Sawse - Stir it Up!

There amazing and interesting designs coming out of the auto industry yearly. Some are strange, some are innovative, some push the limits of design and technology. Many of the more interesting designs start as concept cars, that don’t always make it to the production line. Not all innovative designs are strange of course, for example the mini-van and the hatchback were interesting in their day. But, for each of those that did manage to make it to market, many bazaar designs never do see the light of day.

An interesting design that was developed in 1947 was the convair 118, the convAIRCAR was as if out of a science fiction magazine. Designed to be a flying car, for a short time actually became reality in 1947. Having a detachable propeller and removable wings, aside from that, it was a normal car. Amazingly, it did actually fly. The car itself was a four seater with a plastic body and sporting a 25.5 hp engine designed by Crosly. Its wingspan was 34.5 ft and was responsible for the cars ability to fly. The only prototype didn’t manage to make it into the air however, as it crashed while attempting to make it into the sky. But, who would want to change a flat tire while in mid air anyway?

Another notable design from the past is the Aurora safety car from 1957. This car had standard safety features that today are taken for granted, and mandatory, but at the time were considered revolutionary. The Aurora came stock with seat-belts, side impact bracing, and a roll cage. The car didn’t really become popular at the time, but did pave the way for many of today’s standard features that can be found in most cars. Some speculate that the reason that it never became popular could have been due to the price. It weighed in at a large $12,000 price tag, a lot of money for a car at the time. Perhaps it was the hood of the car that was scoop like for “catching” those on foot. Interestingly, the seats could turn 180 degrees around. This model, as its name would lead one to believe, was designed with passenger safety as its main selling point. However, not to much thought was given to appearance it would seem. Many auto enthusiasts consider the Aurora to be one of the ugliest cars to date. The rounded bug like windshields did little to beautify this monster.

The Ford Nucleon of 1957

Anybody up for driving a miniature nuclear reactor around the block? The idea behind the Nucleon was to save on fuel costs. Born in the 1950`s when atomic power was the center of attention, the Nucleon which was powered by Uranium, was thought to be the next revolution in passenger car technology. The Nucleon was thought to be able to cover approximately 8,000 kilometers before needing to be recharged. The cabin was set far forward, and the “engine” toward the back, this design was to prevent the passengers from being exposed to radiation from the reactor in the back. What the engineers were not able to figure out though, and to this day have not figure out is of course how to prevent the everyday auto accident that would have surely resulted in radiation all over the road, passengers, and bystanders…no thanks.

The Ford Seattle-ite XXI, created in 1962

Six wheel drive sound good doesn’t it? This particular model was presented to the public at the 1962 World’s fair. However, it was only a model design at 1/38 scale of what would have been the original size. The wheel set up is what made this model stand apart.

It had four wheels in the front design to improve handling and breaking ability. It also had integrated fuel-cells, light weight steering that could be done with a fingertip alone, and a scrolling map, which was called a “travel computer” at the time. Another interesting feature of this design was that the engine compartment was detachable.

1964, the General Motors Runabout

Having a set of built-in carts for shopping, an enormous amount of storage space, and seating two passengers, the Runabout was an interesting idea indeed. The Runabout had a pointy snout, and was a hatchback with only three wheels. A tri-car if you will. One wheel in the front and two wheels in the back made this unique design stand out.

The Toyota PM in 2003

Is it a car or a glorified go cart? Toyota motors at the time said that this car would give drives a sense of being one with their car. The PM was electric powered, had a keyless locking system, started with the push of a button, and what could be thought of as a cockpit for a single occupant. To improve stability at higher speeds, the cockpit was designed to become lower to the ground.

The Rinspeed Splash of 2004

With the ability to go from 0 to 100km/h in as little as 5.9 seconds, and having top speeds of 200 km/h on land and an incredible 40 knots while on water, the Rinspeed is a combination of car and hydrofoil. When going from car to boat mode, a propeller comes out of the back, a spoiler moves to the under position of the car and then serves as a hydrofoil in the rear. Two hydrofoils that are positioned on either side of the car the act as the front hydrofoils. The Splash is powered by a turbocharged environmentally friendly bivalent engine that runs on natural gas. The interior design is made for travel on water. The car is very lightweight and is also waterproof. Its tubular design is covered in plastics, and its seats are of the latest ergonomic design. The Splash is purported to be maneuverable and fairly agile.

The Tango T600, of the Commuter Cars Corporation

This super tiny electric car was said to be the end to all traffic woes. The Tango is only a meter wide and just under 2.5 meters long. This tiny vehicle would certainly be the champion in a convenience contest. Because of its small size, it can weave in and out of traffic, and parking is a breeze.

The Changfeng Rhombus of 2007

Not the most beautiful car in the world, it sports one wheel attached to the corner of its chassis which is diamond shaped. The Rhombus makes up for its bad looks with what is reported to be superior cornering ability. This is due to its small turn radius. A former Chinese military contractor that is now in the SUV market, is responsible for this interesting and innovative design.