Line #103 Main/AmphibiousAutomobile


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5	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/floating_beetle.jpg]]
6	[[caption-width-right:350:Volkswagen's unique construction keeps dampness out.]]
7
8	In real life, cars tend to [[TrappedInASinkingCar sink in water]]. This, however, can be averted in fiction ([[TruthInTelevision and in Real Life]]). This trope applies whether a normal car can inexplicably float or work as a submarine, or a modified car can do this (more realistic). These can overlap with CoolCar, the AllegedCar, and WhatAPieceOfJunk.
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10	SubTrope of WeDontNeedRoads. SisterTrope to FlyingCar, though making a car float on water is ''much'' easier than making it fly. Can be achieved by a TransformingVehicle. The opposite of ShipOutOfWater, although they can overlap.
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12	----
13	!!Examples
14
15	[[foldercontrol]]
16
17	[[folder:Advertising]]
18	* The trope picture is from a 1967 Volkswagen advertising campaign. The beetle could stay afloat for several minutes more than a normal car due to its quality engineering and unique platform frame chassis design. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qB0lb401ZU TV ad]] shows it even better. Beetles have been known to float for more than ten minutes. The simple expedient of coating the door seals with heavy grease will allow a Beetle to float even longer.
19	[[/folder]]
20
21	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
22	* ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamSeedAstray'' shows that the Scale System of ZAFT's Land Battleships can also be used to carry them across the seas was well.
23	* Daisuke's CoolBike from ''Anime/HeatGuyJ'' can easily convert from motorcycle to jetski, making it capable of chasing vehicles on land or water.
24	* In ''Manga/KokoroLibrary'', Lina drives a VW Schwimmwagen (see RealLife section). Comes in handy once or twice when she forgets to look where she is driving and ends up in the river.
25	* Seta's van from ''Manga/LoveHina'' can function as a submarine for no apparent reason, but considering he's such a horrible driver, it's probably in his best interest.
26	* ''Franchise/{{Patlabor}}'' shows that with the addition of some relatively straightforward flotation systems, Section 2's command cars (and even more impressively) Labor trailers can operate amphibiously -- quite well, too, given the rough seas that they successfully navigate.
27	* ''Anime/SpeedRacer'': The Mach 5 can not only float but also be a submarine for short periods of time.
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Comic Books]]
31	* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': The Sea Lion's lackeys take the cops on a merry chase through Gotham and then drive off a pier at full speed revealing their car doubles as a boat.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
35	* In ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', the Film/JamesBond pastiche Finn [=McMissile=] transforms into a hydrofoil and a submarine.
36	* Lucy's car in ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'' drives off a pier and turns into a submarine.
37	* In ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'', Goofy's [[TheAllegedCar AMC Pacer]] floats down a huge western river with two people on top. It's only the waterfall that beats it.
38	* In ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'', the [[CoolCar Incredibile]] can be converted into a boat, as seen when the Parr children need to get to the Everjust hydrofoil.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
42	* The film adaptation of ''Theatre/AllTheWay'' has LBJ pretending to lose control of his Amphicar and drive it into the lake to prank his passenger, which was TruthInTelevision.
43	* In ''Film/BluesBrothers2000'', the updated Bluesmobile can function underwater.
44	* An Amphicar owned by the protagonists becomes an important item in the film ''Film/CadillacMoon'' (it allows the agoraphobic mother to give chase to her husband and son as they go on a [[RoadTripPlot road trip]] to reach a certain spot at the same time the Apollo 11 reaches the moon and later it's used to escape the police by driving into a lake).
45	* ''Film/CannonballRunII'' has one team's car (a Mitsubishi Starion) become submersible after it's driven into a lake. Interesting to note that the driver is played by Richard Kiel, who played "Jaws" in ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe''.
46	* ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'' can float, as well as [[FlyingCar everything else]].
47	* ''Film/{{Condorman}}'', Woody finds himself being chased by a KGB pursuit squad of elite drivers, but is able to crash them with his gadget car. Their leader however he's unable to shake off, so Woody inflates flotation devices under his car and drives off a pier and somehow across the water as well.
