1966 Amphicar 770

The Amphicar Model 770 was developed by German designer Hans Trippel, who had been working on amphibious vehicles since 1932, including the WWII Volkswagen Schwimmerwagen.

The four-seat convertible was powered by a rear-mounted, four-cylinder Triumph Herald engine of 1,147 cc, which generated 43 hp. The engine drove the rear wheels on land and two propellers when the car was in the water. The front wheels steered, both on land and in the water, and the car/boat had four speeds and reverse. The doors locked shut for water travel.

The Amphicar had a listed top speed of 90 mph, but road testers could only manage about 65 mph, which they said was quite fast enough. Period road tests also showed 0-60 mph took 43 seconds to hit and the quarter mile came up in 25.2 seconds at 51 mph. The car fared slightly better in the water, where it was capable of cruising at 10 mph.

Engine Types
4-cyl. 1147cc/43hp 1bbl