GTP Cool Wall: 1961-1968 Amphicar

1961-1968 Amphicar


  • Total voters
    85
  • Poll closed .
4,209
United States
Wasilla, AK
1961-1968 Amphicar nominated by Turbotwin01

1964Amphicar_02_700.jpg


Stats:
Production: 1961-1968
Style: 2-door convertible
Engine: 70 ci/1,147 cc naturally aspirated OHV inline-4 (rated 43 HP & 50 lb-ft)
Transmission: 4-speed manual for use on land, 1-speed with dual propellers for use in water
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-drive​
 
Teeters between cool and uncool.

The former because it's a freaking car that drives on water, the latter because on land it looks rather goofy. But ultimately its party trick of pretending to be a boat is cool enough that its land-goofiness can be overlooked. Cool.
 
A much more civil model to the Schwimmwagen, perhaps? A Schwimmwagen a normal human being can buy?

Does it come in black?
 
It's a boat that drives like a car and a car that drives like a boat.

Amphibious car = Cool.
 
Uncool. Neat party trick, but when are you honestly going to use it. Like all duel purpose vehicles (i'm looking at you, flying cars), it's too compromised to be any good at either. It would make you look a tit using it on the road or on the water.

It's a boat that drives like a car and a car that drives like a boat.

It probably drives like a boat too.
 
Uncool. Neat party trick, but when are you honestly going to use it. Like all duel purpose vehicles (i'm looking at you, flying cars), it's too compromised to be any good at either. It would make you look a tit using it on the road or on the water
Though anyone who bought one and currently resides in Somerset is looking pretty smug.
 
While c7 corvettes get uncool and this gets cools I feel better about my car. :rolleyes:

This thing is a problem from start to end as the owner. I have no doubt that I would buy any new car on the market today with any, ANY, financing before paying for this hunk of junk to sit in my yard or marina.
 
Hilariously quirky classic that can cross the English Channel without the need for a ferry or Eurostar? Hmm...

Wait, dual props? Sub-zero.
 
Some gimmicks work, but they're still gimmicks. This car is a good example.

Uncool.
 
Uncool.

Amphibious cars are cool, but...

This thing isn't a very good car, or a very good as a boat. Topped out at about 70mph on land and 6-8 knots on the water.

Once you did put it in the water, these things were very prone to rust, boats with holes in them don't work very well.

Lastly, these things when new in 1961 cost ~$3,600. That could have bought you a brand new Chevy Biscayne, Pontiac Catalina, Ford Galaxy, etc. and a fishing boat with a trailer. So you could get a better car and a better boat for the same money.
 
I think the coolness of something like an amphibious car might be inversely proportional to its competence at the task and how seriously it takes itself. Being the goofy cute little thing this is, I vote Cool.
 
Cool I guess because its amphibious but looks silly, slow, and looks really small

so all together meh''''
 
So-so as a car. Terrible as a boat. Terribly ungainly to look at, in either operational mode.

But then, Christopher Walken isn't pretty to look at. And there's nobody cooler than Christopher Walken.

Sadly, the Amphicar isn't Christopher Walken. So it's a mild cool.

And the whole point of this spiel was simply so I could post this video without being egregiously off-topic.

 
Some people will laugh at you for driving a cute car, but those people aren't cool anyway, and then when everybody gets to Somerset they'll be forced to stop and you'll be able to keep going. You are the one who gets the last laugh. And Homura Akemi pretended to be cute, and after all, who's cooler than Homura Akemi?



Yes, the whole point of that was so that I could post that video without being egregiously off-topic.
 
It's cool for all the wrong reasons I guess :lol:

In all honesty the fact that it could do this is a marvel in it's self (even though many before have done it) Sure it looks goofy but all things aside it's kinda cool.
 
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