48	* In ''Film/HerbieRidesAgain'', the bug is shown to float and propel himself in the Pacific for around 30 minutes. But then, this is [[CoolCar Herbie]]. Obviously inspired by the VW ads. The later film ''Film/HerbieGoesBananas'' {{exaggerate\|dTrope}}s this by having Herbie get tossed off a cruise ship by its pissed-off captain and "swim" several hundred miles to a South American country, including ''through'' the Panama Canal, only apparently ([[DisneyDeath and temporarily]]) "dying" from exhaustion once he arrives to shore.
49	* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', a [[http://www.propstore.com/product/indiana-jones-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull/marion-ravenwoods-karen-allen-hero-amphibious-duck-vehicle-h/ Russian GAZ 46 amphibious vehicle]][[note]]or, behind the scenes, a fiberglass reproduction thereof[[/note]] (see RealLife section) is used as a getaway car down a river and over three waterfalls.
50	* ''Literature/JamesAndTheGiantPeach'': Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker's car can function underwater when driving to New York City to get James and the giant peach back to England.
51	* In ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'', Eggsy's cab has an amphibious mode. Unfortunately for him, the shootout and car chase he just went through have torn off a door and broken all the windows, making the car itself a bit less than watertight. Fortunately, Eggsy can hold his breath long enough to reach the underwater safehouse.
52	* In ''Film/ThePresidentsAnalyst'', an Amphicar (see RealLife below) is on board a motor yacht owned by the Canadian Secret Service and commandeered by a Russian spy, and used for a trip onto land.
53	* Mr. and Mrs. Cortez's SUV from ''Film/SpyKids1''.
54	* ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe'': Film/JamesBond's [[CoolCar Lotus Esprit]] drives into the ocean during a car chase, only for it to turn into a Q Branch-designed submarine which then sails off to examine the UnderwaterBase of the supervillain. The submarine car was eventually defictionalized (see LiveActionTV and RealLife). Ironically, the year before, Bond actor Creator/RogerMoore was in an Italian action film (''The Sicilian Cross'') in which his character drives a car into the ocean, so he tells his partner to get him an amphibious car next time.
55	* ''Film/WhatsUpDoc'' climaxes in a car chase where the protagonists lead everyone after the MacGuffin off a pier and into San Francisco Bay. Fortunately for our heroes, they are driving a Volkswagen, which floats.
56	* Several other examples of the Amphicar being used in movies can be [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFPv3cLKxoQ seen in this video]].
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Literature]]
60	* [[SignatureTeamTransport The Aesir]] in ''Literature/TheDreamsideRoad'' enters the story driving from a crowded roadway into a river and can occasionally be found on the water, such as during [[BadassNormal Orson's]] first escape from [[TheRemnant the Liberty Corps]].
61	* The Polish adventure novel series ''Pan Samochodzik'' ("Mr. Automobile") is about an AmateurSleuth whose [[WhatAPieceOfJunk car]] happens to have such a capability.
62	* In the ''Literature/NancyDrew'' book ''Captive Witness'', Nancy and Bed steal the villain's car, which turns out to be one of these.
63	* ''Literature/MethuselahsChildren'' opens with a character driving an {{Automated Automobile\|s}} -- she takes a nap while it drives most of the way to her destination, although she does have to resume manual control when the car leaves the "controlways" for the back roads -- which then turns out to function as a submarine as well, traveling underwater through a lake in order to reach an ElaborateUndergroundBase.
64	* ''Literature/ThePuppetMasters'' features {{flying car}}s (and "groundcars"), but there's also a brief mention of "triphibs", which presumably combine this trope with being flying cars (along with the ability to drive on roads).
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
68	* Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy drives an amphibious car at least once on his show. Given that the show is filmed in UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}}, which is right on Puget Sound, it makes sense.
69	* The Creator/DiscoveryChannel show ''Monster Garage'':
70	** It featured the cast attempting to turn a Mazda Miata into one of these. It worked until the air intake (placed too close to the nose) took in water, killing the engine.
71	** However, they previously succeeded with a Volkswagen New Beetle which they converted into an air boat although the "water bug" had a tendency to bury its nose in the water due to how hard Jesse was running the fan.
72	** They had another success when they converted a small school bus into a pontoon boat.
73	* ''Series/TopGearUK''
74	** One of the infamous [[WackyRacing Challenges]] had the three presenters tasked with converting the vehicle of their choice into something capable of driving to and across a reservoir. Apparently the fact two of the resulting contraptions were qualified successes as opposed to the usual [[EpicFail hilarious failures]] went to their heads, as a few seasons later they decided to refine their designs and make an attempt at ''the English Channel''. [[spoiler:Clarkson's pickup truck actually made it across.]]
