Chevrolet Sidewinder

The Chevrolet Sidewinder was a cross-country amphibious vehicle that Chevrolet showed in 1964, aimed at possible military use. It was built in three separate sections - cab, power unit and cargo body - joined by two articulated couplings.

Design

Each joint allowed roll of 15 degrees either way and yaw of 25 degrees, giving 50 degrees of steering in total, so the vehicle steered by bending rather than by turning its wheels. The pilot model used a 215 cu in Buick V8 driving through a two-speed automatic transmission with torque converter and a Spicer transfer case to rigid one-ton truck axles on leaf springs, all commercial components. It rode on 48-inch (14.00x20) tyres, had 38 cm of clearance under the differentials and 60-degree approach and departure angles. Top speed was about 97 km/h (60 mph) on land; in the water it was moved by its spinning wheels together with the articulation, reaching about 5 km/h (3 mph).

Successor

The Sidewinder was followed in 1965 by the Chevrolet TASC, which used the same double-articulated layout. Neither was approved for production.