Floating Fun: The History of the Amphibious Boat Car

[@GhastlyCat]

I used to pump gas for a marina and maybe once or twice a season, someone who lived on the lake would take their Amphicar out onto the water for the evening. I even filled their tank once when they pulled up to eat at the restaurant the marina was a part of. It always brought a smile to everyone's face when they saw it.

[@paulhammons7077]

Cool 😊

[@devonmask5192]

Have a relative who owns 3 Amphicars. I've been in them a few times and here's a few observations: 1) Real world top speed was about 45 mph. 2) At the inside bottom of each door was an additional pressure latch, not unlike an old cooler. Fail to lock them and you'd sink. Amphicars didn't have a ton of freeboard. 3) The electrical systems were, surprisingly, more dependable than a Triumph Herald's. 4) Next to driving into or out of water, the most fun was waiting to after you left the lake and hit a stop light, then turned on the bilge pumps (again) to clear out the settled water in the engine compartment. Be ready for people behind you jumping out of their cars thinking you're dumping gasoline. 5) The brakes and steering on the water were very nearly as effective as they were on the land (not very).

[@w4ffers]

I am amazed nobody has made a knock off kit version of the Amphicar with fiberglass and a Honda motor. Especially with clean examples of these getting so rare and pricey.

[@AtheistOrphan]

I think U.K kit-car maker Dutton did so in the eighties. It wasn’t a success.

[@Thinginator]

Yeah, I don’t even know why Amphicar didn’t start with fiberglass in the first place. The number one killer of those already rare cars is rust. Since a lot of transverse engine cars have an output shaft to the rear for part time AWD, I would think it shouldn’t be too hard to adapt that layout to a rear engine Amphicar.

[@HarborLockRoad]

If you ever get serious, im a draftsman, inventor, and engineer, i can redesign things to avoid patent infringement lawsuits, etc, my entire life has been designing machinery, and id love to help... Lets also do isettas and Messerschmitt cabin scooter copies, and work our way to the nsu prinz and dauphines, bmw 600s, and fiat 500s, heinkels, etc... I know theyd sell like hotcakes

[@ajivins1]

@@AtheistOrphan Well, the Dutton was amphibious and fibre glass but had the poor idea of being front engined and front wheel drive hence, it was nose heavy whereas a boat should have the weight at the back and front pointed up. Based on a Ford Fiesta.

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@ajivins1 - Good call.

[@marqbarq5977]

The 1930 boat tail cars are some of the most beautiful cars ever made.

[@gixermouse]

I ride a motorbike in Britain. I'm always amphibious 🌊😞

[@gixermouse]

Fourth. I'm happy with that, cos at least I wrote something 🙄 Love your vids Ed. You even seem to make depressing things (not this time) entertaining ☺️

[@popsfereal]

I live in north eastern Ohio and only ride a motorcycle, rain and in the snow. Does that make me tri-phibious?

[@gixermouse]

I lived in Findlay, Ohio for a few (too many) years, and I was extricated from Cleveland Heights jail when they figured out I overstayed on my passport!.. Did we do time together?! 😳 Gotta be fair, northern Ohio has some pretty ferked up weather 😕

[@corvairjim1]

​@@popsferealno offense intended, but no, it doesn't make you "tri-phibious", it just makes you stupid.

[@jazzhands7771]

Try it in Ireland....

[@benjaminrobinson3842]

Ed cited several good reasons that amphibious cars aren't more common, but I'll add one more: The use case for them is rather specialized. Unless you live in a rice paddy or you *really* want to avoid that toll bridge across the river, you really don't need an amphibious car that's practical enough to use every day. Like Ed said, they'll mostly be toys for the affluent. Kind of like most boats, actually.

[@TalenGryphon]

Or of you love on a small island with irregular or overpriced ferry service

[@johnschnellbach986]

Florida man here. If you ever come to Disney World, come to Disney Springs and you can take a ride in one of their 8 Amphicars. It is fun!!