75	** In the ''50 Years of James Bond'' special, Hammond pilots a working version of the submersible Lotus Espirit from ''The Spy Who Loved Me''. [[note]] It is worth noting that due to budgetary constraints, Hammond was forced to use a Lotus Excel rather than an actual Esprit. [[/note]]
76	** Then in 2013, the [[Series/TopGearUS Americans]] got in on the act by building their own amphibious cars and attempting to cross Lake Ontario with them. [[spoiler:Only Rutledge succeeded.]]
77	* Creator/LarryTheCableGuy met someone who built a working part-boat part-car vehicle on ''Only in America''. Also counts as a RealLife example.
78	* In the series ''Series/{{Viper}}'', after being destroyed and rebuilt the car that the series is named after is able to covert into a hovercraft.
79	* In ''Series/KnightRider 2008'', the new KITT can turn into a submarine.
80	** The original ''Series/KnightRider'' had KITT moving over water after April installed some gadget inside the hood. In the end, it was removed and it never appeared again.
81	* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Dennis claims his Range Rover is an "Amphibious Exploring Vehicle", and drives it into a lake. It isn't.
82	* They can change networks and shows, but the second season of ''Series/TheGrandTour'' proves that some things about Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May will stay the same. Trying to one-up their stunt from ''Series/{{Top Gear\|UK}}'' this time they attempt to convert a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bond_Bug Bond Bug]] into an amphibious vehicle capable of beating the UK water speed record for an amphibious vehicle. It was uncomfortable, nearly unsteerable, the engine kept cutting out because of the choppy ride and the conversion from land to water was long and complicated (it was designed by James May after all). But it not only worked, it succeeded in breaking the record.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Print Media]]
86	* ''National Lampoon'' ran [[http://www.yourememberthat.com/media/7863/National_Lampoon_Ted_Kennedy_VW_Ad/ a parody version]] of the VW ad, basically saying that if Ted Kennedy had been driving a VW he wouldn't have had that trouble in Chappaquiddick.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
90	* The eponymous ''Series/{{Supercar}}''.
91	* FAB 1 from ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' is equipped with retracting hydrofoils that turn it into one of these.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
95	* ''TabletopGame/CarWars'': One of the available modifications for cars in the game makes them amphibian by means of making the engine and passenger space waterproof and adding a deployable propeller. Another modification allows the car to fly and it can be added on top of the amphibian modification (cars with both are designated "tri-phibian" by the rules).
96	* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'': the Imperial Chimera, much beloved of the Guard and Inquisition, has the Amphibious special rule that allows it to treat water as ordinary terrain on the tabletop. In the fluff, the Space Marine Rhino chassis (which is used for their [=APCs=] and Predator tanks) is capable of driving on the floor of a lake or sea without difficulties; one segment featured a tank duel between loyalist and Chaos Predators at the bottom of the ocean!
97	* Classic ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'', Paranoia Press supplement ''SORAG''. The Amphibious Ground Car (a.k.a. the "Mudpuppy") can travel at 88 k.p.h. on the road and 21 k.p.h. (11 knots) in the water using its twin propellers.
98	* ''TabletopGame/D20Modern'': One of the sample vehicles in the expansion book ''D20 Future'' was a futuristic 1/2 ton truck with a fully enclosed driver's section, which mentioned on the fluff text that its ads included the truck being dumped with passengers on a lake and then rolled out of it under its own power, passengers totally cool inside.
99	* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' has rules for building amphibious tanks. They come in two varieties: fully amphibious (can move in water at half the speed they move on dry land) and partially amphibious (limited to movement 2 on water). Of course, this is ''not'' something you want to try using for fighting in water -- get an actual hovercraft or boat for that. Amphibious tanks should only be used for crossing small bodies of water on the way to a fight.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Toys]]
103	* ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'': the Vahki Transport used by the Toa Metru to travel to and from Metru Nui to Mata Nui was conveniently seaworthy. It was, however, mostly held up by the Matoran capsules attached to it, and later by pieces of dried-up plant matter. Its lack of wheels meant there were no holes on its hull for the liquid protodermis to pour in.
