Former President Lyndon B. Johnson enjoyed owning his Amphicar. The car is now at Johnson's National Historic Park in Texas.

Built in Germany specifically for the American market, the odd little mash-up of boat and compact car never seemed to get the traction that the Quandt Group craved.

Neverless, the amphibious automobile has become a very successful and popular collector car. It’s performance was humble but the little car boat is still among the most successful commercial civilian amphibious automobiles of all time.

First offered for sale to the public in 1961, the car stopped production in 1968. U.S. Government EPA and DOT regulations went into effect with the 1968 model year vehicles which caused a financial disaster for the Amphicar.

George Gray, TV host for shows Junkyard Wars and Weakest Link, takes his Amphicar out for a swim. Photo from Amphicar in the Movies.

Former President Jimmy Carter taking his Amphicar out for a cruise. Photo from Amphicar in the Movies.

Unable to adapt to the new standards, the company lost the US market which represented 90% of the total Amphicars sold worldwide. The company’s Amphicar plant closed in 1968. The production totaled 3,878 vehicles before it was shut down. Of these, 3,046 Amphicars were imported into the United States between 1961 and 1967.

Amphicar owners often say “it is the fastest car on the water and fastest boat on the road.”

Amphicar Specs:

• Manufacturer: Quandt Group
• Production: 1961-1968 (3,878 built in four colors; Beach White, Regatta Red, Fjord Green (Aqua), and Lagoon Blue
• Body style: Two door cabriolet with boat features
• Engine : 1147 cc straight-4 (Triumph) producing 43hp
• Transmission: 4-speed all-synchromesh manual
• Wheelbase: 84″
• Length: 171″
• Width: 62″
• Height: 60″
• Curb weight: 2,324 lb
• Designer: Hanns Trippel

The land transmission was a 4 speed plus reverse while the water transmission was a 2 speed transmission that was only used in the Amphicar. It had one forward speed and one reverse. The water and land transmission could be run separately or together. This came in handy when launching or retrieving the car from the water.

Former President Johnson surprised his guests with the car. Photo from Amphicar in the Movies.

The front wheels acted as rudders while the car was in the water and the car was propelled by two nylon propellers under the rear bumper.

Celebrity Owners

Former President Johnson was the proud owner of an Amphicar, along with a fleet of Lincoln automobiles, a 1915 Type 12 American La France fire truck, a Fiat Jolly Ghia and assorted Cushman golf carts.

President Johnson enjoyed surprising unsuspecting guests when taking them for a ride in his Amphicar as indicated in this story told by Special Assistant to the President Joseph A. Califano, Jr. “The President, with Vicky McCammon in the seat alongside him and me in the back,was now driving around in a small blue car with the top down. We reached a steep incline at the edge of the lake and the car started rolling rapidly toward the water.”

“The President shouted, ‘The brakes don’t work! The brakes won’t hold! We’re going in! We’re going under!’ The car splashed into the water. I started to get out. Just then the car leveled and I realized we were in a Amphicar. The President laughed. As we putted along the lake then (and throughout the evening), he teased me. ‘Vicky, did you see what Joe did? He didn’t give a damn about his President. He just wanted to save his own skin and get out of the car.’ Then he’d roar.”

Singer Alan Jackson featured his Amphicar in his video "That'd be Alright." Photo from Amphicar in the Movies.

Alan Jackson

Country music star Alan Jackson was awarded an Amphicar from his record label at a party honoring the singer. As reported on www.alanjackson.com, “Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time kicked off the evening as attendants enjoyed complimentary Southern dishes, sat on hay bales and took in some great bluegrass from the large outdoor stage. A presentation followed, along with the declaration of ‘Alan Jackson Day’ and a gift from Jackson’s label and management: a rare, 1965 aqua blue Amphicar, which is both convertible car and boat–it literally drives into the water. During the ceremony, Joe Galante (Chairman, RLG Label Group) awarded Jackson a plaque commemorating his sales, and complimented Alan on his many creative accolades, among them the fact that Jackson has written 23 of his 26 Number One hits.”

Jackson featured the car in his music video “That’d Be Alright.” Jackson’s love affair with the unique car ended when it was sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale last year. The car sold for $112,000.

Weird Facts:

• In 1965, two Amphicars successfully navigated the Yukon River in Alaska.
• Two Amphicars crossed the English Channel in 1968 enduring 20-foot waves and gale-force winds.
• Howard Singer of San Diego, California sailed an Amphicar from the mainland to Catalina Island in the late 1970s.
• Amphicar appears in the films Rotten to the Core (1965), Inspector Clouseau (1968), and Pontiac Moon (1994).