[@61rampy65]

A friend of mine had an Amphicar in the 80's. Sadly, it was rusted, not horribly, but enough that we knew not to take it in the water. Very interesting mechanically, not so much aesthetically. It was one of those "I'll get around to fixing it someday" vehicles, and he ended up selling it. As always, Ed, your reviews are not only spot on, but your humor is quite funny! Side note: when Hans Tripple was mentioned, I thought 'hey that name sounds familiar', only to find that he was the designer of the Amphicar. I *knew* I'd heard that name!

[@HappyTribble]

Pointless trivia, one of the reasons Amphicars failed was they were inadequately rustproofed from the factory, resulting in more than one owner dashing into the water and sinking outright.

[@ScottJones-d7s]

Ed, I'm impressed by your ever creative exploration into cars. So many different stories! Thank you.

[@captlazer5509]

Saw an Amphicar parked at an auto shop in the 70's and was instantly drawn to it. I had no idea who made it, but even as a kid the rear propellers was a giveaway. LBJ would not have fooled me.

[@joeleonard9965]

I've insured two Amphicars and gotten to drive one. One person had a marine policy and an auto policy on theirs which I found super cool. Only freshwater though I believe.

[@ghost307]

I'm impressed that you were able to make this excellent video without a single picture of the WW2 Army DUKW. I had no idea how diverse the amphibious history was.

[@1FreeSelfGoverningAmericanMan]

Well done Ed, from someone who has 3 Amphicars. They are neither a great car or boat, but they are a fantastic novelty that never fails to create smiles and lasting memories.

[@Harv72b]

I wonder who floated the idea for this episode? PS: I haven't been on a non-museum boat in at least 30 years, but I'd subscribe to Ed's Boat Reviews in a heartbeat!

[@fredmeyer1898]

Awesome dad joke

[@paulgracey4697]

When I got my new 1966 VW Fastback the VW boom here In Southern California was in full swing. Stories about a VW Bug, fresh off the boat from Wolfsburg being picked up by a dock crane, and dropped into a tank of water just because its shipping treatment would keep it from sinking were in popular magazines of the time. I gave my younger sister her first ride in my new car, and there being a Christmas boat parade nearby we drove to a boat ramp to park and watch it pass by. I joked to her that since VWs could float maybe we should just drive down and join in the parade. She objected or course, but almost as soon as we had settled that I was not about to try it, an Amphicar drove right past us and did just that.

[@WitchyWhale]

I find the idea of an amphibious car so fascinating.

[@CogentConsult]

Ed, Love your humor, your delivery, and your excellent writing!

[@christophermcmillan1424]

Rode in one of the amphicars back in the 60's. Totally an experience. Was a lake in central Michigan.

[@darwinskeeper421]

6:55 Johnson's guests may not have given much thought to the Amphicar's "boat like" appearance. It was the 60s and a lot of German cars looked funny, think VW Beetle, Porsche 356, Porsche 911, and the BMW 700. They probably assumed the Amphicar was just another wacky German car.

[@drlong08]

Thank you, Ed for showing the silhouette of the BMW E21 @0:48 as the example of the combination of car and boat. And for any 2002 owners out there, get bent!!

[@tomlewis3658]

This was another interesting episode. At 4:30, when Hans Trippel was subscribing to this channel in the 1950's, he might have been subscriber #1 - bravo to him.

[@photonforce08]

my great great grandfahter subscribert him since 1893

[@thirzapeevey2395]

Ed missed the entire "land yacht" era of the sixties and seventies... I remember seeing an amphicar on display at our local mall back in the seventies. My James Bond obsessed cousin was also obsessed with the amphicar. It would have made a perfect Bond chase scene getaway.

[@TheOtherBill]

It would never top that Lotus Esprit submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me.

[@fearsomebeard4290]

A friend of mine here in San Diego has a 1961 Amphicar. He does drive it around town but I’ve never seen him take it into the water. It’s a cute car.

