Did you even know they built cars that can travel on both land and water back in the 1960s? Â I sure as hell didn’t. Â Apparently, though, they did – 4,500 of them, in fact. Â Called the Amphicar, an estimated 500 of them are purported to still be in functional existence.
With a production run that lasted from 1961 to 1967, the Amphicar is the only non-military amphibious vehicle to see any form of commercial manufacturing, with other efforts often leading to no more than 50 cars made. Â As such, they’re among the rarest vehicles you can find today.
Sporting a rear-mounted Triumph Herald motor that produces 43 bhp, the Amphicar can manage over 70 mph on the road and up to 8 knots on water. Â A versatile and functional ride that warps the term “all-terrain”, it’s supposed to run better than many 4×4’s in snow, aided by its 10 inches of ground clearance and narrow rear wheels. Â They claim it is capable of some serious seafaring (though I wouldn’t bet my life on it), having had demonstrations taking it from Africa to Spain, San Diego to Catalina Island and England to France, respectively.
Want your own land-rolling, water-propelling, snow-thumping ride? Â A number of restored machines are currently available from individual enthusiasts, many of them listed on the classifieds sections of both Amphicar-related sites below. Â Prices for reconditioned rides vary from between $30,000 to $50,000.