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder:Video Games]]
107	* ''VideoGame/DoubleOhSevenRacing'' allows Bond access to most of the vehicles in his films, one of them being the Lotus Esprit from ''The Spy Who Loved Me''. Which he uses in the Black Sea mission to make an escape by driving into the waters and activating its submarine mode as the enemy base blows up behind him.
108	* The cars in ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing'' can stay afloat and even move in water, albeit extremely slowly.
109	* Amy Rose in ''VideoGame/SonicR'' drives a car that has the ability to float on water.
110	* In ''VideoGame/SpyHunter'', you can drive into the water and your car automatically becomes a boat.
111	* The Franchise/JamesBond game ''VideoGame/{{Nightfire}}'' includes an Aston-Martin that converted into a submarine.
112	* An 8-bit Platform/AmstradCPC licensed game of ''WesternAnimation/{{MASK}}'' turned the "Gator" vehicle (a Jeep with an ejectable boat) into a Jeep that ''turned'' into one, so it could actually be usable to cross bodies of water.
113	* All usable vehicles in ''VideoGame/MarioKart7'' and ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'' can turn into submarines if any of them land in the water.[[note]]However, [[OlderThanTheyThink driving underwater was possible]] in ''Mario Kart: Super Circuit'' too, although it was extremely slow and you only had a little while before [[BottomlessPitRescueService Lakitu]] fishes you out anyways. Other courses, like Peach Beach, also had water that you could drive through, but it was still considered a hazard.[[/note]]
114	* A few ''VideoGame/ChoroQ'' games allow you to attach parts that make your car amphibious. Good thing since some of the courses have water sections.
115	* In ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed]]'', the race cars can transform into watercraft.
116	* Any vehicle with the Amphibious property in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3''. A few of them (such as the Allied Riptide ACV) are hovercraft, some are regular boats or ships that sprout treads or legs on land, but the vast majority are ordinary-looking trucks and tanks that merely extend a few pontoons and motor on (and some can be built at both naval facilities and factories). The Japanese MCV and Tsunami tank's treads will flip over when changing medium.
117	* This is the main gimmick for the Agency Hovercraft in ''VideoGame/JustCause2''
118	* The Deliverer armored truck in ''Videogame/PlanetSide 1'' could safely traverse water, albeit only at 70% speed. Water travel had the benefit of a perfectly smooth ride, improving the accuracy of the guns. The ANT energy supply truck was also technically amphibious but didn't float; rather, it would sink like a rock but could travel for several minutes on the seabed before stalling, unlike other vehicles that would stall within seconds.
119	* An upgrade in ''VideoGame/{{Roundabout}}'' allows you to float your limousine in water and drive as normal and even make short dives underwater. Touching water without it equipped is instant death, however.
120	* ''Videogame/MegaManX'': In ''X4'', in Jet Stingray's stage, you have to chase him on your [[CoolBike Ride Chaser]] while you're escaping the exploding highway you're on and jump onto the sea waters; once there your ride behaves just like a jet ski.
121	* In ''Videogame/{{Vigilante8}}'', in the stages with water components, there'll usually be a PowerUp nearby that turns the wheels of your car into a set of propellers and rudders so you can drive on water.
122	* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV Grand Theft Auto Online'':
123	** The "Import/Export" update introduces the Blazer Aqua and Technical Aqua.[[note]]This is strongly based on the [[Series/TopGearUK Toyboata]] listed above[[/note]] Both are also [[WeaponizedCar armed]].
124	** The "Doomsday Heist" update introduces the Stromberg,[[note]]based on the Lotus Esprit sub from ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe'' and named for the film's villain[[/note]] a sports car that can transform into a submarine. It too is armed.
125	** The "Cayo Perco Heist" update introduces the Toreador,[[note]]based on the Lamborghini Marzal concept car[[/note]] which, similar to the Stromberg, is a weaponized sports car capable of transforming into a submarine. Unlike the Stromberg, however, the Toreador also has rocket boosters.
126	* In ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'', you can build your own amphibious car with materials that can float on water [[note]]cardboard and wood[[/note]] in the LevelEditor. There's no limit to how the car moves as long as it is light enough to float on water, be it with wheels, tank treads, or rocket propellers.
