Amphibious Cars and New Technologies. Never Say Never

Pulling out of the garage and dropping anchor in a quiet cove for a swim would be rather appealing these days. Among the many practical obstacles, one question presents itself: which authority should oversee such an unusual form of transport – the automobile club or the sailing club? The harbourmaster's office or the coastguard?

Looking at the images presented here, one thing stands out: anyone smiling while aboard a car at sea is doing so through gritted teeth. Those who look serious are often holding on tight, gripped by the fear of something going wrong. In short, ending up in the water inside a car is a frightening prospect. It is said that in the 1960s, United States President Lyndon Johnson owned an Amphicar – the only non-military amphibious vehicle ever built in a small production run and sold commercially – and that he enjoyed terrifying guests visiting his ranch, one wonders whether over conversations of some consequence, by pretending the brakes had failed as the car headed straight into the lake.