History of Car Boats
Car boats, also known as "amphicars" or "boatmobiles," are vehicles designed to operate on land and in the water. They make for popular novelty spectacles as well as excellent, functional vehicles.
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Military Amphibious Vehicles
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The United States Military first developed amphibious vehicles during World War II, and more than 40 percent of all over-beach supplies in Normandy were transported by "DUKW" vessels. At the same time, the United States Marines also developed armored amphibious tractors like the LVT and AMTRAC that served as tanks in the water. The city of Boston's famous "Duck Tours" use amphibious tour buses that are still modeled on World War II-era GMC trucks.
The Amphicar
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The first car boat developed for non-military use, the "Amphicar", was produced in Germany from 1961 to 1968 with a total production of 3,878 vehicles. The Amphicar was a convertible with a rear-mounted, four-cylinder engine for driving on land and twin nylon propellers for moving in water. It came in four colors: beach white, regatta red, lagoon blue and fjord green. The Amphicar was priced between $2,800 and $3,300.
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Modern Car Boats
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Since the original Amphicar, other companies like Hobbycar of France and AmphiRanger of Germany have attempted production of car boats, although both efforts were small in scale and primarily built custom orders. More recently, companies like WaterCar in California and Gibbs Technology in Michigan produce car boats like the Python, the Gator, the Aquada, the Humdinga and the Quadski. The modern incarnation of car boats have wheels that retract up for improved steering and reduced drag in water.
Speed
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Most car boats are equal to or slightly slower than their car and boat counterparts. The original Amphicar could reach speeds of 7 miles per hour in water and 70 miles per hour on land. Modern car boats can plane through water at 30 to 40 miles per hour---both fast and powerful enough to pull a water skier---and drive on land at over 100 miles per hour.
Handling
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On the road, a car boat handles similarly to a European saloon car from the 1960s or a large American car from the 1980s. Car boats also handle very well in snowy conditions due to the traction from their 10 inches or more of ground clearance, their heavy weight and narrow rear wheels. In the water, older car boats often move like fast-moving barges, although newer models are designed to drive and handle like speedboats.
Build Your Own Car Boat
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If you have extensive building and welding experience, as well as an extra boat and car on your hands, you can build your own car boat. Remove the bolts from the car's floorpan and lift off the seats and body. Repair and patch the floorpan as needed to be watertight. Suspend the boat over the modified car and cut out the boat's bottom so that it fits over the base of the car without rubbing against the wheels. Cut the boat in half and build a steel roll cage over the car that will fit inside the body of the boat. Add a mount in the roll cage for the car's engine. Re-assemble the boat halves against the roll cage and add the front seats back into their tracks in the car. Modify the front bumper as needed so that the base of the boat will clear the ground while driving. Mount headlights to the prow of your carboat and add a foghorn.
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References
- Photo Credit amphibians vehicle image by Heng kong Chen from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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yet more about car/boat.
