The Ford Mach I, also known as the Ford Levacar Mach I, is a
concept car
A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle or show vehicle) is a car made to showcase new styling or new technology. Concept cars are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not ...
hovercraft
A hovercraft (: hovercraft), also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and various other surfaces.
Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the ...
developed by the
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
in the 1950s.
The Mach I was a single-seat
automobile which rode on pressurized air, not wheels. Its name was inspired by the speed
Mach 1, an aspiration speed not yet achieved by vehicles at the time. It used air pressure at a force of to provide lift and propulsion.
In experiments, was used so that was needed for levitation and propelled it .
An advertisement for the Mach I appeared in the magazine ''
Boys' Life
''Scout Life'' (formerly ''Boys' Life'') is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Its target readers are children between the ages of 6 and 18. The magazine‘s headquarters are in Irving, Texas.
''Scout Life'' is published ...
'' in 1960, in which it indicated the single-seater's dimensions: long; high; wide.
The Levacar project was led by Andrew A. Kucher (a Ford Vice-President for Engineering and Research) and David J. Jay (a Senior Development Engineer).
Kucher had initially conceived the concept around 1930.
One of the lead designers was
Gale Halderman
The Ford Mustang is a series of American Car, automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company, Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its Ford Mustang (seventh ...
, known for being the initial designer of the
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American Car, automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company, Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its Ford Mustang (seventh ...
.
In addition to the Mach I automobile, the project also developed a similarly outfitted
scooter, the Levascooter.
In experiments on a circular track,
vehicles would raise off the ground and could jump obstacles.
The Mach I was displayed for about two years in the late 1950s in
Dearborn, Michigan.
See also
*
Hovercar
A hover car is a personal vehicle that flies at a constant altitude of up to one yard (three feet) above the ground and used for personal transportation in the same way a modern automobile is employed. The concept usually appears in science fict ...
*
Hoverboard
A hoverboard (or hover board) is a fictional levitating board used for personal transportation, first described in science-fiction, and made famous by the appearance of a skateboard-like hoverboard in the film ''Back to the Future Part II''. Ma ...
*
Maglev
Maglev (derived from '' magnetic levitation'') is a system of rail transport whose rolling stock is levitated by electromagnets rather than rolled on wheels, eliminating rolling resistance.
Compared to conventional railways, maglev trains h ...
References
External links
Ford Levacar Mach Iat allcarindex.com
Mach I
Hovercraft
{{classicpow-auto-stub