Every now and then I’ll come upon an image that’s so exciting and confusing and appealing and unexpected that it stays my gaze like sockful of pudding flung onto the side of a shipping container. This has happened to me just now and I can’t wait to show you, because it is, as I’m sure you’ll agree, a Big Deal. It has to do with two of my favorite things: Renault 5s and amphibious cars.
Yes, that’s right: amphibious cars! The wet, sloppy drum I will continue to beat, because it is something I believe in. I honestly believe there is a place in the American – no, wait – global car market for a car that is capable of swimming. It doesn’t have to be a good boat, just a good enough boat for people and their friends to dick around in a lake for a few hours, and then be able to be driven to and from work and errands like any other car.
Why is this such a hard concept for people to grasp? Anyway, sure, there have been attempts at amphibious cars before, with war providing the impetus for the most-produced amphibious car ever, the Volkswagen Schwimmwagen:
The most-produced peacetime amphibious car was also from Germany, the charming Amphicar:
And, sure, there have been other small amphibious car builders around, but so far no major, mass-market automakers have offered a new amphibious vehicle you can just buy from a dealer. As far as I know, no major automaker has even considered it, but then I saw this, on the very informative Renault 5 website:
What am I looking at here? The page I saw this on doesn’t really offer any explanation, just this image, among other official Renault 5 prototype images and sketches. The style of the image looks like it could be something from Renault’s own styling and design department, very well-done marker renderings of possible R5 variants, like open-top rugged ones, convertibles, woody-sided two-door wagons, sporty open cars, and even a limo.
These aren’t necessarily even so far-fetched; that one in the upper right sort of came true via an outside coachbuilder, Sovra, who turned R5s into these things:
Also, this isn’t exactly a limo, but there was a four-door, three-box version of the R5, known as the Renault 7, built in Spain:
So it’s not like we’re looking at anything impossible there. Which is why this one rendering captured my attention so powerfully:
It seems to be called the R Marin, related to our English word “marine,” because this appears to be an amphibious Renault 5. It looks amazing! The body seems to be made of a corrugated plastic or fiberglass, at least in part, definitely from that seam above the wheels and down, which makes sense, as that’s essentially just boat construction,
The propeller assembly looks very similar to a Schwimmwagen’s and appears to be able to be flipped up and out of the way when not in use. There even seems to be an oar strapped to the side, never a bad idea to have a backup, or a way to maneuver quietly, and on the other side is a pipe that I suspect is the exhaust?
It’s a convertible, which also makes sense, as you’d probably like it all open when you’re out on the water. It looks like it would make a reasonably good boat, and still be a usable, viable day-to-day car! Maybe the lack of doors would be a pain, but I think I could make that sacrifice! Especially if there were some sort of decent side curtains.
The French actually do have some amphibious car experience; I had the chance to drive a French Hobbycar amphibious car a few years back, on land and water, and it was amazing:
Now, I can’t find any references to a Renault 5-based amphibious vehicle anywhere else online! This picture seems to be it, and I’d love to know more about where it came from and anything else I can find out. I’ll look into it deeper; I just wanted to share it with you now because, let’s be honest, I’m excited and have the patience of a toddler hopped up on goofballs.
If anyone has any insight, I’m listening. I’ll be reaching out to people and doing a bit more digging as well. I’d love to know if this got any further than a drawing and a beautiful dream.
My Le Car was a blast. The most comfortable seats in a compact car ever. It did not go fast. I did not care. Every time I got in I smiled, until
I was rear ended by a Buick land barge
I suspect the cars in the graphic are illustrations for puns based on the similarity of the sound of “R” to “air” (air, in the same senses as in English) and/or “aire” (area, more or less)
Air of grandeur, country air — makes sense.
In the US they could have called it Le Boat
That’s what we now call the new M5!
In the 80s I knew a couple of folks who had R5s, in the US we got them as the Renault Le Car; and as I recall one of their defining characteristics was that they weren’t all that rainproof, let alone waterproof.
Are you telling me that the secret to waterproofing an R5 is the ensure that the water is coming from below? That we’ve been driving our Renaults upside-down this whole time?
Not even the K Car had an amphibious version…
…so the R5 must be the Best Car Ever.
These are just jokes for marketing purposes, as the letter “R” in french is pronounced exactly as “Air”, which can mean :
So here you would have :
Thanks for calling out the paddle on the side. I thought it was a missile and went down a very dark path about road rage incidents, high speed chases, and vengeance.
Anyone who has to commute between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati this winter might be wishing for an amphibious vehicle right about now. A major bridge over the Ohio was damaged when a playground structure underneath it was set on fire last month and the resulting traffic congestion on the remaining bridges is reportedly pretty substantial.
Anderson Ferry still running?
Yes, but it’s a bit out of the way to use as a replacement. Slower, too.
