History’s Most Outlandish Cars
When you look at the road you might wonder why every car looks the same. It seems like car companies would rather play is safe than try to push the envelope when it comes to the design of the car. The biggest innovation we can see on the road is with the self-driving car. Auto designers haven’t always been that way. Over the past century of auto history there have been a number of cool, outlandish, and downright crazy auto designs that have made it onto the streets. Take a look at these outlandish cars and let us know if there is one you would actually drive!
Leyat Helica – aka the Propeller Car
Marcel Leyat, who originally built airplanes, decided to found a car company in the early 1900’s. The innovative Frenchman decided to combine his knowledge of aviation with his love of automobiles. The offspring of his colliding passions is known as the Leyat Helica, a car first produced in 1919. The car utilized a massive propeller and was considered quite fast for its time. The car received numerous pre-orders but only produced 30 units before the company shuttered their factory in 1925. Needless to say, the few examples left fetch a hefty price at auction.
The man-powered Curry Landskiff
Half boat, half car – Dr. Manfred Curry had a penchant for yacht racing. He competed in over 1400 races and won an astounding 1000 of them. During his time on land he apparently longed for the sea. His love of boats can be seen in his self-titled automobile, the Curry Landskiff. The Landskiff relies on the driver to power the car down the road in a fashion similar to rowboats. The car could reportedly reach speeds of 35 mph. Although, it would take extreme conditioning to maintain that speed over long distances.
The plastic 50’s – Allard Clipper
In the 1950’s sports car manufacturer Allard decided to make a 3-wheeled micro car. The car’s body was made on plastic making it very lightweight. Combined with its small engine, the Allard Clipper had excellent fuel economy. The plastic body of the clipper was labeled as ‘indestructible’. This may have been an overstatement as only 3 specimens of the car exist today. Today this outlandish car has a charming retro look. I wouldn’t mind driving one around town.
Picasso would be proud – La Quasar Cube Car
The La Quasar Cube was designed to be easily accessible from all sides. This feature might be useful in situations where parking space is limited, but it hasn’t caught on with the public. The car was designed by Vietnamese inventor Quasar Khanh. The car had a production run from 1967-1969 before being discontinued. This outlandish car certainly has one of the most unique designs we have seen. The only question in our minds is whether this model can withstand a head-on collision?
Dymaxion Car
Designed by famed inventor Buckminster Fuller the Dymaxion is considered to have had a strong influence on auto design. It was first produced in 1933, and saw the spotlight at the 1933 Worlds Fair in Chicago. The Dymaxion was designed to be aerodynamic for travel in air as well as on land. Fuller envisioned the addition of jet engines that would allow the car to take flight. The lofty ambitions were hindered by one of the design features – inclusion of 3 wheels. Handling was a major problem with only 3 wheels available to balance the lengthy car. Windy conditions also posed a problem for the car, which was restricted to trained professional drivers. Despite its limitations the outlandish car was incredibly fast for its time. Its streamlined body helped it break a number of land-speed records.
These five cars are some of the most outlandish cars created by auto designers. How would you like to see car companies innovate today? in the future flying cars would certainly be nice, but I’ll definately settle for a self-driving car today.
