Absolute madness

[dollywobbler]

I've only just discovered this.

 

It's a V8, rear-engined, rear-wheel drive MPV that Citroen toyed with the idea of building before the Second World War. It's insane! In a way, perhaps it was one of the very first concept cars?

 

In more recent times, I never knew until last night that Citroen had experimented with a Berlingo car. Spot the 2CV influence! A much more sensible attempt than the pathetic C3 Plury-hell.

 

Images and info courtesy of Citroenet. http://www.citroenet.org.uk/prototypes/ ... index.html

 

So, let's have your 'mad-as-a-box-of-frogs' designs from yesteryear.

[messerschmitt owner]

 

 

 

Guess where Disney Pixar got the idea for Cars

 

The Poles made 20 of these - the Smyk

[gtd2000]

I've only just discovered this.

 

It's a V8, rear-engined, rear-wheel drive MPV that Citroen toyed with the idea of building before the Second World War. It's insane! In a way, perhaps it was one of the very first concept cars?

 

 

So, let's have your 'mad-as-a-box-of-frogs' designs from yesteryear.

 

One does wonder what that would have been like to drive in the summer without air con......bloody awful I imagine.

[dollywobbler]

Loving the Smyk! "Hey, let's make access as difficult as possible!"

[messerschmitt owner]

Loving the Smyk! "Hey, let's make access as difficult as possible!"

someone thought of that issue after seeing a BMW 600

 

 

[cort16]

Davis three wheeler. All Aluminium, pretty radical for the 40's!

[messerschmitt owner]

prototype Dornier Delta

 

the production model - Zundapp janus

 

 

WHat about the AWS Shopper

 

[RedSparrow]

The Russians made some great concepts, none of which were ever made. I will post some when I am less drunk.

[quicksilver]

Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion car has to score highly in the weirdness stakes

[wuvvum]

Davis three wheeler. All Aluminium, pretty radical for the 40's!

Didn't Mr. Davis end up in prison for fraud?

[ashmicro]

 

Fuldamobil N2, also aluminium. The early type N1 was plywood bodied, covered in leather. 380 made, 198cc single cylinder. I think it looks like a wee alien.

[messerschmitt owner]

 

Fuldamobil N2, also aluminium. The early type N1 was plywood bodied, covered in leather. 380 made, 198cc single cylinder. I think it looks like a wee alien.

I've owned two of the British equivalent of the Fuldamobil S8 - the Nobel 200!

[ashmicro]

Aye, it's in the book as well "Encyclopedia of Saloon Cars"! Polyester body, built by Lea-Francis.

[FiatPhil]

Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion car has to score highly in the weirdness stakes

 

I think that this picture is of the one that UK architect Norman Foster has himself relatively recently commissioned the construction.

 

 

More info:

http://boingboing.net/2010/10/07/bucky- ... ymaxi.html

[dollywobbler]

That is indeed bonkers.

 

As is this. A RWD Lada Samara.

 

It and more can be found at the entertaining blog: http://englishrussia.com/2007/08/05/sov ... ever-seen/

[retrogeezer]

I rather like the Sbarro Citroen Picasso:

 

 

[quicksilver]

More bonkers French stuff - the Leyat Helica, more of a plane without wings than a car

 

[dollywobbler]

They had one of those at La Vie en Bleu last year. I was very disappointed that no-one took it up the hill. Static display only.

[quicksilver]

Sticking with the car/plane theme, the Mohs Seaplane Co built some cars that were totally and utterly bonkeroonie on hulking International truck chassis

 

The SafariKar, covered in vinyl padded with foam and featuring a folding hardtop. Check out those doors!

 

 

and the Ostentatienne Opera Sedan (GR11 name) - that hatchback is the only entrance!

 

 

for extra weirdness, the tyres are apparently filled with nitrogen and the SafariKar is 4WD

[John F]

I rather like the Sbarro Citroen Picasso:

 

 

 

Wow. I usually detest these nasty, bloated mong boxes, but this actually looks OK.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I'm sure I remember being fascinnated by those two horrors from an ealry age after I saw a little black and white pic of em in C+SC in the mid -80's.

[Justin Case]

Not only aircraft designers but airship ones also threw their hats into the ring from time to time. Noted airship designer Sir Charles Denniston Burney, who could claim the R100 airship in his CV, designed this Burney Streamline with (very) rear-mounted Lycoming engine when deflation hit the airship market:

 

 

It actually worked well, but at £1600 in 1930 there were few takers (other than the Prince of Wales )

 

 

Historical footnote; I believe that the original idea actually came from the even more outlandish Rumpler Tropfenwagen (Teardropcar) of 1924:

 

[quicksilver]

I'm loving these outlandish creations, they really make me wonder what their creators were thinking. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the good ol' USA

 

Are 4 wheels just not enough? You need a Reeves Octo-Auto. Mr Reeves's impeccable logic was that the Pullman railway carriages rode so smoothly because they had 8 wheels, not because they ran on a smooth track rather than a bumpy road.

 

Why not turn your shite car into a shite plane? IIRC this Ford Pinto-based monstrosity crashed on its maiden flight and killed its creator - poetic justice perhaps?

 

Hate having your wheels on show? Try a Phantom Corsair - GR8 4 STEERIN LOK

[Justin Case]

And now for this week's caption contest.

 

*Drum Roll sound effect*

 

[explosive-cabbage]

Only the Russians...

 

WTF is this?

[catsinthewelder]

It looks great fun but as it appears that steering is only possible when on water you'd need a pretty odd commute for it to be any real use

[Spiny Norman]

Pininfarina X from 1960, 4 wheels in a diamond formation.

 

 

[Spiny Norman]

Simca Fulgur from 1958

 

 

[vulgalour]

I seem to recall the diamond wheel layout is for a theoretical improvement in stability and maneove... nimbleness.

[Volksy]

There's a book my fossils have, some car history from the '70's I shall have to borrow and scan, which feature most of the above, I think it's what put me onto random cars from an early age, that and the fact my Ma used to work for Shell so had EVERY petrol merchandise from the '60s and '70's including a full set of the silver car coins including an RO80.

 

Think it's all been long binned by now, but the fossils attic is a treasure trove I hope!