The original Mach 1 and other Ford experimental cars

[hyena429]

The Original Ford Galaxie. Wild interior!!


Below Ford's Mach 1 Levacar was tethered to an arm so it could glide around just above its circular glass track. Any other type of pavement might have imperfections that would make its flight impossible. Ducted air flowed out of pads on its underside, suspending the tiny coupe just slightly over the surface as the attached arm guided the Levacar around its track.

The single-seat, fiberglass-bodied Levacar was projected to be capable of reaching 500 m.p.h., but its lack of a brakes might have made that a one-time experiment.

Ford gave away thousands of promotional models of their air car. AMT made a popular model kit that came complete with a rubber hose so kids could make it levitate just like the real thing. Unfortunately, those tiny plastic models are all that's left of Ford's bold experiment in flying cars. And we're still bumping along on rubber tires just like Ford's Model T.

 

[Kit Sullivan]

Looks like something that would be on "Tracey Island".

 

[hyena429]

Looks like something that would be on "Tracey Island".

It sure does...The jet age for sure..lol

How about the Gyron.

The Ford Gyron was a futuristic two-wheeled gyrocar first shown to the world in 1961 at the Detroit Motor Show as a concept car. One wheel was at the front and the other at the rear like a motorcycle and the car was stabilized by gyroscopes. The two occupants of the vehicle were seated side by side and, when the vehicle was stationary, two small legs appeared from the sides to support it. The vehicle was created for research and marketing purposes,

 

[JimNiki]

Definitely for the Jetsons!

Those analogue gauges remind of star trek TOS...

Is it even possible to have ultra complex machines like the transporter and warp drive capable of being run and controlled by analogue circuitry and gauges?

The granularity of monitoring and control would be so critical, we can't even fathom these things with today's microscopic digital circuits!

How on earth (pardon the pun) did you guys ever manage to land on the moon .....let alone return!

I wonder if the eagle and the lunar rockets used ford parts for their ammeter gauges! Hehe

 

[1972MustangSVH]

We landed in the moon?

 

[Luke]

Cool pics. you can see a lot of thunderbird in the galaxy. But they all look like they belong in thunderbirds. I love 50s mopar dashes for the jetage influence, I like all the early auto references trying to reference cars to aircraft/Spacecraft.

The link is to a much later Blackburn Buccaneer they had twin Gyron Jrs (ford gyron in pics looks like a jet engine)

 

[Kit Sullivan]

Analog switching to operate digital equipment? Oh, the original Star Trek was a little "off" in many ways.

How about when the user control panels would blow up in the face of the operator in a shower of sparks? I guess there are no circuit breakers in the future?

And in reality Ford was really involved in the space-race in a big way. Ford designed and supplied all the computer consoles used at Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

 

[midlife]

Analog switching to operate digital equipment? Oh, the original Star Trek was a little "off" in many ways.

How about when the user control panels would blow up in the face of the operator in a shower of sparks? I guess there are no circuit breakers in the future?

And in reality Ford was really involved in the space-race in a big way. Ford designed and supplied all the computer consoles used at Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Speaking of Star Trek being a little off, I always liked how their photon torpedoes made sound traveling through the vacuum of space and how the phasers had light beams showing in the vacuum of space.

 

[jeremycfr]

Analog switching to operate digital equipment? Oh, the original Star Trek was a little "off" in many ways.

How about when the user control panels would blow up in the face of the operator in a shower of sparks? I guess there are no circuit breakers in the future?

And in reality Ford was really involved in the space-race in a big way. Ford designed and supplied all the computer consoles used at Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Speaking of Star Trek being a little off, I always liked how their photon torpedoes made sound traveling through the vacuum of space and how the phasers had light beams showing in the vacuum of space.

Ok. I'm a scifi nut. They made a big deal with that fact in Battlestar Galactica.

 

[rpmcarter]

The Original Ford Galaxie. Wild interior!!


Below Ford's Mach 1 Levacar was tethered to an arm so it could glide around just above its circular glass track. Any other type of pavement might have imperfections that would make its flight impossible. Ducted air flowed out of pads on its underside, suspending the tiny coupe just slightly over the surface as the attached arm guided the Levacar around its track.

The single-seat, fiberglass-bodied Levacar was projected to be capable of reaching 500 m.p.h., but its lack of a brakes might have made that a one-time experiment.

