A CAR FOR THIS SUMMER!

A swimming sports car is the star attraction at the Lakeland Motor Museum this month – the perfect vehicle to cope with the wet summer we have had so far! The Amphicar was made in 1966 and is one of the most unconventional vehicles ever produced. It had a top speed on land of 70mph, but could be converted into a seaworthy boat at the flick of a lever. It could then reach 10 knots on water thanks to twin propellers, and it used its front wheels as a rudder. The Amphicar's engine was mounted at the rear of the craft, driving the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission. In the water, the same engine drove the propellers at the rear, a second gear lever engaging forward or reverse drive.

Chris Lowe, Curator of the Lakeland Motor Museum, said: 'With so few Amphicars ever made, our example offers a rare chance to see one of these unusual vehicles close up.' In the 1960s it was marketed as 'the sports car that swims,' and in a marketing stunt, a small flotilla made it safely across the English Channel. One was used by a former owner of Belle Isle – the largest of Windermere’s 18 islands – making it a regular sight gliding across England’s largest natural lake!

Lakeland Motor Museum has a collection of over 140 classic cars and motorbikes in Backbarrow, Cumbria. It also has automobilia, historical displays and a riverside café. Nestled in the scenic Leven Valley and open seven days a week, the museum is about more than just cars and the entire collection is presented in a social context. See www. lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk for more details.