[@moe9196]

I was a freelance photographer 25 years ago . There was a small businessman who parked his circa 1970 vintage amphicar in front of his storefront. I passed it a couple times and finally went in to talk to him about it . He told me he would take me and his daughter out in the lake one evening . The lake water was almost up to the top where door windows are open . We had a lot of splashing water come in . i think too many people in it causes it to sink lower towards the lake water level . A driver and one light passenger would have been better but i certainly am not a light passenger lol ! it was a lot of fun !

[@fonziebulldog5786]

We would need more of these floating cars in todays flooding around the world.

[@DSP1968]

A great review, Ed. One of these used to tool around the town I lived in as a kid. The driver always looked like he was having fun.

[@theskig]

My uncle worked as a mechanic in a VW dealer in the 70/80's in my lake town in north Italy and they sold and serviced Amphicars. He remembers them well and today I will spot one or two of them still around on summer season.

[@allenwayne2033]

I like you Ed! You're surprisingly knowledgeable and very entertaining! Good job old man!

[@Couchflyer-NY]

I got to ride in a Amphicar. It was an attraction at the 1964 New York Worlds Fair. I remember reassuring myself that I was a strong swimmer.

[@alanzaleski7160]

my dad owned one when I was a kid crazy car great ride thanks

[@dennisbrown2571]

In the early 70's as a kid, I saw a parade of amphicars cruising down the river on the 4th of July in Michigan. So cool.

[@3beltwesty]

Saw one on land in Tell City Indiana at Kroger grocery store on Indiana highway 66. And later saw it in the Ohio River at the Tell City boat launch area ramp. Mid 1960s

[@christopherkraft1327]

Hello Ed, thanks for sharing another interesting & informative video!!! 👍👍🙂

[@kellingtonlink956]

It wasn’t a category that I was curious enough to look into… but the video was absolutely interesting. Thanks.

[@larryhankins3586]

I remember back in my younger days in the late '60's and early '70's a guy in town had one. never saw in on the lake but you did sometimes see him driving around town in it.

[@geebs76]

Somebody around the corner from where I grew up had one. I loved it and my dad ended up buying me a toy loosely based on one that ran on batteries in our bathtub. I walked by that Amphicar every day on my walk to Junior high. I never stopped thinking it was cool.

[@TheClintb17]

Thanks again ED for quality content, was there a part 2 for the Australian car industry , cheers CB Australia 🇦🇺👍

[@jons.6216]

The could have used the input from Professor Caractacus Potts! Look at what he did for Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang! Haha! I always heard it was bad to get a car's brakes wet, so I wonder how that was handled! It would also be interesting to see a video on Hovercrafts, as they were the larger versions of aquatic cars!

[@johnnyfreedom3437]

I saw one of these back in the sixties drive off the beach right into Lake George! I was only about 10 or 12 and thought that was the coolest thing I ever saw!

[@SteveBueche1027]

Folks that live in a floodplain should be interested in these.

[@alfinpogform4774]

I always now hit the like button on Ed's video's before I watch the video because I am always 100% sure that I will be entertained!

[@jzargo7443]

I think the Bill Blass 1979 Continental MkV is my favorite nautically inspired car. The white on dark blue paint is so good looking, and on no better car than a land yacht.

[@deathmetalchili6902]

Highlight of my week!!!! E.A.R. has a new video!!!!

[@TBBStoppelhopser]

I love it, when you say "Schwimmwagen" 🤭

[@fubarmodelyard1392]

As usual, excellent dive 😖 into the subject. That blue and white boat with the fins is super cool

[@Ribeirasacra]

Missed out the Dutton. Several versions have been/are made.

[@skychief7716]

In high school in the early 1960s there was a girl in our neighborhood whom I dated once in a while. Her dad owned one of these. It was one of the craziest fun things I did one weekend when he took us out for a two hour cruise on nearby lake. Crazy fun!!!

[@FlamJongUn]

I saw two today in Amsterdam. A white one and a sky blue one. Perfect condition! Very fun!

[@KyrosTheWolf]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the GMC DUKW, perhaps one of the most famous amphibious vehicles!

[@TheOtherBill]

But it's not a car. While the large military amphibious vehicles would make for several good videos of their own, they're just not Ed's specialty though.

