Ford’s 6-Wheel Gullwing Concept From 1962 Was A Wild Vision Of The Future

The Nineteen Sixties had been an period of scientific optimism and design experimentation for the automotive business; as modern supplies had been launched and manufacturing processes improved, it turned doable for automotive designers to let their creativeness fly and create numerous futuristic idea vehicles. The world of area journey, which was starting to take off, and worldwide air journey, which was quickly rising, had been each sources of inspiration for the automotive business. It was a time of exuberance; the V8s in Corvettes and Mustangs had been getting greater and extra highly effective by the day, and the 1973 Oil Disaster that may result in the Malaise Period was nonetheless nicely sooner or later.

Ford

Ford is certainly one of America’s oldest automakers and one of many oldest on the planet, popularized for being the primary to successfully mass produce the car beneath Henry Ford with the Ford Mannequin T. In over 120 years, Ford has turn into a gross sales chief in a wide range of segments, with fashionable nameplates just like the Ford F-150, Transit, and Mustang.

Based

June 16, 1903

Founder

Henry Ford

Headquarters

Dearborn, Michigan, USA

Owned By

Publicly Traded

Present CEO

Jim Farley

One notably attention-grabbing idea automotive (or, at the very least, a smaller-scale mannequin of 1) was unveiled by Ford in 1962: the six-wheeled Seattle-ite XXI. This idea launched a number of modern design concepts, a few of which might later crop up within the mainstream automotive business. Let’s discover the historical past of this one-of-a-kind automotive, and a number of the different vehicles related to it.

Meet The Ford Seattle-ite XXI

The Ford Seattle-ite XXI will get its title from the aim for which it was designed: being an exhibit on the Seattle World’s Truthful in 1962. The theme of the occasion was the twenty first Century, therefore the “XXI” a part of the automotive’s title. Whereas within the modern-day we’re used to full-size idea vehicles getting used to showcase new applied sciences and discover new avenues of design, the Seattle-ite was solely a 3/8 scale mannequin; nevertheless, it was nonetheless filled with numerous attention-grabbing options, and the concepts that went into its creation anticipated many points of automotive design that may ultimately come to move sooner or later.

The Seattle-ite had six wheels, with 4 on the entrance that could possibly be steered. The extra wheels had been believed by Ford engineers to spice up traction and braking effectivity, serving to make the car safer and extra steady. Though the automotive had no powertrain, it did have a removable entrance part that served as an simply replaceable engine compartment: the concept was that an extra energy unit could possibly be put in quickly, or an present one changed. Ford recommended that a cheap 60-hp “energy capsule” could possibly be swapped out for a “high-speed transcontinental unit” of over 400 hp, for instance. The separation between the facility unit and the passenger compartment was additionally designed to reduce noise within the cabin; the inside additionally had an adjustable floorboard, in order that the pedals could possibly be moved simply to adapt to any driver and driving place.

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The design of the Seattle-ite embodied the rules of the Jet Age: glossy and futuristic, with an emphasis on aerodynamics, taking inspiration from the newly-created aerospace business. The automotive’s design was additionally uncommon by way of entry, with each a conventionally opening door and a glass “gullwing” on the prime. The inside was envisioned to characteristic “fingertip steering” know-how (which might supposedly enable for larger precision) and even a precursor to a contemporary navigation and infotainment unit. The automotive additionally featured “jalousie” (louvered) home windows, which allowed mild and air to come back in with out compromising privateness. These home windows had been fitted with variable-density glass, which lowered glare and saved passengers cool even in excessive temperatures.

Predicting The Future: The Seattle-ite’s Imaginative and prescient For Propulsion And Tech

The Seattle-ite was, in some respects, a product of its time: the futuristic imaginative and prescient Ford engineers had for its propulsion system concerned nuclear energy, which the worlds of science and popular culture each had a robust fascination with on the time. Nevertheless, traces of a number of the important ideas illustrated within the Seattle-ite’s brochure will be discovered within the fashionable automotive business: though we didn’t find yourself driving nuclear-powered vehicles, the idea of a removable energy module is very engaging within the age of electrification. Automakers have been exploring the concept of battery swaps as a fast different to EV charging, and the idea of a “modular” automotive would facilitate this course of.

