Guido Vigevano’s Wind Car (1335)

Guido Vigevano’s Wind Car

“Chapter XII. On the way of making a second waggon which is propelled by the wind without draught animals, and which dashes violently over open country to the confusion of all troops”

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Ostrich Car

Brussels

Picture taken from: c’était au temps où bruxelles brusselait. More low-tech cars.

Bolides d’autrefois: vintage paper art

Paper art oldtimer

26 vintage cars, high resolution. Previously: download, print, fold, paste. Related: can cars.

Macho pedal power

Hennepin Crawler 5

Maybe artists and fantasy are a better foothold for the future than engineers and high-tech. The pedal powered Hennepin Crawler is capable of both street and railroad track cruising and can seat four people. It is comprised of approximately 90% recycled materials and has a sex appeal that can rival that of a Porsche or a Land Rover. Via Make 17. Related: Cycle Chics. More on railcars. More low-tech cars.

Who needs a Prius?

bathtub car

Source: Popular Science, May 1960

The woodmobile

Woodgas volvo

Who needs gasoline or batteries? John Dutch’s Volvo 240 is powered by wood.

“After 2000 kilometers on woodgas everything worked properly. Top speed is 120 km/h. Cruising speed 100-110 km/h. Fuel consumption approximately 30 kilos of wood for one hundred kilometers, which is also one effective filling of the fuel bin. The back seat loaded with sacks of wood make the total range approximately 400 kilometers.”

Update: “Wood gas vehicles: firewood in the fuel tank“.