Ragtops Motorcars, and the Amphicar

1726 Views 6 Replies 3 Participants Last post by larchmont, May 26, 2004

larchmont

Discussion Starter · May 24, 2004

This weekend I was in Florida for a family celebration. But what I didn't exactly realize was that the party was going to be at a car museum.

Ragtops Motorcars is a car museum in West Palm Beach, except it's more than a museum. It's like a permanent classic-car show. And you can have parties there. It might be the best place for a party I've ever seen.

It took great effort to not spend the whole time just looking at the cars. But there was plenty of opportunity to do that without being antisocial, because a lot of other people wanted to look at the cars too, so I had lots of company.

There were too many fabulous cars for me to even begin talking about what was there. But I have to mention one of them.

I never heard of the AMPHICAR before. It's from the '60's -- a car that could also ride in the water. No s#it! They had a '67 there. I had to wonder why it didn't catch on. I mean, it does sound ridiculous, but wouldn't YOU want one?

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bob shiftright

· #2 · May 24, 2004

They didn't catch on because you can design a good car and you can design a good boat but designing something to be both a good car and a good boat is impossible. So it was marginal at both purposes.

Amphicar prices are on the rise. Beware, they're cute but they rust and the door seals fail.

The Germans, of course, originated the idea, and utilized it in their failed efforts to spread National Socialism across the globe. The Tiger tank could cross fairly deep streams and rivers and they needed a way for the infantry to keep up.

The VW Schwimmwagen had an air-cooled motor and no doors which made it impractical. (So was the Amphicar.)

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larchmont

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 24, 2004

Great info from Bob. That 3rd paragraph in itself is enough to make me suddenly a little less interested. Mediocrity I could take, but.....

I did notice stuff like the hp, torque, and maximum speeds. I could see that those are enough to keep the car from being particuarly spectacular. More like a toy. But a neat toy.

I would have thought that once this technology existed, it wouldn't have been as much of a next stretch to get it all to be better. But maybe not.

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Whatchamacallit

· #4 · May 25, 2004

I bet that car drives like a boat. (Sorry, just had to add that one).

Yikes, only 43 Max HP and 61 Max Torque? Well, at least it's gotta be good enough for fishing.

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larchmont

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 25, 2004

Whatchamacallit said:
I bet that car drives like a boat. (Sorry, just had to add that one).

Yikes, only 43 Max HP and 61 Max Torque? Well, at least it's gotta be good enough for fishing.

Post of the month?

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bob shiftright

· #6 · May 25, 2004

In Amphicars WERE built in Germany (perhaps in the same factory although that's unlikely after the 1944-45 carpet-bombing) but they had a 43hp water-cooled Triumph Herald motor.

(German engineering, English Lucas (+) ground electricals and English mechanicals. I've had bad dreams like this after eating in exotic restaurants....)

Inspiration? Nazi Tiger tank with it's famous "Schnorkel".....

Amphicar factory, Berlin, Germany, 1961-1968 RIP

(One factoid about Germans is that with a fertility rate of 1.5 per woman, they're going to go extinct faster 'n the dinosaurs did after the comet hit. Pity, in that they do make such good wine, beer and cars......)

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larchmont

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 26, 2004

bob shiftright said:
.....with a fertility rate of 1.5 per woman, they're going to go extinct faster 'n the dinosaurs did after the comet hit.....

It was an asteroid.

(Hey, don't you keep up on current events?)

Actually (just googled it), there are both theories.

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