One other facet of the Seattle-ite that has discovered a spot in fashionable autos, much more so than its powertrain, is its inside tech. Though the bodily idea automotive was not geared up with real-life variations of the flamboyant devices described within the brochure, it’s clear that the group had a imaginative and prescient of what might probably be discovered within the cabin of a automotive just like the Seattle-ite a number of a long time down the road.

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The brochures printed on the time of the automotive’s launch think about a high-tech inside with many items of kit a contemporary reader will instantly acknowledge, corresponding to “a journey programming laptop” which might “eradicate the necessity for dials and gauges”. Ford’s proposed alternative for bodily dials was a “centrally mounted viewing display, the place engine efficiency traits, street and climate situations, and different pertinent data could possibly be shortly and mechanically projected”. Does that sound acquainted? The Seattle-ite anticipated the trendy infotainment system and digital dashboard, with all the options described now being all however ubiquitous in any fashionable automotive.

Different Futuristic Ford Ideas From The 60s…

The Seattle-ite arrived within the Nineteen Sixties, a decade when Ford (together with a number of different automakers) was busy creating modern, daring idea vehicles that pushed the boundaries of design and engineering. Boosted by the optimistic, future-minded spirit of the period, Ford launched a number of different idea vehicles across the time of the Seattle-ite’s launch. Listed here are a number of of them.

Cougar 406: The Cougar 406 was Ford’s gullwing-door reply to the legendary Mercedes 300SL. It was constructed to foretell a possible future design for the Thunderbird, and was powered by a 6.7-liter V8 (or 406 cubic inches, therefore the automotive’s title). Completed in blue when first launched, it was later repainted in crimson earlier than being misplaced to time.

Gyron: The Gyron was one of the vital uncommon ideas ever launched by Ford; it solely had two wheels, and was stabilized by gyroscopes, therefore the title. Its silhouette resembled a aircraft greater than a automotive, with sharp fins and a hyper-aerodynamic physique. It had a transparent cover roof and area for 2 occupants, sitting in molded plastic chairs.

Mercury Palomar: The Mercury Palomar was named after an astronomy observatory in California; it had a rear seating part that became a mini-observation deck, due to the retractable roof. This curious idea was launched to the world on the Chicago Auto Present in 1962, however sadly burned down later that yr.

…And Different Vehicles With Six Wheels

Though the Seattle-ite was actually an outlier within the automotive world with its two additional wheels, it was not the one car ever created to make use of this sort of six-wheeled design. There have been a handful of manufacturing vehicles, plus loads of vehicles and one-off idea autos, that had two additional wheels on board; listed below are 4 of essentially the most outstanding six-wheeled vehicles from throughout historical past.

Hispano-Suiza H6A: One of many earliest examples of a six-wheeled automotive, the Hispano-Suiza H6A was a variant of the H6 mannequin, ordered as a customized car by the King of Greece. After his abdication, it was bought by film director D.W. Griffith; within the current day, it has turn into a museum exhibit in Denver.

Panther 6: The Panther 6 was unveiled in 1977; its design was impressed by the legendary Tyrrell P34 six-wheeled Method 1 automotive. The group at Panther Westwind, the agency behind the 6, determined to make use of six wheels for lots of the identical causes Tyrrell did: enhancing steadiness and stability, rising braking effectivity, and providing extra grip.

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Covini C6W: This curious Italian supercar opted for a six-wheeled design for a special purpose than the Panther 6: the group at Covini believed it will have a optimistic influence on security, for instance within the case of a tire blow-out or hydroplaning. The C6W didn’t get a full manufacturing run, as a result of excessive manufacturing prices.

Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6×6: Probably the most well-known six-wheeled autos all over the world, this distinctive variant of the legendary G-Wagen had two additional pushed wheels; it had a really restricted manufacturing run (with simply over 100 items produced), and gained a second of pop-culture fame due to its look within the 2015 film Jurassic World.

Sources: Ford, Goodwood, Shannons Membership, Hagerty.