Vehicle Description
1969 Amphicar Model 770 Convertible*Super rare car/boat hybridOne
of 3,878 examples made Left-hand drive3.8L Buick V-6Three-speed
automatic transmission from Dodge PowerWagon backed by Sunbeam or
Alpine differentialAquamarine exterior with teal interior and
removable hardtopCustom digital gaugesDocumentation includes a
Phase Linear PCD instruction guide and various receipts Face it,
when you?re out on the lake in your boat and realize you?ve left
your phone in your truck or in the cabin, wouldn?t it be handy to
have a boat and a car in the same vehicle so you don?t have to reel
your line in and stop fishing? Now you can if you buy this Amphicar
from MotoeXotica Classic Cars! That has been customized somewhere
along the way to someones fantasy complete with an upgraded V-6
Buick power plant. Finished in an aquamarine (which could be viewed
as camouflage in some bodies of water) the car?s paint and trim are
in overall good order though with various blemishes visible at
close range, as expected on a vehicle more than 50 years old. The
car?s body work is solid and represents a good foundation but is in
need of some restoration to return it to its full glory. The car
has a removable hardtop for some open-air boatmotoring. We have not
tested the car in water and found the chain that engages the props
is missing and brake lights are inop. For driving on land, the car
wears generic radials in front, size 185/80B13, and Cooper
Sportsmaster radials, size 165SR15 in back. Each tire is mounted on
a steel wheel topped with a wheel cover. The tires are in very good
order while the wheel covers are in good, original condition. In
place of the standard 1.5L four-cylinder engine from Triumph is
Buick?s workhorse 3.8L V-6 motor, linked to a three-speed automatic
transmission from a Dodge PowerWagon and a Sunbeam or Alpine rear
end. With the standard motor, the car was capable of 70 mph and
eight knots (1 knot = 1.15 mph) in the water. Inside, the car?s
two-tone turquoise bench seat looks great. No carpeting here but
the black floormats are in great shape. The headliner and
two-spoke, white steering wheel are in good, original order. The
instrument panel has been retrofitted with custom digital gauges.
Overall, the dash and inner door panels, complete with wood veneer,
are all in good, original condition. The Amphicar Model 770 is an
amphibious automobile, launched at the 1961 New York Auto Show,
manufactured in Germany and marketed from 1961 to 1968. Production
stopped in 1965. Designed by Hans Trippel, the amphibious vehicle
was manufactured by the Quandt Group at L?beck and at
Berlin-Borsigwalde, with a total of 3,878 manufactured in a single
generation. A descendant of the Volkswagen Schwimmwagen, the
Amphicar offered only modest performance compared to most
contemporary boats or cars, featured navigation lights and flag as
mandated by Coast Guard ? and after operation in water, required
greasing at 13 points, one of which required removal of the rear
seat. Many of the brake and suspension parts were Mercedes, the
original transmission internals and some parts of the fuel system
came from a Porsche 356 and Quandt still owns a controlling share
of BMW. Front undersurface is slightly pointed and sharply cut away
below. The wheels are set low so that the vehicle stands well above
ground level when on dry land. Front and rear bumpers are placed
low on the body panels (but fairly high in relation to dry ground).
The one-piece windshield is curved. The foldable top causes the
body style to be classified as cabriolet. Its water propulsion is
provided by twin propellers mounted under the rear bumper. The
Amphicar is made of mild steel. The Amphicar's typical engine was
mounted at the rear of the craft, driving the rear wheels through a
standard four-speed manual transmission. For use in the water, the
same engine drove a pair of reversible propellers at the rear, with
a second gear lever engaging forward or reverse drive. Once in the
water, the main gear lever would normally be left in neutral. By
engaging first gear as well as drive to the propellers when
approaching a boat ramp, the Amphicar could drive itself out of the
water. An added side benefit is the car does well in snow thanks to
its 10 inches of ground clearance, a flat floorpan and narrow
tires. President Lyndon B. Johnson owned an Amphicar. Johnson, a
known practical joker, was said to enjoy frightening visitors to
his Johnson City, Texas ranch by driving them downhill in his
Amphicar, directly into his property's lake, all while shouting
that he had malfunctioning brakes. Documentation includes a Phase
Linear PCD instruction guide and various receipts. ?We like to
think of it as the fastest car on the water and fastest boat on the
road.? ? Amphicar owner quote. VIN: 106521809 This car is currently
located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on
the odometer shows 1,231 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a
clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!! Note:
Please see full terms and conditions listed below that pertain to
the purchase of any said vehicle, thank you.