[@Zlorthishen]

perhaps not

[@TheGreatSteve]

I've been in one of those.

[@kirkstinson7316]

​@@TheOtherBill But he does cover the floating buses.....

[@mcsg_pelecan]

Great entertainment and information! Keep up the great work!

[@persjofors2586]

I remember these Anphicars from my childhood. We saw those surprisingly often. As far as I can recall...

[@BatCaveOz]

With fewer than 4000 made globally, that seems unlikely.

[@persjofors2586]

@@BatCaveOz, I'm happy to realize that you obviously know my childhood better than I do. Maybe I should ask you some questions about things I don't exactly recall but know happened?

[@smartysmarty1714]

@@persjofors2586 --- I'm in southern Wisconsin, and I saw plenty of them as I was growing up in the 60's and 70's. Over time, there were less and less but I still spot about one every year someplace. I don't think there are less of them, it's just that they're packed away in rich people's garages as trophies. I wish I had bought one when they were cheap. I can remember when you could get a nice one for 10K, but that was still a substantial amount back in the 80's or so.

[@martinneumann7783]

What a nice trip to the toy box… Thanks Ed, that was fun. As always. 💥👍💥

[@shedman7323]

Another great episode. Keep them coming!

[@photonforce08]

i love it when ed reviews autos

[@Kiddman32]

Entertaining as always...

[@tamas5594]

now i want an episode about the history of flying cars lol

[@pinkstinger]

I thought you had already covered land yachts... jokes aside, great video as ever, love your content :)

[@truckrobo147]

Ain't that ironic, I was watching other videos about the amphicar until you uploaded this so thanks Ed!

[@gixermouse]

The KZbin algorithm is watching you 😳

[@truckrobo147]

@@gixermouse good, let it continue showing me good stuff

[@corinnelaking569]

Very interesting! Thanks very much.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Great vid, really enjoyed!!!! 👍👍

[@TommyChardonneret]

One more of many great automotive (boat-omotive?) videos, my presently favorite Dutchman, Ed! In my 1960's boyhood neighborhood just outside of Philadelphia, an "eccentric" father nearby our house had an Amphicar. That guy also had a Nash Metropolitan to which he added a large wind-up key on the trunk's hood. He obviously had money to burn and a pretty good automotive sense of humor. When I was walking by his house one day, he was out simonizing his Nash and I asked him does his Amphicar really float. He laughed and said that he hadn't tried it on water and never would. That was one helluva endorsement, right? Thanks aplenty, Ed, for an unprecedented (for me, at least) comprehensive history of all of these attempts to ignore the difference between solid ground and all too liquid water!

[@TommyChardonneret]

@@Jack_Russell_Brown Did you and your friends ever use the definition of FIAT as "Fix It Again Tony?' And now knowing that my Philadelphia neighborhood and yours in San Diego had guys doing this with tiny cars, do you think it was something people could order through one of those automotive parts catalogs, maybe JC Whitney from Chicago?

[@Puddnutz1]

We have a tourist-focused city in the state of Wisconsin that has a few competing businesses with "duck boats" as a mobile tourist attraction! What a fun episode :)

[@smartysmarty1714]

Ah, the Dells. The last time I rode the ducks was about 30 years ago already. Time flies...seems more like 5 years to me.

[@mbryson2899]

I took a DUKW ride as a kid back in the 70s. It was a ton of fun!

[@MajorT0m]

Brick Immortar has chronicled the various mishaps and deaths involving the Ride the Ducks vehicles.

[@mbryson2899]

@@MajorT0m It is a great series. It also reinforced my distrust of tourist/entertainment industry equipment. I'll never ride a DUKW or carnival ride again, I've seen and read too much.

[@VTXHobbies]

Oh no not the ducks

[@adrianmonk4440]

Ed, you are awesone.

