Owning a classic car will almost certainly mean taking a leap of faith at some point. This could entail taking that lovingly built high-performance motor to the redline for the first time in the belief that it won’t go “the full Chernobyl” unexpectedly. It could also mean tackling a cross-country journey in an older classic with the idea that it will take you there and (hopefully) back successfully. For those who choose to park a vehicle like this 1965 Amphicar 770 in their garage, that leap will come the moment they drive their pride and joy down a boat ramp. They do this believing that they will be able to motor away on a nautical adventure rather than sink like the Titanic to the bottom of said body of water. If you feel like rising to that challenge, this Amphicar is about to go under the hammer, and the owner is offering it with No Reserve. The little German classic is located in Carmel, California, and has been listed for sale here at Bonhams. The auction estimate has been set at $40,000 to $50,000, so let’s take a look and see if these figures are justified.
The brainchild of a gentleman named Hans Trippel, he envisaged the Amphicar to be the ultimate off-roader. The “770” designation referred to his claims that the car would travel at 70mph on the road and at 7 knots on the water. I have never seen any documentary evidence to confirm that the vehicle could achieve either feat, but nothing much surprises me in the world of classic cars. This one is finished in Regatta Red, and it has been part of the owner’s private collection for more than a decade. The overall presentation is excellent, with the paint shining nicely and the panels appearing to be extremely straight. This Amphicar has hit the water in the past, but that was many years ago. Potential buyers would be wise to have this classic thoroughly inspected before they do attempt any nautical pursuits because getting that sinking feeling once you’re on the water would not be pleasant. There is no evidence of rust that could undermine its abilities, although I am concerned about the fit of the doors. These need to be watertight, so they may require some adjustment if this is to be achieved. The styling didn’t win too many friends when the Amphicar was introduced because it brought fins to the table when they were disappearing from the mass market. The high stance also confused some people, but this was a matter of necessity for two reasons. The first was to provide sufficient ground clearance to enter and exit the water without the risk of damaging the propellers. More importantly, it was designed to leave the front wheels hanging as low in the water as possible. The decision by Trippel to dispense with a rudder meant that the front wheels took on the steering duties on both land and water.
With the wide variety of engines that Trippel could choose to power the Amphicar, the 1,147cc four that initially called the Triumph Herald home was an interesting one. It was not the most powerful unit on the market at the time, but it was relatively bulletproof and easy to maintain. The power from this little four found its way to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission. This same engine powered the car on the road and via a pair of propellers on the water. In its original home, the Herald’s engine would have produced 39hp, but this soared to a heady 43hp in the Amphicar. However, it is doubtful that anyone would notice the extra power because with an Amphicar weighing an incredible 700lbs more than the Herald, performance would be modest, at best. The seller doesn’t mention whether the vehicle runs or drives, but its overall presentation gives us cause to be optimistic. Even if it isn’t roadworthy, getting it to that point may not be difficult as parts are surprisingly easy to find.
When we examine the interior shots, this Amphicar shows plenty of promise. The red vinyl is slightly stretched on the driver’s side of the seat, but there are no signs of rips, wear, or other problems. The rubber floormat is ill-fitting, so the buyer might need to stretch that into place to improve its appearance. Otherwise, the dash is in good order, and there’s no visible wear on the wheel. In this photo, you can just see that the Amphicar comes equipped with a pair of floor shifts. One is to operate the transmission in the usual fashion, while the other engages the twin propellers on the water. Trippel ensured that these had a reverse setting to improve maneuverability. When an owner wished to leave the water, they could head towards a boat ramp with the propellers engaged and select first gear in the regular transmission. The vehicle would continue moving forward while the props remained submerged. Once the rear wheels bit into Terra Firma, it was simply a matter of motoring away with no fuss or worries…theoretically.
The Amphicar 770 has been the butt of many jokes over the years, but a well-maintained one can be a lot better than many people think. Several have managed to successfully complete crossings on the English Channel from Britain to France, and even former President Lyndon B. Johnson owned one in which he would terrify unsuspecting occupants by driving into a dam on his ranch while screaming that he’d suffered brake failure! Less than 4,000 examples rolled out of the factory, and while they remained unloved for decades, they’ve developed a cult following. The auction estimate for this one looks to be in the ballpark, so it will be interesting to see whether or not it can achieve that figure.
“It’s a horrible car & a horrible boat,but does
both things as well”.
– Amphicar owner
“Potential buyers would be wise to have this classic thoroughly inspected before they do attempt any nautical pursuits…”
And just who do you have perform this inspection? A classic car inspector who knows nothing about boats, or a marine inspector who knows nothing about cars?
Yes.
Interesting offering. I have seen a few of these over the years and most were basket cases, so it’s nice to see one looking this good. I also like the confidence that the seller is putting in it with a no reserve auction. I’m not going to be placing a bid but surely this carboat is right for somebody!
Is that thing sticking up on the trunk lid a periscope?
Robert,
It’s a combination flag pole and it has a running light at the top end, required for all boats.
70 mph in this thing would be a PTSD inducing endeavor…..
