Start of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, 1971

Format: 1 photonegative - 35 x 24 mm.

Notes: The Amphicar was a German vehicle manufactured 1960-1968. It was the first commercially produced amphibious car and used a Triumph Herald engine over the rear axle to power the wheels and twin propellors. In the water, the front wheels acted as rudders. The body was steel.

From the collections of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales www.sl.nsw.gov.au

Information about photographic collections of the State Library of New South Wales acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/SimpleSearch.aspx

Persistent url: acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemDetailPaged.aspx?itemID=146252

Comments and faves

  1. ★

    Kevin, [tox], straup, Adam is..., and 1081 other people added this photo to their favorites.

  2. Adam is... (56 months ago | reply)

    This is a lovely shot:]

  3. astrogirl969 (56 months ago | reply)

    I wonder why the amphicar never took off? ;-)

  4. KatieHL (56 months ago | reply)

    What a fantastic idea and a great shot. Has real character.

  5. B.e.D (56 months ago | reply)

    Great shot, cool idea cool car. I is good for a fishin journey???

  6. Caio Faria (56 months ago | reply)

    it's very funny.

    i loved. let W/B was a great idea.

  7. dwsaraiva (56 months ago | reply)

    Fantastic!!!

  8. br@mbly (56 months ago | reply)

    Fabulous! The bodywork looks reasonably Heraldish too. Though I don't think the Herald had little fins on the rear wings like that. And obviously it had a radiator grille.

  9. katachthonios (56 months ago | reply)

    Funny shot... I wonder how these stood up to rust, especially in salt water?

  10. travellingcharl (56 months ago | reply)

    I'm amazed that we're not all driving amphibious cars now. In Sydney you'd get far more use of of one than a 4 wheel drive.

  11. digital vincent (56 months ago | reply)

    I remember when these Amphicars were new and for sale!

  12. MET50 [deleted] (56 months ago | reply)

    Cool photo!

  13. char1iej (56 months ago | reply)

    These cars also used parts from Mercedes Benz. If I'm not mistaken, the transmission was produced by Daimler-Benz. A 1966 model 770 recently sold at RM Auctions for $44,000 [http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?Sal eCode=MO08&CarID=r197&Currency=]

  14. Ragbar (56 months ago | reply)

    Brilliant! A convertible amphibious vehicle... Well, brilliant picture anyway!

  15. troubledog (56 months ago | reply)

    brilliant vehicle, but none are around today. Something about them must have missed in the marketplace.

  16. br@mbly (56 months ago | reply)

    Hubby says they were immensely popular in Abu Dhabi in the 60's.

  17. skittzitilby (56 months ago | reply)

    LOL-----something similar to mine eh???LOL
    don't think James Bond would be seen in this one though!!

    thanks for coming and visiting me picklingtures!!

  18. br@mbly (56 months ago | reply)

    Well, I think this one is way cooler than yours
    :)

  19. HarveNYC (56 months ago | reply)

    Hey, I remember those.
    There was a guy in my neighborhood in the early '70s who had a Red one.

  20. PeacockDesigns (56 months ago | reply)

    Ha ha ! Wonderful!

  21. msokal (56 months ago | reply)

    Cool one!.I want one of these!.

  22. HarveNYC (55 months ago | reply)

    Actually, Someone made a New Really Cool one a cuople of years ago.
    www.metacafe.com/watch/41603/car_or_speed_boa t/

    and even one that Really Goes Underwater
    www.metacafe.com/watch/1143310/underwater_car _very_cool_v...

  23. Lu-Gu (55 months ago | reply)

    Superb! one of my favourites!! ;))

  24. Lu-Gu (55 months ago | reply)

    Hi, I'm an admin for a group called New South Wales, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

  25. davide61c (55 months ago | reply)

    Great shot!

  26. si no hay amor, que no haya nada ~ (55 months ago | reply)

    no entendi :S

  27. artland (55 months ago | reply)

    wonderfulllllllllll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  28. arinaldi87 (55 months ago | reply)

    so cool

  29. Ramsay (55 months ago | reply)

    I saw one of these once on a visit to Oban in Scotland, must have been about 67-68. Good to see more information about it. Thanks

  30. archifra -francesco de vincenzi- (55 months ago | reply)

    Ero ragazzo, ricordo l'evento. Bella!!!

  31. riegalkylie (55 months ago | reply)

    The character.
    Its Captivating.

  32. rushml (55 months ago | reply)

    wow I love this one !

  33. wilbura59 (55 months ago | reply)

    Everything Water-Motive, Oh Yeah!

  34. mprincess jess (55 months ago | reply)

    very cool

  35. o0nurse0o (55 months ago | reply)

    Wow so epically cool!!! I dig this shot!!

    My name is Traci and I am just beginning a brand new group on flickr, your photograph struck me and I would love to have it added to my group! Come add it and bring some others along too!

    Awesome shot! Come add it to our pot!

     shot luck
    You are invited to join and add your photo to the
    Shot Luck! I got lucky on this shot!

  36. gaoxiao (55 months ago | reply)

    cool
    !!!

  37. Georgie Sharp (55 months ago | reply)

    I remember the hype about the amphibious car ... this a wonderful record of HISTORY!!!

  38. q8500e (55 months ago | reply)

    Hi, I'm an admin for a group called CARS - السيارات - 車 - Autos - coches - автомоб, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

  39. snowqueen_hibiscus (55 months ago | reply)

    this photo is MAD GORGEOUS!

  40. luanatica (55 months ago | reply)

    brilhante.

  41. Roberto41144 (55 months ago | reply)

    To help seal out the water there was a secondary latch in the bottom of each door panel. You either pushed it down or or rotated it somehow and it pulled the doors in tighter against the weatherstrips.

    Seen one on display this past summmer at Harold Warp's Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska this past summer..

    www.pioneervillage.com

  42. artland (54 months ago | reply)

    wonderfullllllllllllllllllll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  43. Howard33 (54 months ago | reply)

    Amphicar -- It's as much a classic as the Tucker, Delorean, Kaiser Darrin, Edsel, Chrysler Airflow and others that dared to be different.
    But personally, I'd rather have a 1937 boattail Cord, which wouldn't even float.

  44. Mark Faviell Photos (54 months ago | reply)

    awesome shot, love the way the car and boats all fit in the frame

  45. LukeSkytoker (54 months ago | reply)

    It looks like a fun party! The car/boat is very cool. I want one.

  46. Mr. Creativeskull (54 months ago | reply)

    awesome

  47. maikel.gonzalez (54 months ago | reply)

    Impresionante para ese tiempo.

  48. Lloyd N Phillips (formerly Green Lantern2008) (54 months ago | reply)

    Wow- Way Cool!! I always wanted an Amphicar. I'd seen a few of them when I was growing up in Portland and I always thought it was so cool how they'd drive down the boat launch & into the water.
    Great shot.

    Lloyd

  49. berkshire757 (54 months ago | reply)

    Astrogirl969: it was a boat-car, not a plane-car (lol!)

  50. Eastbtm - I am back online again ! :):) (54 months ago | reply)

    I like that Amphicar! Nice.. :)

  51. Jen Barthe (54 months ago | reply)

    What a great photo!

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