Driving an Amphicar is a classic car experience like few others

There is nothing stranger than driving a car into the water. Every fiber of your being tells you this is all wrong. You tense up, and for a second you even wince. 

There is just no way this can end well, you think, as the water pours over the hood and against the windshield. Your mind races and you decide, this is it, it’s all over. 

But it’s not.

Within seconds, the seemingly sinking vehicle bobs up, rights itself and allows you to calmly cruise about. 

This is what it’s like to experience an Amphicar. And despite the old cliché, it’s not a bad car and an even worse boat. 

Amphicar is the brand; the chassis designation is Model 770: 7 mph on water and 70 mph on land. Amphicar called it “the sportscar that swims.”

Maybe calling it a sports car is a little optimistic, but the Amphicar does have the heart of one: Its 1147cc Triumph engine was also found in the Spitfire as well as the Herald, although here, like the Spitfire, it also received a second carburetor. The engineers of the German company behind the Amphicar supposedly chose this engine not because it was inexpensive but because they saw it as one of the best in the world. 

The bolt-in hack for more power? Swap in a 1296cc Spitfire engine. This will get you from about 43 horsepower to a tugboat-like 75. 

This engine is mated to a Porsche-style, four-speed transaxle made by a company named Hermes. A lever on the car’s floor engages the propellers, allowing them to operate independently of the drive wheels. 

The Amphicar made its debut in 1961, with sales slowing by 1966 and production ending in 1968. During that run, prices hovered around the $3000 mark, so much less money than a comparable Corvette or Jaguar. When the company closed for good that year, an American named Hugh Gordon purchased all the spare parts and set up shop in California. While Gordon passed away in 2015, his company has continued as a supplier, and today the Amphicar still has its fans. 

We joined those fans for this spring’s Central Florida Amphicar swim-in, a loosely organized event with no admission charge. Jeff Lane, longtime Amphicar owner and the man behind the Lane Motor Museum, invited us to tag along. 

Despite the Triumph engine and a wheelbase shorter than that of a TR4, the Amphicar feels like the typical small, underpowered foreign car of the day: high center of gravity, skinny tires and, realistically, a cruising speed closer to 55 mph. 

A bench seat is paired with a plastic steering wheel, although three round gauges do lend a hint of sportiness. The back seat offers modest space, although front and rear legroom is rather tight–the dozen or so cars built for the English market are said to offer more front legroom. 

But how many other cars can operate on both land and sea? Time to swim. 

Before heading into the drink, lift the auxiliary latches found at the back of the doors to further compress the seals. 

Engage the propellers. 

And then wade in. Slowly. 

We found the Amphicar stable in moderate wind and chop. We’re not sure we’d want to cover the English Channel in one–two cars famously made that trip in 1961, although, thanks to a clogged bilge pump, one wound up towing the other–but, true to promise, the Amphicar comfortably cruises at about 7 mph. As expected, it feels like a small boat. 

The biggest issues? Speed. Or, rather, lack thereof. If you want to zip over to the other side of the lake, you’ll need some patience. 

Notice something missing from the stern? Yes, no rudders. The front wheels and tires are tasked with that duty. At slow speeds, especially with a current or brisk wind, reversing propulsion and taking another shot at the landing becomes common. 

Time to return to land: no trailer waiting and, oddly, no limited-slip differential present. Shift into gear–second, as the Amphicar is geared insanely low–and, when the wheels hit land, power up the ramp. 

Caution once on land, though: While the brakes are marginal at best, they are a bit treacherous when wet. Drag the brakes, we’re told, to dry them off. And don’t park them when wet. 

If only the Amphicar was made of fiberglass. Instead, its body is formed in steel, meaning seals and bilge pumps are paramount. Salt water can quickly turn one rusty. 

Jeff Lane notes another issue with the steel bodies: Incorrect repairs can lead to leaks. And leaks can lead to sinking. Many owners, we learned, run a second bilge pump.

A speedboat the Amphicar is not. True to its maker’s promise, though, it can cruise at about 7 mph–the high side of jogging pace.

While the engines are robust and inexpensive to run thanks to companies like Moss Motors, the transaxles are another story. Water intrusion plus freezing temperatures can lead to bursting. Gordon Imports Inc. offers new transmissions for a little more than $16,000; figure about $7000 for a rebuild. 

We should talk more about the numbers. For many years, Amphicars struggled in the $30,000 to $50,000 range, as only a few collectors seemed interested. Too weird, too fringe.

A couple of recent high-profile sales catapulted them north of the $100,000 mark, but those numbers have since settled. Today, figure $40,000 to $60,000 for an average car. According to the International Amphicar Owners Club, only 3878 were built.

Not sure you’re up for that commitment but want the experience? The Boathouse in Disney Springs, just in the shadow of Orlando, has bought, modified and restored eight Amphicars that are run all day long: $125 for a 25-minute ride, but if you dine at the attached restaurant, you get a discount. The Lane Motor Museum also offers rides to its museum members on a fairly regular basis.

While most of these cars were sold as recreational vehicles, Patrick McLaughlin owns one used for actual commuting. His dad bought it new in 1966 with the intention of driving it from home in Ohio to work in West Virginia. 

And he did, shaving 45 minutes off his daily commute. No need to head to the nearest bridge. Instead, just drive down the boat ramp and pop out on the other side of the Ohio River.

As the story goes, he did this for a few years through all four seasons–until the time he nearly got run over by a rather large river barge. After that, the Amphicar spent the next 50 or so years parked in the garage. 

Is an Amphicar for you and your own adventures? You could argue that most cars offer a similar experience. You drive. Maybe fast, maybe slow. 

The Amphicar, however, delivers something truly unique.

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