1962 Amphicar

1962 Amphicar by Shannon Lee Mannion
	Ralph Nader overlooked the Amphicar when he was on his rampage about the extraordinary failing of 1959 Cadillacs. With additional ground clearance designed to allow for easy access to land and water, the rear fins on an Amphicar would handily impale a five-foot tall person at about heart level.
If he had known, Mr. Nader would have been positively apoplectic and “Unsafe at Any Speed,” would have opened with a chapter on the vicissitudes of driving in an Amphicar. “You could drown in one of those things,” he would have thundered.

ut Arthur Skuja, owner of one of the only Amphicars in Ottawa, reassures that his has never sunk in the 12 years he’s owned it. He confides, however, “There are double seals on the doors to prevent leakage and although there’s a little seepage around the joints, the water pools between the sub-floor and the hull and it’s nothing the bilge pump can’t handle.”

Double door seals? Sub-floor? Bilge pump? Are we talking about a car or a boat? Well, both actually. About 3,700 of these dual purpose cars were manufactured in Germany between 1961 to 1968. They were designed by the person who did the plans for the Volkswagen Schwimmwagen, the military, heavy-duty version of the Amphicar. All but a handful ended up in North America and it is uncertain how many still exist but there is good club support from the International Amphicar Club that has around 300 members.

Given the low production number, you may think that parts would be scarce but they are available from Gordon Imports of Sante Fe Springs, California. Owner Hugh Gordon had the foresight to buy out the unused inventory of parts after the Amphicar factory closed and now supplies Amphicar owners worldwide. “They are available, but for a price,” comments Mr. Skuja, an independent consultant who does software testing. “I could have bought a transmission ten years ago for $750 US funds. Today, the same thing would cost $4,500.”

Production dates: 1961 to 1968
Total production: 3,700
1147 cc (70 ci) overhead valve inline-four
43 horsepower four-speed transmission
Electrical system: Lucas 12-volt positive ground
Top speed on water: 7 miles per hour
Top speed on land: 70 miles per hour
Hermes transmission
Original price: $2,800 to $3,000

Red, sporty convertibles have a propensity for getting their owners into interesting situations. So it is for Mr. Skuja since he enjoys twice the opportunity for high jinks as he commands the highways and high seas in his Amphicar.

You have been involved in some offbeat situations with your car. What was the funniest?
I was in Montreal and entered the water where there were a lot of people standing around the shore. An ambulance came rushing up thinking a car had gone into the water and needed help.
Anything else ever happen?
Another time, a coast guard pulled me over to see if I had life jackets for everyone, which I did.
Will this car handle waves?
It’s pretty heavy so it’s solid but the freeboard isn’t that much. I recall one time I went out to a picnic on an island. I drove up out of the water on an uninhabited side and after awhile, I noticed the waves had picked up so I decided to leave. The waves were hitting the grille and rolling up the hood into my lap.
Did you have a bucket for bailing?
No, I didn’t need one. I simply rolled up the windows, put up the top and turned on the windshield wipers and I was fine.
Can you recall another time when it might have been tense?
I was in the middle of a lake and the car wouldn’t start. I have paddles but it’s like paddling a 2,000 pound canoe. I was very happy that after a little while, I tried it again and it started.
What do you do with this unusual car?
It’s mostly for fun. Often, I use it to entertain friends by giving them a tour on land and water. It’s particularly fun at night because you can see all the stars.
Isn’t is difficult to find your way around on the water in the dark?
It can be. One time I was with my fiancée and we took the car out onto a huge lake in New York state at night. I’d turned off the engine and we drifted along, looking at the evening sky and talking. When I went to start the car, I looked around and could not figure out where the shore was.
This sounds like the campfire song we used to sing as children about the boy and girl in a little canoe where she is admonished to get out and swim when he tries to kiss her.
No, it wasn’t like that. Thank goodness I had a compass with me and was able to find the ramp using it and the high-powered lamp I always have with me.
Is the lamp that useful?
Yes. One time, at night, I scared the wits out of a bunch of people who weren’t expecting a car to come towards them from the water. They were sitting on the shore when I turned on my spotlight to find the boat ramp and started up the car. All of a sudden, the only thing they could see was a bright light like something coming from an aircraft and they heard a car starting up.
I bet they’re still talking about that time.
It was pretty astonishing!
Do you think that the Amphicar will make a comeback?
I’d love to do something like it myself. There was a company in California started by some software engineers four years ago that came very close. They called it the Aquastrada. It had a streamlined fibreglass body and retractable wheels so it would go quite fast in the water. They ran out of money and the whole thing died. When I saw the prototype, I wanted to buy one immediately. It’s such a great concept.