[@kevinfox500]

Ed. My grandmother had an Amphicar when dad was a teenager. He and mom ended up with it in 73, and stored it back in NY, while he was in the marine corps, and when he retired, it bacame a father son project. Spent 5 years restorijg it, between high school and college, and have kept it going ever since. My wife's and my first date, that included her ,then 4 year old daughter, and my dog, was in the amphicar. Drove to the boat lainch, and entered Lake Erie, then went 15 miles alonf the coast, to another launch, and picked up linchs, before a cruise up the creek, to a friend's place, and docked it there. Hard oart was keeping the dog in the car, retriever mix, that loved the water, and her boat block. Had it until 2019, when she got married. It now resides in Cleveland Ohio, with her and our son in law. They took it on Lake Erie, when we lived in Erie PA, on their theid date. It's currently being restored, with her rebuilding the driveline, and him and me refreshihg the body and paint, after some dock dings. We also had it at our wedding, and our pictures were taken in it, on the lake where the wedding was held, as well as driving my step mother and step brother across the same lake, when she and dad got married. Ended up tskijg their pictures in it, from his boat that day as well, same when my stepbrother and his wife got married. Thank you for making this. It made a night of bad phantom pain a little easier to deal with.

[@Ramsi-Berlin]

Love your channel so much ❣️ Big love from Berlin 🇩🇪 to the Netherlands, Ramsi 🙋🏻‍♂️ 😘

[@martinda7446]

Magnificent. How is this not the hottest car channel on the planet? So entertaining and well written. Well, you got a fan!

[@amandahugankiss4110]

Still love those Buick boat tails. :)

[@robertscheinost179]

I know a guy that had one back in the day. He got into a scuffle in the North end of Hartford, CT. and drove to the boat launch area and plunged into the Connecticut River. It was probably the only time a person escaped serious physical harm from the "enemy" in this fashion in a non War situation.

[@mikeb532]

I always thought these were so cool! Then as a guest photographer at King Ranch I saw they had one in a barn! I so wanted to buy it! I don’t know what happened to it but it was incredible!!

[@jimtaylor294]

Hmm; *Ed's Boat Reviews* ... I like this idea 😁

[@GunnarMiller]

I used to see an Amphicar during summers on Cape Cod, and I now see them at car shows here in Germany; last February there was a '60 Amphicar 770 for €79,500 at the Retro Classics show in Stuttgart. Nowadays, if you have to ask how much a Schwimmwagen is, you can't afford one, but you can always take a ride in one of the many that show up at the annual Militracks military vehicle meet in Overloon.

[@1st1anarkissed]

My city has several of these, two or three in the museum storage, and at least one fully restored functioning one that used to ride out onto the river. I haven't seen it for a while, but it was the classic 60s beauty, the amphicar. And yes, this one was aqua blue and white with chrome and matching colored leather seats.

[@heroesofthelandstrasse]

Worth to mention: the RMA Amphi-Ranger 2800 SR, 70 units produced and the Sea Ranger designed by Colani. I have one as RC car.

[@davidcomtedeherstal]

When Ivwas in boarding school, we had at the THW (technical aid workers)a retired US swimming vehicle of 60 years age for high waters on the Weser-river if need was.

[@quinnobi42]

I feel like this channel probably ought to be called 'Ed's Auto History' since there aren't many car reviews. Nevertheless, a channel I greatly enjoy.

[@kutter_ttl6786]

His review videos are great, but I have to admit, I prefer his history videos over the reviews.

[@mrs6968]

Best video yet

[@johnasbury3261]

As always great content Ed

[@allenscarsandstuff]

There was a red one at my local car show last week. It was the first one I ever saw in person! Thanks for all the info on these!

[@mescko]

I wangled a ride in an Amphicar once. Saw the thing going the other way, realized they were headed to the river, and turned around and gave chase. Gloriously, I arrived at the boat ramp in time to watch the onlooker's faces when he drove down the ramp. When he returned, I offered my appreciation of the opportunity to witness such a rare event, upon which he offered me a spin. I accepted with alacrity. Funny thing is, I still can't remember what color it was.

