fuel tank, spare tire, and tools. The doors had special watertight seals.

Hans Tripell began experimenting with amphibious vehicles in the 1930s, proving useful during the war in the form of the Volkswagen-based Schwimmwagen, more than 14,000 of which saw service with the German Army in World War II. When peacetime resumed, Trippel revived the concept with the Amphicar. In a well-publicized stunt, an Amphicar was piloted successfully across the English Channel from France to England in 1962.

Despite its unique design, novelty, and status, the Amphicar was not a financial success, as it was handicapped by the many difficulties involved in trying to comply with smog and safety regulations. It was hoped that 20,000 units would be built, but production never surpassed 4,000 examples before production ceased in 1968. It remains the only commercially successful fully amphibious vehicle sold to the public. Priced at $3,395, the Amphicar was priced similarly to the Austin-Healey 3000.

The Amphicar drove like many other automobiles of the day. When it approached the water, the doors' special watertight seals were locked into place, allowing it to be driven into the water. A lever then redirected the engine's power to dual rear propellers. Steering was operated by the front wheels, which served as primitive rudders. The propellers could be put into reverse, serving as a brake to slow the vehicle/watercraft down. When it returned to shore, both the rear-engine drive and the propeller drive could be operated at the same time.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2021