ALL SCI-FI

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 5:22 pm Post subject: Weird Looking Cars

The Alfa Romeo Bat 7:

The XPAK 400:

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Common Sense ISN'T Common

Bud Brewster · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 7:57 pm Post subject:

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Wowzer, these are wild and wacky and weird and wonderful, in that order (more or less).

Thanks, Butch!

They remind me of the lifting body designs that were developed for space shuttles, especially the 2nd one.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Rocky Jones · Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:41 pm Post subject:

I was thinking George Barris' XPAK 400 had appeared in a Twilight Zone ep, but according to Examiner.com it appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I guess it was one of the more sci-fi oriented episodes. Apparently it was designed to be an air cushion vehicle, but couldn't generate enough lift when carrying a person, so in public demos a dummy sat in it. The thing disappeared after a few years on the show car circuit and hasn't been seen for decades.

http://www.curbside.tv/blog/2018/5/21/1960-barris-xpak-400

Bud Brewster · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 3:25 pm Post subject:

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The link in Rocky's post no long lead to the article on the Examiner, but I found a fine article about the XPAK and replace Rocky's broken link.

Here's what the article says about the disappearance of the XPAK.
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The XPAK also appeared in an episode of the Alfred Hitchcock Presents television show, but soon its glory soon faded.

After its time in the spotlight was over, Barris placed it in storage at Van Nuys airport and forgot it. Years later when he went to recover his creation, he was shocked to discover it had been sold off to settle a debt. In all the years since, the XPAK has never reappeared. Not a clue of where it might be has appeared, but rumors of alien life forms jacking the spacey-looking coupe back to their home planet have so far proven unsubstantiated.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)