Gyrocars.
The gyrocar is definitely a bit of an oddity with a surprisingly long history.
The Schilovski Gyrocar of 1912.
Designed by Count Peter Schilovski and built by the Wolseley Tool and Motorcar Company at their Adderley Park works in Birmingham, England.
Designed by Count Peter Schilovski and built by the Wolseley Tool and Motorcar Company at their Adderley Park works in Birmingham, England.
Two views of the gyrocar. at left parked/balanced at the roadside and above before fitting of the body work. 'More information here.'
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Strictly speaking the Schilovski gyrocar doesn't belong here as it was powered by an internal combustion engine. It has been included to show that there is really nothing new and that some ideas arrive ahead of their time then disappear until technology catches up and makes them a realistic possibility.
The idea for a gyrocar sounds simple but a considerable amount of engineering know how and skill is required to make it work in practice. Many attempts have been made to build gyro stabilised vehicles both road and rail in the years since the Count and others carried out their experiments; some more successful than others.
Currently there is only one firm who are seriously building a gyrocar; Lit Motors of San Francisco in the USA. They have announced that they expect to begin with a small production run in 2014. Below are a selection of their press photographs; more images and information can be found on their website.
Currently there is only one firm who are seriously building a gyrocar; Lit Motors of San Francisco in the USA. They have announced that they expect to begin with a small production run in 2014. Below are a selection of their press photographs; more images and information can be found on their website.