127	* In ''VideoGame/EnemyTerritoryQuakeWars'', the human-side [[AwesomePersonnelCarrier Trojan APC]] is amphibious and its mounted cannon provides it with more offensive power than the anti-personnel minigun on the "Platypus" motorboat (the only other water vehicle on the human side). The Strogg APC can also move on water, but this is because it's a HoverTank, just like all other Strogg vehicles.
128	* ''VideoGame/SkunnyKart'': Driving into deep water turns the cart into a submarine.
129	* ''VideoGame/TheStretchers'': The last upgrade Professor Doctor gives the ambulance allows it to drive on water. Its use becomes immediately apparent when [[spoiler:the medics have to chase Captain Brains down after he shows up to kidnap the inventor]].
130	* ''VideoGame/JumpBug'': The player-controlled car can jump and bounce under water as well as it does out of the water.
131	[[/folder]]
132
133	[[folder:Western Animation]]
134	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBeavers'' episode, "Fancy Prance", Norbert and Daggett take a bus outside their dam that has their destination Vienna, Austria as one of its stops; [[note]]For context, the beaver brothers live in North America and Austria is in Europe[[/note]] when we cut to the bus arriving to Vienna and it opens it's doors the beaver brothers come out as well a full bus worth of ocean water.
135	* ''WesternAnimation/CarmenSandiego'': Carmen's crew has to figure out how V.I.L.E. is planning on smuggling an illegal mine's worth of alexandrite out of Rio right in the middle of Carnival. It turns out they were using an amphibious parade float (since, [[FridgeLogic apparently]] no one would notice a giant float breaking away from the parade and driving straight into the ocean). Zack and Ivy figure it out because Boston Harbor is full of duck boats.
136	* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'' episode "Hot Rods From Heck", the title character pits his [[CoolCar Freakmobile]] against [[BrutishBulls Longhorn's]] super semi-truck; after matching him on both land and in the sky, Freakazoid decides to show off his car's underwater capabilities by driving into a lake. As he's pushing buttons to transform the Freakmobile, [[SubvertedTrope it crashes into the bottom of the lake. Freakzoid realizes too late that the Freakmobile was never designed to operate underwater.]] Longhorn's truck on the other hand has zero problems following him into the lake.
137	* In ''WesternAnimation/HeathcliffAndTheCatillacCats'', the Cadillac could convert into a boat.
138	* Dr Claw in the ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' cartoons could turn the [[{{Thememobile}} Madmobile]] into a submarine ([[FlyingCar and an airplane]]).
139	* The Belgian series ''Kapitein Zeppos'' also had an amphibious car.
140	* During a chase, ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' called [[GadgeteerGenius the Tweebs]] to ask if [[CoolCar the Sloth]] has aquatic modifications. After hearing the answer "sure", she tried to follow Shego and Junior into the water. Unfortunately, the Tweebs [[PoorCommunicationKills thought she'd asked]] if they ''could'' install aquatic modifications, and had not actually done so.
141	-->'''Ron:''' ''(As the Sloth sinks)'' Oh, I can see how they'd make that mistake! ''(Points out the window)'' Heheh, look! Fish!
142	* ''WesternAnimation/{{MASK}}'' has at least a couple of examples including Shark, a Porche 928 that turned into a submarine, and Raven, a Chevrolet Corvette that can also turn into a submarine.
143	* ''WesternAnimation/MrMagoo'': In "WesternAnimation/MagoosPuddleJumper", Mr. Magoo buys an electric car and takes it out on a spin with his nephew Waldo. Due to being nearsighted, Mr. Magoo drives his new car into the ocean and thinks he's in a different part of town.
144	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'': The fourteenth season introduces Jay's Ninja Sub Speeder, a submersible car which has propellers attached to its wheels. The back wheels turn to face backward when submerged so the propellers can propel it through the water.
145	* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'': Fred has outfitted the Mystery Machine with submarine abilities in both ''WesternAnimation/WhatsNewScoobyDoo'' and ''WesternAnimation/BeCoolScoobyDoo,'' though [[spoiler:the former]] turned out to be AllJustADream.
146	* In ''WesternAnimation/SheZow'', the Sheicle is capable of transforming into a submarine (and an aeroplane).
147	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' (1973-74) episode "The Weather Makers". The villains have a car that can operate as a speedboat.
148	* The Autobots of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' are shown to function in the vehicle modes while underwater.
