There was such a thing as the Amphicar: a car that could double as a boat.
Jim Golomb, 65, a retired businessman from Northfield, Ill., on his 1964 Amphicar, as told to A.J. Baime.
Life’s more interesting when you drive fun cars. The Amphicar was built in West Germany from 1961 to 1968. The pitch was, you’re buying a car and a boat, as it was, in fact, both. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very good car, nor a good boat. It was called a Model 770, because it was supposed to go seven knots in water, and 70 mph on road. I think it’s more of a 550 — five knots in water, and 50 mph on road. The engine only puts out 43 horsepower. But you can’t measure the car’s ability to amuse.
