DETROIT, MI, June 13, 2007 – Since the late 1890’s there have been hundreds of attempts to build a commercially viable amphibious vehicle including the ill-fated, but much loved Amphicar that was built from 1961 to 1968. New US safety regulations sealed that company’s fate and it sank into commercial oblivion after selling over 3,000 of the dual-purpose vehicles.
A passionate fan base keeps about 600 of the remaining Amphicars afloat and Gibbs Technologies has announced that there will be some competition on the water when its three new amphibious vehicles launch in 2009.
UK-based Gibbs is forming three new companies to produce and market a broad range of amphibious vehicles in North America. The two that are currently billed as “production-ready” were displayed at a news conference in Detroit last week.
The Quadski, an all-terrain vehicle, will be manufactured and sold by Gibbs Sports Amphibians. This high-speed all-terrain vehicle (ATV) converts into a water-jet-powered watercraft within five seconds. It's the first high-speed ATV developed to make seamless transitions between land and water. The Quadski has a top speed of 40 mph on both land and water and uses proprietary marine jet-propulsion and wheel-retraction systems.
Aquada, a vehicle that combines the handling of a sports car with an ability to travel at more than 30 miles per hour on water (versus the Amphicar’s 7 mph), will be built and marketed by Gibbs Amphibians. The Aquada has the ability to ‘plane’ on water and reach speeds of more than 100 mph on land. Scheduled for production in North America in 2009, the vehicle has a revolutionary jet propulsion system that delivers nearly a ton of thrust on water and a computer-controlled wheel-retraction system.
A third company, Gibbs Military Amphibians, will have responsibility for the development of high-speed amphibians for military use under an agreement with Lockheed Martin. Gibbs and Lockheed Martin plan to unveil several military concept vehicles based on Gibbs’ patented technology later this summer. One, the Terraquad, is a large, two-seat all-terrain vehicle with increased payload and high speed amphibian capability at speeds up to 40 mph on both land and water. Its flexible platform allows for ATV seating arrangements or conventional vehicle seating.
Gibbs officials are optimistic about the market for these vehicles even though the Amphicar only sold 3,878 vehicles during its seven years in production. “Our market research indicates that a line-up of high-speed amphibious vehicles similar to the Aquada could generate annual sales volumes of 100,000 or more within five years,” said Alan Gibbs, the firm’s founder and chairman.
The path for those that have attempted to make their cars swim is littered with wrecks.
The Magrelen Amphibium built in Denmark in 1899 is credited with being one of the first motorized attempts, while the Hobbycar produced in France between 1992 and 1995 was one of the last. Porsche built an estimated 5,000 Type 166 Schwimmwagens between 1940 and 1944 for the German military. Hans Trippel manufactured and sold nearly 4,000 Amphicars during the 1960’s. The USA produced thousands of amphibious vehicles during World War II. None were capable of speeds of more than seven mph on water and there were always problems because of the compromises that were made. Manufacturers could build a good boat or a good car but trying to build one vehicle that could do both well and satisfy consumers proved to be too much of a challenge.
“A commercially viable high-speed amphibious vehicle has eluded auto manufacturers, entrepreneurs and inventors for more than 100 years,” Gibbs noted. “Recent developments in light-weight materials, engine technology and vehicle architecture, however, have enabled us to accomplish what many believed to be impossible.”
Initial design work on the Aquada began in Detroit in 1997 with a team of more than 20 engineers. Product development later transferred to Coventry in the UK, where the company tapped into a unique blend of motorsports, aerospace and OEM engineering talent. More than one million man-hours have gone into the development of the company’s technology.
In 2004, a Gibbs prototype HSA crossed the English Channel in a record-setting time of less than two hours. During tests in Europe and North America, prototype amphibians have traveled at speeds of more than 110 mph on land and 45 mph on water. Both Quadski and Aquada also have the unique ability to transition from land-to-water or water-to-land in five seconds.
The company is currently is considering locations for technical centers, sales offices and manufacturing plants in several states including Georgia, Virginia, Michigan and Texas, according to Alan Gibbs, the firm’s founder and chairman. “We’ll finalize our bricks-and-mortar decisions within the next several months and expect to begin new-model production in North America late next year.”
Developed at a cost of more than $100 million, both Aquada and Quadski are scheduled for introduction in the U.S. during the first half of 2009. Fully homologated for sale in Europe, a fleet of 10 Aquadas currently is undergoing tests in southeastern Michigan. So don’t worry if you see a car dart off the road and head for the water. It may be a test vehicle. Not bad work if you can get it.
Additional information about the company, its technology and amphibious vehicles is available on the Internet at www.gibbstech.com.
Amphicar Photo courtesy of www.amphicar.com
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