Maxo, What was that crazy Dymaxian-type car that was in the Larz Anderson museum? I was surprised that there was a production vehicle that was so similar. I saw that and a real life Fiat Multipla all in one day!
The car you saw was a Stout Scarab. William Bushnell Stout (whose philosophy I try to keep with me: "simplicate and add lightness") was a little older than Fuller (but very Fuller-y in outlook) and unveiled the Scarab around 1932, just as Fuller's three Dymaxion cars were being built. He made nine in all, five survive.
He was an executive at Ford Motors, and while there, among many other things, designed a flying car, or roadable aircraft, the Skycar, for a 1931 auto show. I saw one (the only one?) down at the Smithsonian annex, Udvar-Hazy Center, near D.C. It's really cool, and fits very obvioulsy in the lineage leading us to the Terrafugia roadable aircraft being shown in Oshkosh even as I type.
You never know what's going to come 'round that crazy little Museum of Transportation. Quite a place!
See you 'round... East Coast or the Rockies, or maybe somewhere else...
2 comments:
Maxo,
What was that crazy Dymaxian-type car that was in the Larz Anderson museum? I was surprised that there was a production vehicle that was so similar. I saw that and a real life Fiat Multipla all in one day!
Good meeting you.
Good meeting you, too!
The car you saw was a Stout Scarab. William Bushnell Stout (whose philosophy I try to keep with me: "simplicate and add lightness") was a little older than Fuller (but very Fuller-y in outlook) and unveiled the Scarab around 1932, just as Fuller's three Dymaxion cars were being built. He made nine in all, five survive.
He was an executive at Ford Motors, and while there, among many other things, designed a flying car, or roadable aircraft, the Skycar, for a 1931 auto show. I saw one (the only one?) down at the Smithsonian annex, Udvar-Hazy Center, near D.C. It's really cool, and fits very obvioulsy in the lineage leading us to the Terrafugia roadable aircraft being shown in Oshkosh even as I type.
You never know what's going to come 'round that crazy little Museum of Transportation. Quite a place!
See you 'round... East Coast or the Rockies, or maybe somewhere else...
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