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Dymaxion Car Being Restored

Posted by kdawson on from the car-of-the-future-yesterday dept.

An anonymous reader notes that R. Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion Car is being restored by the company Crosthwaite and Gardiner. Only three of the vehicles were produced in the 1930s and only one survives. "Synchronofile.com has been granted the great honor of announcing the restoration of the Dymaxion Car — because our readers are now invited to help in the project. Can you identify the manufacturer for the component shown at the link?"

6 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. Pretty cool ride, actually by TheBilgeRat · · Score: 5, Informative

    From Wikipoedia:

    The Dymaxion car was a concept car designed by U.S. inventor and architect Buckminster Fuller during 1933. The word Dymaxion is a brand name that Fuller gave to several of his inventions, to emphasize that he considered them part of a more general project to improve humanity's living conditions. The car had a fuel efficiency of 30 miles per US gallon (7.8 L/100 km; 36 mpg-imp). It could transport 11 passengers. While Fuller claimed it could do speeds of 120 miles per hour (190 km/h), the fastest documented speed was 90 miles per hour (140 km/h).
    not bad for a 30's car and a V8 (albeit an 84hp V8).

    1. Re:Pretty cool ride, actually by wisty · · Score: 4, Informative

      It's on Damn Interesting as well: http://www.damninteresting.com/the-extraordinary-dymaxion-automobile

      The car flopped because the prototype had a fatal accident in an auto show, so the investors pulled out.

    2. Re:Pretty cool ride, actually by Jurily · · Score: 3, Informative

      More precisely,

      The Dymaxion was later exonerated when an investigation showed that the other driver had likely been at fault, but the damage wreaked by the negative press had condemned the project to the scrap heap of history.

  2. More info you worthless editors! by ArchieBunker · · Score: 3, Informative

    After reading the "summary" and all the links I still don't know what any of this means. From what I gather three cars were made in the 1930s and they need to know who made the turn signals. Thats about all so far....

    --
    Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
  3. Pictures by vxvxvxvx · · Score: 5, Informative

    Seriously, an article on some obscure car should include at least one image so we know what the heck it's talking about.

    http://www.washedashore.com/projects/dymax/pictures.html

  4. Re:KSJ by SEWilco · · Score: 3, Informative

    They're undoubtedly trying to fix it with original parts. It's counted as original parts if it's the same part, even if it comes from a rusty hulk in someone's barn. The unit shown can be restored with sandblasting, polishing, painting, and replating. So they're probably looking for a missing part for the other side of the vehicle. I doubt that this vehicle would have had ordinary lights on it. So if it's not a custom part, maybe it's an aftermarket accessory. I don't have any 1932 automotive catalogs, and their availability would be limited due to questionable copyright status.