58 ford concept car ..............kinda neat

[will]

Ford Nucleon

The Ford Nucleon concept car
[img]http://www.answers.com/topic/ford-nucleon-jpg[img/]


The Ford Nucleon was a nuclear-powered concept car developed by Ford Motor Company in 1958. No operational models were built. The design did not include an internal-combustion engine, rather, a vehicle was to be powered by a small nuclear reactor in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle featured a power capsule suspended between twin booms at the rear. The capsule, which would contain radioactive core for motive power, was designed to be easily interchangeable, according to performance needs and the distances to be traveled.
The passenger compartment of the Nucleon featured a one-piece, pillar-less windshield and compound rear window, and was topped by a cantilever roof. There were air intakes at the leading edge of the roof and at the base of its supports. An extreme cab-forward style provided more protection to the driver and passengers from the reactor in the rear. Some pictures show the car with tailfins sweeping up from the rear fenders.
The drive train would be integral to the power module, and electronictorque converters would take the place of the drive-train used at the time. It was said that cars like the Nucleon would be able to travel 8000 km (5,000 miles) or more, depending on the size of the core, without recharging. Instead, at the end of the core's life they would be taken to a charging station, which research designers envisioned as largely replacing gas stations. The car was never built and never went into production, but it remains an icon of the Atomic Age of the 1950s.
The mock-up of the car can be viewed at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

[mockingbird812]

That is very progressive thinking. A lot of logistics to consider, but you got to hand it to them for pushing the envelope. A tad scary when you consider stability and safety of the core !

[Dog427435]

Driving in that at speed, would be like riding the old amusement park ride "The Wild Mouse" with that frontal overhang!

[BBIGG BLOCK 396]

Man what was they smoking in the late 50'S! Must have had some mind altering substances in that stuff!

[PeteLeathersac]

Although this Ford is earlier, the look of the truck is somewhat similar to the 60's custom Dodge A-100 truck called the Deora...it was a popular model kit back then also was one of the first Hot-Wheels released..
And Dog's right, it is a lot like the old Wild Mouse ride cars...I haven't thought of that one in years!.

~ Pete

[Dog427435]

Built by the Alexander brothers in '64
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[PeteLeathersac]

That's it Dog!.
I had this one as my first Hot-Wheel and got the Custom Fleetside next...still have them also a few others incl. my old Sizzlers and Juice Machine.. I'm no Hot-Wheel guy but believe the Fleetside was the first Hot-Wheel and then the Camaro...anyone know?.

~ Pete