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Mazzei Hidromobile
United States · Car · built by W. C. Mazzei
| Also known as | Hidromobile |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | W. C. Mazzei |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Car |
| Use | Civilian |
| Propulsion | |
| In water | Propeller, Wheels |
Specifications need checking. Some figures here were taken from the archive and have not been confirmed against a source.
The Hidromobile was an early combination of automobile and motor boat invented by W. C. Mazzei, an engineer from New York City. A period magazine report, copied into the archive, says a Los Angeles corporation was preparing to sell it at the price of a high-grade conventional car, aimed at travellers who needed to cross streams and flooded ground.
Design
On the road it handled like any other car, and its streamlined body resembled the latest automobiles of the day. Because it needed a low centre of gravity in the water, it rode much like an underslung car on land. On entering the water the driver moved an auxiliary lever to engage the propeller without disconnecting the wheels, and steered with a second steering wheel connected to a rudder. Since propeller and wheels could work together, shallow water and sandbars posed little problem. Each wheel was independently sprung in a way that kept road shocks from reaching the opposite wheel and kept water out of the body.
It is not known from the archive whether the Hidromobile actually reached production.
2 Photographs
3 photographs in the archive folder. Click any image to view it full size.
3 Related vehicles
Compare the Mazzei Hidromobile with another vehicle.
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