149	* Both 2 Wycked and the Danger Cart are able to transform into submarines in the ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'' episode "Last Dance for Napkin Lad."
150	* A quick gag on an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' showcases a flashback of Grandpa Abraham Simpson that the city had an Amphicar factory. This is part of a (relatively speaking, [[AwesomeButImpractical streets literally made of gold norwithstanding]]) [[MisterSandmanSequence "Mister Sandman"]] Main/GoodTimesMontage that exposes how much of a CrapsackWorld Springfield has become in the meantime (and also shows [[Main/TrendAesop how quick it is for the city to fall in line and invest on the latest trend, no matter low short-lived or impractical]]).
151	* The Commvee in ''WesternAnimation/TheWildThornberrys''.
152	[[/folder]]
153
154	[[folder:Real Life]]
155	* A few real examples (excluding the Beetle) are amphibious cars like the UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Schwimmwaggen[[note]] that page header photo is almost TruthInTelevision; the Schwimmwagen was a military version of the Beetle wheelbase, adapted from the Kubelwagen jeep variant of the Beetle [[/note]]. and Ford GPA, the [[TheFifties 1950s era]] Soviet GAZ 46, the TheSixties Amphicar, and a host of less famous cars. Ironically, by far the most successful wasn't a car at all: it was the DUKW amphibious 2-1/2 ton truck, which are popular among military vehicle collectors and used as emergency and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_tour excursion vehicles]] even today. See the Trivia page for more details.
156	** President UsefulNotes/LyndonJohnson owned an Amphicar and loved {{Troll}}ing people by driving it into lakes without warning them beforehand.
157	* The [[http://www.rinspeed.com/pages/cars/squba/pre-squba.htm Rinspeed sQuba]] is designed to behave like the aforementioned Lotus Esprit from ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe.'' However, it's open-topped rather than watertight and as such, requires the passengers to wear SCUBA gear.
158	* At least one man has modified a sports car to also act as a speedboat, capable of going from land to water and back under its own power.
159	* A non-industrial example: Floating Cubans. Cubans take normal cars ([[http://www.rowand.net/Shop/MechanicalFunnyBone/1959BuickBoat/1959BuickBoat1_files/040204_boatcar_hmed_2p.hmedium.jpg often old American cars]]) and modify them so they can float across the Ocean to Miami, using propellers, buoyant oil drums, and/or water sealer.
160	* While [[TankGoodness tanks]] usually cannot float, at least four nations figured out how to make them amphibious in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. The Americans, Japanese, and Germans used detachable pontoons, and the British used canvas-displacement screens. Both were using a Duplux Drive system involving two propellers added to the rear of the tank (ultimately, it was the British canvas screen design that was used in combat by the Western allies). The Germans, on the other hand, eventually discarded pontoons[[note]]Fine on light tanks like the Czech-built Panzer 35(t). But pontoons capable of floating a Tiger would have been half the size of a football field.[[/note]] and developed deep-water fording kits using snorkels to allow their tanks to motor across the bottom. The original use envisioned for this ability was to have the tanks ''drive across the English Channel'' in order to invade the British Isles but unlike most such... [[AwesomeButImpractical innovative]]... ideas the Nazis came up with during the war, this one turned out to have some practical uses once scaled back to be less silly. Postwar, with tanks grown too big to be floated, several other nations also developed deep water fording systems, an idea that has since been given up as impractical.
161	** In ''Literature/MailedFist'', John Foley ruefully describes the time and effort that went into waterproofing his Churchill tanks and adapting them so they could withstand being unloaded from landing craft some way off the beach, and deep-wade onto shore without drowning, if necessary surviving underwater for as long as it took to get onto dry land. On the day their Royal Navy landing craft commander prided himself on landing them dryshod on the beach. The expensive and manpower-heavy deep-wading gear was never needed.
162	* The DD Tanks, as they were called, were unfortunately not as effective as the Allies had hoped; the 30-ton Shermans that they converted were so heavy that anything more than a small ripple in the water would capsize and sink them. However, their ''psychological'' effects were enormous. In Operation Overlord, there are reports of German machine gunners who, upon seeing what they thought was a harmless boat drive out of the water and turn into a fully operational tank, actually [[OhCrap looked up from their positions with their mouths agape.]] Three out of 27 DD tanks on Omaha Beach made it ashore, but it wasn't near that bad on Juno, Utah, and Sword, where seas were calmer, and most of the tanks landed on shore, providing much-needed direct fire support for infantry.