Ford gave away thousands of promotional models of their air car. AMT made a popular model kit that came complete with a rubber hose so kids could make it levitate just like the real thing. Unfortunately, those tiny plastic models are all that's left of Ford's bold experiment in flying cars. And we're still bumping along on rubber tires just like Ford's Model T.

Dr Zachery Smith.....

 

[caspianwendell]

Love looking at old prototype stuff

 

[Kit Sullivan]

What makes you think that a phaser-beam would not be visible in space?

 

[midlife]

What makes you think that a phaser-beam would not be visible in space?

You see light as it reflects off of objects: dust, soot, fog, etc. In the vacuum of space, you'd see no beam other than if the phaser beam actually hit an object and reflected the light.

If you were looking at the source of the phaser beam itself, you could see the light coming from it, but from a sideways view, you'd see nothing at all.

 

[will e]

When watching the new star trek movies I always wonder if people will make fun of the ships controls 50 years from now. WE think they look pretty futuristic.

 

[rpmcarter]

The Original Ford Galaxie. Wild interior!!


Below Ford's Mach 1 Levacar was tethered to an arm so it could glide around just above its circular glass track. Any other type of pavement might have imperfections that would make its flight impossible. Ducted air flowed out of pads on its underside, suspending the tiny coupe just slightly over the surface as the attached arm guided the Levacar around its track.

The single-seat, fiberglass-bodied Levacar was projected to be capable of reaching 500 m.p.h., but its lack of a brakes might have made that a one-time experiment.

Ford gave away thousands of promotional models of their air car. AMT made a popular model kit that came complete with a rubber hose so kids could make it levitate just like the real thing. Unfortunately, those tiny plastic models are all that's left of Ford's bold experiment in flying cars. And we're still bumping along on rubber tires just like Ford's Model T.

I see 60-1 Starliner coming from that design

 

[hyena429]

Love looking at old prototype stuff

Same here...Like seeing when they push the limits of the time.

How about the 1970 ford mach 2 !!

The Ford Mach 2 was design by Larry Shinoda in 1970 as a challenger to the Chevrolet Corvette. It did not however meet production. The car was based on a De Tomaso Pantera chassis and engine. The rear design was influneced by the 1962 Corvair Monza GT. The Mach II project was abandonned when Ford teamed up with De Tomaso to sell the Pantera in the USA through there Lincoln-Mercury dealer network, which was cheaper than developing this car. Larry Shinoda left Ford soon after designing this car and went on to set up his own Comapny, Shinoda Design Associates.

The Original Ford Galaxie. Wild interior!!

I see 60-1 Starliner coming from that design

Ya...I see alot of cars come from the original galaxie look..Including the t birds rear end of the 60's..lol. the design was ahead of its time for 1958.

 

[rpmcarter]

Hyena ... that car is SO ...theeee GT 40

 

[1973grandeklar]

What makes you think that a phaser-beam would not be visible in space?

You see light as it reflects off of objects: dust, soot, fog, etc. In the vacuum of space, you'd see no beam other than if the phaser beam actually hit an object and reflected the light.

If you were looking at the source of the phaser beam itself, you could see the light coming from it, but from a sideways view, you'd see nothing at all.

This assumes the physics of phasers is based on laser technology. As far as we know, being that we are only in the 21st century, the phaser has a yet unknow discharge property due to its matter-antimatter plasma energy source in a warp capable space faring vessel with inertial dampeners, sub-space communications, gravity generating floor plating, and food replicators. Oh and did I mention that Kirk gets to boink green cat women! So yeah, they can make this stuff up.

 

[Boss1Ray]

What makes you think that a phaser-beam would not be visible in space?

You see light as it reflects off of objects: dust, soot, fog, etc. In the vacuum of space, you'd see no beam other than if the phaser beam actually hit an object and reflected the light.

If you were looking at the source of the phaser beam itself, you could see the light coming from it, but from a sideways view, you'd see nothing at all.

This assumes the physics of phasers is based on laser technology. As far as we know, being that we are only in the 21st century, the phaser has a yet unknow discharge property due to its matter-antimatter plasma energy source in a warp capable space faring vessel with inertial dampeners, sub-space communications, gravity generating floor plating, and food replicators. Oh and did I mention that Kirk gets to boink green cat women! So yeah, they can make this stuff up.

Hey replicate me a nice medium rare T-Bone with a big loaded baked potato! Don't forget the hot rolls! I'll send you the coordinates!

LOL Don't I wish!

That Mach II looks a lot like the other supercars of the day; Maserati especially.

Ray