Who’s ready to go for a swim? Now here’s something you don’t see every day. I’ve been wanting to write about one of these for so long, and now I finally get the chance.
The Pick of the Day is a 1965 Amphicar Model 770 listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. (Click the link to view the listing)
“Rare to find in this condition,” the listing states. “I have owned this car 20 years. Excellent condition, does great in the lake.”
The Amphicar was produced in West Germany and sold from model years 1961 through 1968. There were a total of 3,878 units manufactured, and this is one of those cars. The claim to fame for this car is of course that it can function as either an automobile or as a boat.
The engineering for the Amphicar is rather fascinating: Power comes from a rear-mounted, Triumph-produced 1,147cc inline-four mated to a four-speed manual transmission spinning the rear wheels. There are also two propellers at the rear capable of either forward or reverse direction. When submerged, the car is capable of going seven knots (or eight miles per hour), and it maxes out at roughly 70 miles per hour on land. Owners say that it cruises comfortably at 65 on the highway.
One thing that becomes a little tricky for first-timers: The “land” brakes of course do not work in the water. The only way to slow down an Amphicar in the water is to put the propellers into reverse. Because the car is capable of simultaneously driving the rear tires as well as the rear propellers, it can effectively drive itself up out of a waterway. Worth noting: According to service instructions, there were reportedly over a dozen areas of the chassis that required lubrication after submersion.
This nicely presented Amphicar has a clever “IFLOAT2” Arizona license plate. There were four colors available: Regatta Red, Lagoon Blue, Beach Sand White, and Fjord Green. The white exterior on this car was recently restored. “I just had it professionally painted which took a year,” the seller says.
Included in the listing is a video of the vehicle in action along with a photo of the car in the water.
Today, even about 60 years after Amphicar production, there is tight-knit community of owners and enthusiasts called the International Amphicar Owners Club (IAOC). It is run entirely by volunteers and contains an informative and entertaining Frequently Asked Questions section.
The asking price is $89,500 or best offer for this unique multi-purpose vehicle.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
I’m astonished to read that this car can be submerged.
I have ridden in amphicars, and they are a hoot! I don’t consider them terribly save in choppy water, but they are a lot of fun in milder weather. In Lake Erie, there’s an annual spash-in event, and going hell-bent down a steep ramp into the lake, boy, do they SPLASH. I was photographing the splash-in as well as participating in the on-water treasure hunt, etc, so if you as really nicely I’ll send you a photo or two.
Totally cool car! Well taken care off and preserved.
I sure as hell hope no one tries to operated this vehicle “when submerged.” Perhaps a better choice of words would be “when floating in the water”?
Right you are!