The Dymaxion car, designed by Buckminster Fuller in 1933, was a revolutionary concept car that ran on three wheels and had superior speed and gas mileage. Despite attempts to refine the design, the car was never put into production due to a fatal accident and pressure from established car manufacturers. However, the car’s aerodynamics and fuel economy have influenced modern designs, such as the Aptera Typ-1 Hybrid.
The Dymaxion car was an early concept car, created by the famous inventor and architect, Buckminster Fuller. Only three were made, despite the best efforts of Fuller and his team of craftsmen. The car was revolutionary in almost everything it did: it ran on three wheels, had far superior speed and gas mileage compared to its contemporaries, and was a whopping 20 feet (6 m) long.
Buckminster Fuller, a visionary designer, invented the car as part of his Dymaxion product line. These concept designs were intended to create mass-produced products that would be affordable, energy efficient, and highly convenient. In January 1933, an investment from a friend enabled Fuller to begin production of a prototype of the Dymaxion automobile, choosing to build the machine from the new commercially available aluminum alloys.
Fuller hired an eclectic collection of craftsmen and designers to produce the Dymaxion automobile, placing them under the direction of a famed yacht and seaplane designer named Starling Burgess. The car made use of various already available auto parts, including a Ford engine Fuller obtained from visionary Henry Ford, and a Ford-made rear axle that Fuller flipped upside down to make the front axle. After building and testing the basic body of the car, he hired 27 other craftsmen from around the world to complete the job.
Invented by a genius and built by a team of top experts, the Dymaxion automobile seemed poised for success when it was displayed at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. On October 27, 1933, the automobile was involved in a fatal accident when it broke it overturned, killing the driver and injuring two passengers. Some suggest that the accident was the reason the car was never placed in full production, despite Fuller’s attempts to refine the design and make the car safer.
Although he would build two more prototypes, Fuller ran out of money and was unable to put the car into production, despite orders from Amelia Earhart and several other celebrities. Many blame the auto industry for the failure of the Dymaxion car, suggesting that investors were pressured to abandon the project, as the car was so revolutionary that it would destroy established car manufacturers. By 1934, Fuller was forced to fire his team, giving them the second prototype to pay off their wage debt.
The Dymaxion car never made it to the production line, but it has been a design inspiration since its first introduction. The car’s aerodynamics and fuel economy were first class, and modern designers have studied what remains of Fuller’s original plans, trying to find practical applications. One clearly influenced design is for the 2008 Aptera Typ-1 Hybrid, a futuristic three-wheeler that will hit a limited market in late 2008, with larger production to follow. The Aptera is said to get 130 mpg (209 kpg) and, like the Dymaxion car, is clearly inspired by aircraft aerodynamics. One can only imagine that Fuller would be delighted with the Aptera, which can finally bring his automotive concepts to life after more than 70 years.
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