Cars have been an integral part of the American dream for nearly a century, but we are poised at the edge of a new era in which personal transportation is going to change a great deal. Here you'll discover links to my dreams of the past and visions of the future!
Dr. Ferdinand Porsche was the father of not only the marque which still bears his name, but also the KDF Wagen, the precursor to the Volkswagen Beetle, Microbus, and Karman Ghia. A pictorial glimpse of Porsche's endless desire to adapt the KdF Wagen to new uses and markets can be seen in the Historic VW Image Archive. Dr. Porsche's contribution to the German Wehrmacht in the late 1930's was a vehicle derived from the KDF Wagen, but designed for the battlefield. Generally termed the Kubelwagen (or simply "Kubel") in reference to the bucket-type passenger seats which it employed, this auto was designed as a lightweight, robust, and simple utility vehicle. Some 70,000 were built during WWII, including 15,000 amphibious variants (Schwimmwagen), and the design was updated and released to the American market in the late 1960's as the Type 181 under the name "The Thing."
The Datsun 240Z ushered in a new age of sports cars where leaky convertible tops, so-so handling, and spartan creature comforts gave way to a gran tourissimo for the masses. The 240Z was an instant hit, and has since carved a unique niche in automotive history.
Light cars, especially three wheeled cars, have always fascinated me, and varitions on the trike theme have been produced as long as there have been cars. Two of the most intriguing trike-car marques have been Messerschmidt Kabinroller (as seen in the movie "Brazil"), and the Morgan, which used a front mounted Matchless V-twin to drive the single rear wheel (Note: the Morgan server can be sloooow).
I think we'll find that what comes next in cars will be very different from what we currently define as state-of-the-art "cars". U.S. citizens now use more petroleum per day than ever before, and sooner or later, something will interrupt the flow of cheap fuel. If you are lucky enough to remember the gas crunch of 1973-1974, you know that our fuel supplies are amazingly fragile. We know that cars of the future will be lighter and more efficient, and the next major fuel "shortage" or cost increase will provoke "car" designs that will be very similar to the Hypercar.
Do we have to wait for the "Big Three" to finally offer us truely advanced transportation? I don't think so. Check out the Personal Transporter!