163	* The Japanese and later the Soviets went the other way: in addition to trying to float regular tanks with pontoons, they also built "tanks" with lightweight boat-like hulls like the Type 92 and the PT-76. Unfortunately, that meant doing without much armor. And since any vehicle that looks like a tank tends to get used like a tank, the result was "reconnaissance vehicles" that had short lifespans in combat. The first Russian attempt at an amphibious armoured car, the [=BAD32=] of 1934. was a dismal failure -- based on a heavy truck and about the same height and general length as a London bus, it could do ten miles an hour on land and two on water.
164	** PT-76, though, didn't have much of the boat hull, and while skimped a bit on the armor side, still was well protected for its weight. While it didn't have much success as a ''tank'', its chassis turned out to be very practical and was used for literally dozens of various vehicles, until finally developed into the seminal [[AwesomePersonnelCarrier BMP series]] — which is still fully amphibious, even in its latest and heaviest generation.
165	* Soviet and later Russian military always insisted (and does it still) on making ''all'' of its all-terrain vehicles amphibious, be they wheeled or tracked, since at least TheSixties, and is known to reject any non-floating design from the outset. Geared largely for the European theater, with its abundant rivers and marshlands, and taught by the UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and UsefulNotes/KoreanWar experience that the mobility is absolutely crucial during an advance, Soviet planners didn't want to lose time on building and maintaining the river crossings passable for the non-amphibious vehicles.[[note]]They ''do'' have various bridge-laying trucks and pontoons, but these are mainly for the rear echelons and the army train, the heavy metal just goes straight away.[[/note]] They also were one of the few militaries that didn't give up on the tank fording equipment, despite knowing all too well how accident-prone it was, as it was determined that its tactical usefulness outweighed the danger.
166	** This sometimes led to rather suboptimal designs, like the BTR-60 APC, which was initially designed as non-amphibious, and was hastily updated to give it the floating ability. It still leaked like a sieve and had all the seaworthiness of a paper boat, mostly relying on its powerful bilge pump to keep it afloat. Once the pump fails, its numerous leak points [[ArmoredCoffins will make it sink in about 5 minutes]].
167	** The BTR-60 got a dubious nickname ''[[GallowsHumor Sukellusvene]]'' (literally "submarine") in the Finnish army as one of these contraptions sank whilst crossing a lake on a drill, drowning seven conscripts. The order is that whilst crossing a water feature, all crew must be on OutsideRide on the deck of the vehicle with their rifles, wearing life vests.
168	** However, this approach has also led to the greater unification between the branches of the military: since ''all'' Soviet/Russian armor is amphibious (or ford-capable), their Marines didn't need to develop a specialized landing vehicle, and just use the run-off-the-mill [=BTRs=] or [=BMPs=] for offshore landings. Their [=LSTs=] simply beach themselves on some shallow, dropping their tanks into the surf to drive on the bottom.
169	* The colossal German Panzer VIII "Maus" was to weigh around 200 Tons. This being far too heavy to cross most bridges, it was instead intended to wade across rivers. Hatches and hull openings could be sealed, and the tank would be driven across the riverbed. Since the Maus used a diesel-electric transmission, the tanks could work in pairs, a second Maus on the riverbank supplying electric power to the submerged one by a cable. This eliminated the need for a snorkel, but it did nothing to address the "river bottoms are made of mud" problem that has defeated all similar efforts.
170	* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbs_Aquada The Gibbs Aquada.]]
171	* Cities built on rivers or canals often have amphibious tour buses that take tourists through the streets of downtown one minute, then drive into the river for the second half of the tour. War-surplus vehicles like the DUKW are often used for this.
172	* Theme park attractions that incorporate both land and water features often seat attendees in amphibious ''train'' cars, that follow tracks in and out of the water.
173	* The Amphicar, whose frame and body were welded to become a boat with the flick of a switch, originated in Germany and was marketed from 1961 to 1968. It was a recurring prize on the Bill Cullen edition of ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' (ARP was around $2900).
174	* The [[https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15146512/terra-wind/ Terra Wind]], an amphibious motorhome produced by Cool Amphibious Manufacturing International (Who specialize in vehicles like this).
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Context Main / AmphibiousAutomobile