Innovation in steering wheel design, that never went into production... the "Wrist Twist" from Mercury

At Mercury, engineer Bob Rumm produced this one-off 1965 Mercury Park Lane convertible with so-called "wrist-twist" steering controls. The standard steering wheel has been replaced by two 5-inch, wrist-operated dials, that the promo claims frees up knee room, improves visibility and makes parking easier.

Skip the first 45 seconds and the male chauvenist attitude, they are both useless


Found on http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-were-they-thinking-mercurys-wrist.htmlSource URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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1970 concept design of a Lambo Muira Le Mans was just found in Indiana at an estate sale

Read about it and seee the whole gallery of the as found (horrible) condition at http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2011/01/ebay-find-luigi-colanis-1970.htmlSource URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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1922 Mitchell F 50

Click on the image for the full size, the writing on the car is a self promotion campaign to advertise the positive attributes of the Mitchell car. Awesome sphinx statue in the background

found on the hamb http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=428585Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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Jim Lakey's Speed Shop, Piqua Ohio, 1963 Nash Metro B/Comp dragster. Lovin it.

Found on http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=428585Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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Inside the Lincoln Tunnel, New York

found on http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=428585Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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ever seen VW dump trucks?

I'm thinking that the obvious problem is too much weight over the rear
axle, and if they had too heavy a load getting dumped, it might tip this over backwards.
from http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big-lorry-blog/2010/04/classic-volkswagen-vanswell-ti.html
Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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Renard Daimler Road Train - built for the world road transport market in the early 1900's

This probably qualifies as the first ever semi tractor trailer.
from http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big-lorry-blog/2010/03/awesome-ancient-aussie-renard.html#more
Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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Unusual French parcel delivery vehicle

Very sensible design!
Found on http://www.roadtransport.comSource URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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The Rebel Machine is in San Diego! Ebay score out of Tennessee

Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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2nd use for a cement mixer, street washer

from http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big-lorry-blog/Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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drag racing Caddy hearse, 2007, wet track

found on http://www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/chat/post-random-pic-thread-7157/page76Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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Biggest monster truck that I've never heard of? It's got 6 more tires than any other I've seen

from http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big-lorry-blog/2010/08/the-road-bossthe-worlds-bigges.htmlSource URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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Cool and unusual trucks found on Big Lorry Blog

An older semi in Brazil, and I like the grill, full length and looking like a 1940's car design


Cool.


Looks like the back wheels also steer


Looks like water cannons on top, and armor covering the back


This and the last photo in this gallery are both 4 wheels under the cab.


It seems similar to an F.A.R. http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/01/three-wheeled-tractor-trailer-rig.html but definitly not similar to the Scammell or the Tempo, so it seems there might have been another 3 wheel delivery that I haven't learned about yet.




Mighty powerful little trailer mover


Yuck, very ugly, but does it have this design because that allows it to go under the trailers for reversing the trailer into a loading dock?


Best advertising on a trailer rig I've seen in a while



all from http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big-lorry-blogSource URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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Snowmobiles can fly. Anything that goes farther than the Wright brothers at Kittyhawk is really flying

On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright piloted the first powered airplane 20 feet above a wind-swept beach in North Carolina. The flight lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet.

Three more flights were made that day with Orville's brother Wilbur piloting the record flight lasting 59 seconds over a distance of 852 feet

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/wright.htm

Levi LaVallee went 361 feet on a snowmobile



From http://autozine.com.br/Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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24 butterflies, 8 blowers, and makes 3400 hp worth of Nitrous powered grin... Mike Harrah's Detroit Diesel, does it make you feel a bit awed?

180 photo gallery of the intake and engine going together here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/learaviator/sets/72157623774941005


learned about it on http://www.autoblog.hu/videok/video_24_hengeres_dizelmotor.html

not much info on the www yet, but I did find that the guy is a millionaire real estate developer, and owns the biggest of the Blastolene cars (can't recall the name, it's the one with the PT boat Packard engine) and this titan engine is going into a Peterbuilt 359
Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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I've seen big trucks with half tracks, but I've never come across tracks plus back tires.. on an ambulance!

from http://englishrussia.comSource URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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What would you make a former diesel locomotive put onto a missile launcher chassis for? Mobile KW power plant?

from the great finds in English Russia http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2010/11/16/fantasy-of-russian-engineers/#more-24746
Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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Zaniest thing I've seen in a while, the Jade Warrior from 1985

Skip the first 30 seconds

Learned about it from http://zelastchancegaragedu78.blogspot.com/ information from http://www.dragzine.com/news/the-jade-warrior-a-truly-insane-and-one-of-a-kind-ride/

The creation of British motorcycle racer Angus MacPhail, who built it himself in his garage, it's called the “Jade Warrior,” did the quarter mile in under 8 seconds a quarter century ago without the use of nitromethane. That's riding on the tip of a bullet.

It was powered by an inline 4-cylinder that blended MacPhail’s own engineering with that of a Ford Cosworth and sported a Roots supercharger producing somewhere between 400 and 500 horsepower.

The frame was, obviously, a completely one-off piece that was built monocoque-style – with a main center section made of alloy and put together with Araldite adhesive and Monel rivets. A well-designed body with ground effects incorporated helped keep it stable and hooked up at close to 200 MPH. Angus claimed it was actually very easy to navigate down the track.Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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Porsche tractor gallery

see the whole gallery at http://zelastchancegaragedu78.blogspot.com/2010/11/porsche-tractors.html
Source URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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Isetta truck... good idea!

from http://bzisettas.blogspot.com/2010/08/bruce-weiner-microcar-museum.html the micro car museum tour gallery on BZ's BMW Isetta blogSource URL: https://automotivetrendnews.blogspot.com/search/label/unusual
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