I spotted this at Don Kincl’s Photostream, and became even more intrigued when I read the caption, which said “Paddleboat – Austria, 1959”, a slide he bought at a garage sale. Do the Austrians and Germans have a greater fascination with cars that can float than average? There’s the famous VW Schwimmwagen , undoubtedly the first really practical and mass-produced amphibian car. And then in 1960, the Amphicar arrived, a descendant of the Schwimmwagen, built by the Quandt Group, which would soon achieve vastly greater success with their ownership of BMW.
So why make a paddleboat look like a car?
Looks a bit like a life size (and floating) Monopoly car token. Also reminds me a little of this other amphibious vehicle.
Da bus can swim (Shot on Lake Komane in Albania, Ikarus is the only thing that comes to my mind as an eastern european bus brand, but it might be anything, including something that came in after the fall of the Curtain)
Here in all its glory
http://www.abload.de/img/uvj6n.jpg
Because it’s easier than making a car look like a paddleboat?
The 59 Buick just blows my mind. In times like these it may make people appreciate that they do have in North America.
These people were desperate enough for the life we take for granted to risk an ocean crossing in a 60 year old land yacht they’d turned into the real thing.
I can’t think of being in that type of situation to make a choice like thst and I hope I never am.
“So why make a paddleboat look like a car?” The Flintstones meet Gilligan’s Island?