[@SirenaSpades]

I really like this. I think it's the terror factor that your car might sink. lol The Aquada is my favorite as it skids sideways, really scary! My mother used to tell me about the 50's/60's types of these things going out onto the lake and how they really weren't good at either, but they were always a novelty.

[@GURken]

There were also two interesting projects in the USSR: GAZ-16 and NAMI-055. GAZ-16 was a combination of a car on wheels with a hovercraft with a skirt. NAMI-055V was based on Moskvitch-410 and had hydrofoils. It was built by a construction bureau of Rostislav Alexeyev, father of The Caspian Sea Monster.

[@obywatelcane6775]

In Poland we have one famous movie about a person driving a Shwimmwagen. It's called Pan Samochodzik [Mr. Car] and Polish actor Stanisław Mikulski is searching for a treasure in Malbork castle. He has that swimming car and that's where his nick came from.

[@F40PH-2CAT]

Any reason you left out the DUKW? I know it might technically be an amphibious truck, but it meets all other criteria and was manufactured in large numbers.

[@philiphigginbotham3775]

Your videos are always interesting , but you're a funny guy as well . Always give me a laugh

[@michaelleoanrd194]

I can't believe you brought up nautical styling and didn't mention the Chrysler Sebring. They even put grooves in the hood to make it look like boat decking.

[@a41wilde57]

The floating bus in the Netherlands is used as a bus service when the ferry was put on service . The car ferry was out of service and the bus used the ramps to cross the river

[@williamscoggin1509]

Great video!

[@Daedalus-BC308]

One amphibious car concept I really like is the Rinspeed Splash cus it uses hydrofoils to stay afloat, removing the need for a speedboat-like front end. It still would have issues at slower speeds, though.

[@b.griffin317]

2:00 I like the anchor.

[@AtheistOrphan]

I think it’s merely for decoration somehow!

[@b.griffin317]

@@AtheistOrphan I was being a bit sarcastic, but yes.

[@gretalaube91]

Growing up by the Ohio river, I always thought a boat-car would be cool, but just having a boat and a friend with a car across the river always seemed to be the result.

[@Project_Low_Expectations]

I thought I had a boat car once… nope, it was just a citation with rusted floorboards which surprisingly, didn’t float. Oh yeah… awesome episode Ed.

[@No_Malarky]

Friend of mine`s older brother had one many years ago. Heard a few of the boys went out and swamped it...sank like a reg vehicle.

[@jimtaylor294]

Addendum to the Amphicar story: the only Amphibious Ice Cream Van in the world is a modified one. She's called *HMS Flake 99* (no, really 😊). Then again we Brit's do have some of the only Ice Cream Vans with three axles and all wheel drive 😂 .

[@meltysquirrel2919]

6:28 - A few years ago I was visiting relatives in the UK and was asked to drive a boat - which I had never done. Luckily, the steering was on the port (left) side and we cruised on the right side of the canal. It was just like driving in the US except for the lack of brakes! 😂 So, unless it recently changed, the English are cruising the waters on the right but driving on land on the left. ☺

[@andyhoudini]

Came here to say this, you're right. Also most beetles will float provided there are no holes in the floorpan ;)

[@arthurbretas2003]

I'd love to someday drive/navigate a Amphicar

[@freetolook3727]

In Albany, NY there was a tourist company that had a Duck boat/bus. It was elevated so you rode above traffic through the city and then it went in the Hudson River for a navigable view of the city. Worth the price of a ticket if you have never done it but they ultimately failed because once customers did the tour, they didn't come back for a return trip.

[@Infernal_Elf]

Lovely video as usual nice work :D would love to have that blue car inspired boat :D with the Ford Thunderbird/ caddilac rearlights

[@Cas_55]

Hey, I predicted correctly. Of course this is a car that Ed is interested in.

[@MrJayrock620]

The Auburn Speedster is a beautiful car. It got the nickname Boattail because it reminded people of a Chriscraft bow

[@richsackett3423]

It doesn't seem entirely coincidental that Rambler (which the Amphicar generally resembles) also made a model 770 car. Ald F.J. Edwards is who "EFJAY" is.