Amphicar 770
This little convertible could trade a road for a lake without leaving its wheels behind.
1961 Amphicar 770 · Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
The German-built Amphicar combined a small car with a boat. Production began in 1961, and many cars went to the United States. Designer Hans Trippel gave it a welded steel body and a rear engine. The name 770 recalled the maker’s famous promise: roughly seven miles per hour in water and seventy on land.
Look a little closer.
Its propellers are nylon, according to the International Amphicar Owners Club.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
One engine, two ways to move
The special transmission has four forward road gears and reverse. The water drive has its own forward and reverse selection. Wheels and propellers can operate separately or together, which helps explain how one machine can serve on both surfaces.
Source: International Amphicar Owners Club · History of the Amphicar ↗A body that doubles as a hull
Lane describes a welded steel unitary body: the shell itself is a structural part of the car. Its museum Amphicar is a 1964 example, so the cited figures describe the established 770 design rather than a newly documented 1961 German-market build sheet.
Source: Lane Motor Museum · Amphicar 770 (1964 survivor) ↗Where these facts come from
- Lane Motor Museum · Amphicar 770 (1964 survivor)
- International Amphicar Owners Club · History of the Amphicar
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.