One of the strangest vehicles ever made is the world’s first swimming Mini Cooper, dubbed the Aquamini —which disappeared without a trace.
The prototype was made at Longbridge, the same factory that built cars like the original Mini in the UK.
Built by workers in their spare time, it was the strangest vehicle ever made at Longbridge.
However, it mysteriously vanished after a huge fire at the factory.
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World’s first swimming Mini Cooper
In 1977, a total of eight men built what was intended to be the world’s first swimming Mini Cooper.
They created an amphibious car by rigging four circular paddling mechanisms to a classic Austin Mini Cooper.
However, it is still not the strangest Mini we have ever seen, as that title belongs to the micro Mini Cooper.
Derek Liney worked in the company’s design office from 1968 to 1987.
Hence, he was involved in many different prototypes and offered some interesting details about the Aquamini.
“We built it in our own time. It had a fiberglass floor and was driven by paddles. We used it for two or three years – it even appeared on BBC Midlands Today.” said Derek.
The Aquamini
The amphibious car had made its formal debut at the 1977 Hampton Loade to Bewdley raft race.
Unfortunately, many of the prototypes were lost when their storage area caught fire.
Since then, no one has seen any Aquamini prototypes, but Liney believed that a remaining prototype may be lurking somewhere.
Perhaps stored away or resting at the bottom of some body of water.
Although we could never see the world’s first swimming Mini Cooper, since then several amphibious cars have been made.
For instance, there’s TVR’s new Scamander amphibious prototype — which was finally made road-legal.
Then there are also homemade amphibious cars like this converted 1999 Ford Mustang.
All in all, an Auqamini would turn heads if it existed today, but it’s a shame, really.
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