My father bought a Renault in late 1960 in a nearby town (Johnson City TN),
and I remember going with him to have it serviced, probably in 1961. The
dealer had two Amphi-Cars in the show room. I remember the two propellors
and no rudder. I never saw the thing actually run. Interesting that with
so few built a small town dealer would have two.
Sam
At 09:15 PM 1/24/1999 +0000, jonmac wrote:
>> The shot of the engine revealed what appears to be a
>> single down-draft carburetor, but didn't show how the
>> drive train was setup to be able to drive the rear
>> wheels and the twin propellers, nor what kind of
>> transmission/differential was used.
>
>Joe, knowing the documentary resources of this list, I guess someone
>will come hurtling out of the undergrowth shouting "WRONG!"
>
>In the meantime, the downdraught carb would have been a Solex, in
>common with other Heralds. As for engine position, I vaguely recall
>it was mounted some way forward in the rear, so that the flywheel was
>rearmost. There was some form of rear mounted transfer box with a
>shaft running forwards to a non-Triumph gearbox in the rear axle -
>much like the set-up found in RWD Alfas. I believe a further output
>shaft controlled from the driving compartment simultaneously
>disengaged road wheel traction with a dog-clutch to the propellors.
>Clearly, there were two - I thought just one, anyway........
>Am I right in commenting on the absence of a rudder? I think the
>front wheels did that. I do remember seeing an Amphi-Car being put
>through its paces in the mid-sixties and how they kept water out of
>the engine is something of a mystery. It sat very low in the water -
>especially when moving. Quite a bow wave and the water rippling along
>the side seemed to get perilously close to the rear deck and the rear
>seat with the soft top folded. It only seemed to need the contra-wash
>from an meandering goldfish to slop over the rear quarter - and it
>would have been Titanic all over again. Maybe that's why so few of
>them have survived. Examine your ponds, America!
>
>John Mac
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