Thursday, November 6, 2008

Dymaxion - Car of the Future

I live in a geodesic dome invented by Buckminster Fuller. When we built it my wife's father said that he had met him once when he was building his Dymaxion cars.My Father-in-law was a student at George Washington University in Washington DC studying Civil Engineering in 1935. He also had a part time job working for the Bureau of Public Roads who were working to develop smooth roads.
At the same time Fuller built 3 of his Dymaxion cars and needed someplace to test them and the BPR was one of the few places that had plenty of roads.

My father-in-law took these pictures the first day that Fuller showed up with his car. The drawings were taken from the patent application material.


Can you imagine how this car was looked upon when people like Ford had only quit making the Model T a few years earlier. Four seats, three wheels, mid engine and front wheel drive. We believe that Fuller is in the dark suit on the left.

7 comments:

Mary said...

Aren't you glad that Dad was a photo nut like me??

Becky said...

Truely a car of the future even in today's standards.
G

Mike said...

Yes, the thing that killed the car was one of Fullers assistance took one of the cars out without permission and wrecked it.

rob ijbema said...

looks like the old auto union gp racing cars from the back...or a caravan or a plane with no wings,eitherway i like it!

buckyfan said...

Hi

would you like to contact me,i would like to know more about your photo,s.
The comment about the dymaxion and the auto unions is quite uncanny,i have worked on both,and i mean recently.I work for crosthwaite and gardiner in england.

would love to chat to you

Rick Ratliff said...

Mike--

I got this email, and you might want to look into it.

Regards, Rick


philip king to rick1753@gmail.com, glinto@stny.rr.com
6:06pm

Hi

Im sorry to contact you but i would like your fellow blogger mike to contact me.He does not have any contact details so as you are following his blog i thought maybe you can help.

He has a blog about the dymaxion cars and i work for a company in England and we are restoring the car that still exists. The car from the auto mobile museaum in Reno Nevada.
We have a web site so please have a look at it to show you that i am serious about contacting Mike.

the company is www.crosthwaiteandgardiner.com


Can you help?

regards
Philip King

Don Wood said...

Mary is not a photo nut ..........is she???????? Don