The 2007 Hyundai Accent gets an average of 33.2 m.p.g., seats 5, has 33.1 foot turning diameter, and is a beautiful, cost-efficient, low-emissions car. It’s entry level, has great horse power, and looks pretty fun to drive. But what if we had this car, oh say, in 1933?
To give you an idea of what was going on in 1933: we had just begun construction on the Golden Gate Bridge, Hitler was just appointed Chancellor of Germany, King Kong premiered at the Radio City Music Hall in NYC, the chocolate chip cookie was invented, and one of the most popular cars at the time was the Ford Model B.
the Dymaxion Car
Now what if I told you that in 1933 a man by the name of Buckminster Fuller (who also invented the geodesic dome and the radar dish) created a car with a top speed of 120 m.p.h., got 30 m.p.g., had seating for eleven people, and had a turning diameter of 21 feet? He named it the Dymaxion, it had three wheels and steered from the single rear-wheel, like forklifts do today. WNET has a great video of it in action.
Unfortunately the Dymaxion car was never put into production, the technology behind the car, other than it’s aerodynamic design, has largely been forgotten by all but design students. However it should be pointed out that the original VW bus used the Dymaxion streamline shape and is probably the closest production car to the original Dymaxion. High speed, high volume, fuel efficienct — Buckminster Fuller, where have you gone?
For more on the Dymaxion car, check out this very impressive car chronology.
