Dear Friends: I just bought this circa 1950 "Aerocar" off of Ebay. Below is the old Ebay text. I have had no luck finding out anything on the internet on the 4 builders of it. Is it in a late 40s early 50s Popular Mechanics",etc. magazine or the same era airplane magazine,since it is roumored to have been built in the Grumman plant in Wichita,Kansas? Maybe it was built in the Piper plant there instead? Looks like a crude early version of the 6 real Aerocars,built in the mid 1950s. More photos available. Just email me directly. Your help is appreciated! George Albright,Ocala,Fla. cell 352 843 1624. Email: [email protected] Up for auction is a very unique automobile that was hidden away for many years in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Constructed at one of the aircraft manufacturers in Witchita KS in the late 1940's to early 50's. It was supposed to become a production car. To me it looks very reminisant of the Aerocar. (flying car) Or maybe even a proto-type of what would become the Aerocar. Google a picture of it. You will see some simularities. I am not sure of the actual name, brand or if it really even had one. Maybe one of you who reads this listing will be able to explain this cars history. Picture #2 shows the guys who built it from left to right. They are as follows: Cameron - Bailey, Max Ray, Kelly Krentz and A. A. Reddy. I contacted Hemmings Motor News Lost and Found to see if they could shed any light on it. I have heard nothing yet. In my opinion it belongs in a car museum. What ever your opinion of the car is. I believe this is your chance to own a very unique, rare piece of automotive and aviation history combined. The car would look great finished in aluminum panels and polished like an Airstream trailer! The body is constructed of tubular steel. Some of which is rusted away under the driver and passenger seats. The rest of the framing is in good condition and very solid. The doors are very interesting. As that they open on sort of a 45 degree angle like that of an old plane. Door gaps are surprisingly very uniform all around and the doors close nicely. The axles, spindles and suspenssion appear to be that from early aircraft. The rims and tires are definately aircraft. At one time it appears that the car was covered in wire mesh and some sort of plaster was used to form a smooth body. It was then painted a dark green color. There is not much left of the wire mesh and plaster as one can see from the pictures. However what is there. I left it on the car so someone could get an idea of what was used if they were to ever restore the car to original. Driveline consists of one 2 cylinder Onan air cooled engine. 2 Indian or Harley Davidson motorcycle transmissions. The part number on the transmissions is as follows: 121-38. I am leaning more towards them being Harley. The engine and transmissions were said to be new components when the car was constructed. The engine starts and runs great. I was very shocked to get the engine running with very little effort. They are 3 speed transmissions with reverse. The transmissions seem to shift as they should. From what I'm told the transmissions alone could be worth as much as $4000.00 I have no idea though, as I am not a Harley guy by any means of the word. The car has a gas, clutch, and brake pedal. The shifter to the car is set up like and airplane throttle. It is definately sourced from a plane. I have a small assortment of parts that go along with the car. 4 sets of fender frames. They are in rather poor condition. 1 set of interesting headlights. Not sure what they are from either. 4 Chrome hub caps and I believe most if not all of the windows.<!-- google_ad_section_end -->
Wow, that's cool and different! I remember seeing the eBay ad for it too actually. Very cool! What are your plans for it?
No wings?..or was this one not ment to be a flying car model? no propeller either.. still very cool and still an awesome piece of history good luck with it, keep us posted
I remember an article about that thing is one of the Popular Science or Popular Mechanics magazines back then. I don't have of those left, but I just checked my several issues of Science and Mechanics 1950-1952 and didn't find it there. Lots of other neat stuff though like roadtests of the Allstate (for Sears by Kaiser-Frazer), the Plymouth Cranbrook, the Studebaker Commander, and an article on the Glasspar sports car body for your 100 inch wheelbase chassis (1950). You might try McPherson College in McPherson, KS for info.
There is a LOT of info on the net about the aerocar. Google / Search aerocar and Moulton Taylor (the designer). Both have wikipedia pages.
Thanks for the tips guys. Yes I am hoping it is in an early 50s mag. Just have to find it. Yes I am aware of the real Areocar flying car info out there. Geo.
The transmissions appear to be 45 inch HD trike units. I wonder why two gearboxes? Unless there is a way to run one independent of the other, there would be no differential action.
Try checking with EAA. (experimental aircraft association) they have one in their museum. And give you some insight.
one of one id guess.. Prototype... ? Very neat...only 6 were made so says wikipedia.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerocar Maybe yours is the very first prototype.. then they saw what they needed to change.. and it never got finished ? Still neat...
This looks very similar IN CONCEPT to Molt Taylor's Aerocar but.........NOT the original Molt Taylor Aerocar. Shape of windows, doors...all different. Interesting rig, though. DD
I remember seeing pictures of a tv actor, Bob Cummings, with the Aero Car in Popular Mecanix when I was a kid.
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