Baltimore area resident here, I feel your pain.
But it’s so easy to turn an old Civic into a boat yourself…
Not to rain on the parade too much but sadly Jason I don’t think we’re ever going to see an amphibious car in production, outside a few kits or maybe something on Show & Display. From what I remember reading, the Gibbs Aquada got really close, but no airbag manufacturer would even consider a switchable airbag (so it wouldn’t deploy while pounding over waves) for legal liability reasons. Also, something about the heat of a catalytic converter being hotter than marine regulations allow in the engine bay?
Gibbs did “successfully” market the Gibbs Quadski which used a BMW motorcycle four cylinder. Not as many conflicting regulations to negotiate there.
So what you’re saying is that a modern version needs to be an electric 3-wheeler?
That would be a good strategy, yes. 😉
Do trikes and bikes even need a catalytic converter? If not, doesn’t have to be electric.
Not required per se, but all (or nearly all?) manufacturers use them to meet emissions. My MY2002 motorcycle had one.
Jason, you and Mercedes need to do a joint article on this:
https://uncrate.com/terra-wind-amphibious-rv/
Despite what some people think, a Range Rover is not an amphibious exploring vehicle.
https://youtu.be/hbtg3ZNSzts
I love the engineer who did the same thing to an R5 using just juiceboxes!
https://motors.mega.mu/news/renault-5-turned-low-cost-amphibious-car-using-juice-boxes-20180925.html
Coming up on a year now, huh?
In a previous career, I was a Duck captain (DUKW). When they went out of business.(insurance problems) long after I worked for them, I was expecting to see a bunch of Used ducks for sale, which I probably would’ve bought one. For personal use. Sadly, I haven’t seen many for sale.
I saw a listing for one a few months ago. The asking price was a hundred grand.
Yep. The cheapest one I found for sale this week is $85k.
Any that go for cheap will probably go to the Duck tourism outfits, many of which are still in business. Wisconsin still makes a big deal out of their Duck tours.
I saw a bunch of them in Boston a couple of years back, too. So many it looked like a psychedelic D day – Army green definitely was no longer the color of choice.
Isn’t there a company that is specifically making amphibious trucks just for Duck tours? Not the buses from Europe, but an American company that is making trucks that kinda-sorta resemble the old DUKWs.
Come to think of it, have not seen them in Pittsburgh for a few years either. Pandemic casualty?
It’s been so long since I worked there, I can only speculate. Your guess is as good as mine.
That would have been awesome With the R5s North / South Engine a switchable drive shaft for the rear propellor could be driven straight off the back of the engine like how the Tercel 4wd uses this set up to drive the rear wheels!
Before I even read this article, I must say that one of the things that makes this blog so great is that I immediately knew EXACTLY whose article it was by the headline. Torch, we love ya buddy and your love of the odd, unique, overlooked, once banal, previously lost to history, and misunderstood. You sir, are the God of taillights and automotive oddities! Thanks for the all your great posts and enthusiasm!
What a nice thing to say! You’re a peach!
There was another Renault amphibious concept car, the Racoon, in 1992. Also have seen at least one private conversion of an R5 into an amphibian, but no joy on the R Marin. Afraid it was deep sixed.
https://www.group1renault.co.za/blog/renault-racoon/
Keep beating the wet sloppy drum! With modern Prepreg materials, and affordable for low production numbers thermoforming tooling, it’s doable!
Now what’s this about pudding?
One day I will relate the story of “Ponder” Ponder was an amphibious self propelled caravan. As good ideas go so often Ponder went down in flames. Possibly the only Viking funeral ever held for an ambithing house boat.
I really want to know everything about this.
You probably don’t, it started with an early Caraboat and an Austin 7 things got predictably worse from there,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v223HkqHJbo&t=3s
I will look through a loft full of boxes, there are pictures of it some where. Oh, My stepfather actually lived in the thing for a year. It got it’s name ‘cos sometimes it might be better to ponder than to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xeos9MY41KY
….I’m wary of amphibious vehicles.
Can’t imagine owning a boat with door openings below water. Imagine how often you need a crane to pull it back up from the lake bottom.
They advertise the hell out of those walk-in bathtubs on like COZI TV and Fox News, those seals work pretty well, don’t they?
I trust terrible seals when 4ft of water holds it closed more than when it doesn’t. Also if your bathtub has to deal with hitting a pot hole at 55mph, perhaps the bottom of a random lake is a better bathing experience.
yeah but they do not have to deal with the forces that a boat or amphibious car would.
The door seals on my very early S1 Elise were fantastic. The roof seal sadly wasn’t.
When it rained the combination of seals and very high chassis rail meant that it would dump 6” of water on your feet when you opened the door. The passenger side pond could stay full for days, which was a great way to get shouted at.
I cut a drain hole in the door seal. Then I bought a new roof that stopped the water getting in.