We spent the day at Put-In-Bay a couple weeks ago. It’s a little touristy island off the shores of Sandusky,Oh. Golf cart rentals are the thing. We’re driving around in our golf cart and spotted an Amphicar. Cool. A block away we saw a parking lot full of them, possibly a dozen or more. I thought, oh ok, golf cart rentals and Amphibicar look-a-likes for rent. But no, they were actual Amphibicars – there was a reunion going on. People would pay an owner, they would drive the car into the lake and go for a bit of a joy ride – nice photo op!! I saw Fantomworks rebuild one, never saw one close up. Go figure, I would run into a reunion of them!! Nice.
There was a veterinarian in the town I grew up near that had one. Being this was in the midwest farm country that had few lakes and creeks around I only saw it on water once. Then it did move on it’s own just fine. It wasn’t fast on water nor on the street but move it did.
I wouldn’t want one but it is a definite curiosity.
When I was a kid a family friend owned one of these, same colors. (1965) Asked if we wanted to go for a ride in the nearby lake one day. The owner and my old man sat up front, 3 kids in the back seat. Even at 7 yrs age I KNEW it was overloaded. We got about 50 feet from the launch and I noticed water coming into the rear seat area, over the sides…Then a ski boat roared by and the wake sent a ton of water in everywhere. My old man started to freak out. Us kids bailed out and swam back to shore before it was too late. Somehow the owner and Dad made it back to shore with about a foot of water inside this thing. That is when I decided to never get in one of these again. Still no regrets….what a scary vehicle. Thanks for the memory Adam. And the wife wonders why I have PTSD!
Yes these are super cool, and this one is great looking!!
They are still in active use at Disney in Florida.
Pic 2
Pic 3
The janitor at my elementary school in New Hartford NY had one. We had some lakes nearby but I don’t remember if he ever launched it or not.
My best friend had one 20+ years ago ,ended up selling it before it was restored .
I remember him telling the story of a gentleman up in Clear lake , left the bar one night with his girl friend and drove down the boat ramp and motored on home . The bartender saw him drive down the ramp and called the sheriff not knowing he was driving an Amphicar ,they had divers out looking for them .
He also said the most common reason for them sinking was people would motor up to the dock at speed and then step on the brakes ,,, which having no effect on water would lead to them crashing into the dock , and sinking.
Hans Trippel was a german engineer who specialized in amphibious vehicle designs using the Rhine river as a test area. During WW 2 he managed a car company in France, I think it was Bugatti where he continued to tinker with amphbious things while manufacturing spare parts for the armed forces. After the war he was arrested and tried for ¨war crimes¨; even the french court threw out that absurd charge, but for obscure reasons sentenced him to never again built anything amphibious. Apparently this prohibition was unenforceable and away he went. As to the performance, I think the 70 referred to kph, not miles and the 7 to knots. The quality, according to a former owner was poor – THAT is hard to believe considering it was built ibn Germany, that it was too low in the water and any wake from a passing boat would present a clear danger I don´t doubt at all. This example looks like a fine one to me, excepting the fit of the doors. As far as a competent inspector goes, I would think a good mechanic with the proper outlook and experience would to the trick.
Damn brakes seem kinda mushy and we are not stopping.
Hey…. glub, glub..
As to the appearance of the door having too much of a gap, Amphicars have an additional door handle action that pulls the door tight against the two rubber gaskets. I have a feeling the handle has not been “locked” to squeeze the seals tight and prevent the door from being opened until the handle is unlocked.
In the 1980s my restoration shop did major body work on 2 of these, and as I recall, getting original body parts was not difficult, but the panels were quite pricy. The big challenge in welding in new body panels was the need to ensure there were no pinholes in the newly welded seams. in other vehicles, pinholes are simply covered over with some putty, but not on a submersible body, as water pressure will simply push the putty inward and begin leaking. As my guys were experienced welders with pipeline construction experience, this wasn’t an issue. One of my welders was experienced to the point he could make replacement fuel tanks out of sheet aluminum. He even made an oversize 16 gallon fuel tank for a Triumph TR-6.
Forgot to add . . .
When we finished the body work on both cars and had them to a rolling chassis condition, we needed to test to see how watertight the bodies truly were. So we went to the local boat ramp, took the car off the trailer and lined it up in front of the boat ramp.
Attaching a long rope to the Amphicar, the other end was attached to my Dodge pickup. On taking up the slack, I slowly moved the truck forward, allowing the car to enter the water. We were ecstatic that not even a drop came in from the body seams.
A friend’s family had one of these. They lived on an island and did work on other islands. One day they decided to take the amphicar to work. A wind came up on the way home. The waves were going over the top and as it sat so low in the water you couldn’t navigate. They made it home never try again. Finally it was too rusty. A fun novelty. There’s a bunch that show up at Seattle yacht club opening day. If you know anything about a boats design hull speed you would guess that if it ever reached 7 knots it would probably sink itself. The cute term is torpedoing.
As a 6-7 year old tyke, I rode in a new (red) amphicar on a lake in Arkansas.
I remember thinking that it was going to be great, when in a couple of years, all cars could go in the water.