Time capsule The Dymaxion concept car, invented by the remarkable Buckminster Fuller, would have been fast and green but a beast to steer. Now Norman Foster has recreated his mentor’s design
t h e d y m a x i o n has to be the weirdest car you will ever see. An utterly faithful, fully functional recreation of the original has been commissioned by world-famous architect Lord Foster, and built by Crosthwaite & Gardiner, the leading specialists in this line of work. It will be a participant in the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ automobile concours d’elegance at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed this year. If a car designer built a house, what would it be like? I envisage a huge, luxurious garage with just a small flat above to live in. The Dymaxion { fig.1}, on the other hand, is a car designed by an architect. Its creator was the eccentric but visionary American architect, Buckminster Fuller (aka ‘Bucky’), who turned his mind to motoring 80 years ago. The result is a sci-fi fantasy from a different age. But don’t laugh – the Dymaxion car is no joke and it has a message of powerful relevance today. In 1933, when no one else had thought about ‘green’ issues, Bucky sought to champion sustainability: his famous geodesic dome was created as a housing solution that minimised heat loss and materials. He introduced the highly influential school of thought known as ‘synergetics’ – a process by which parts interact both independently and with each other. Bucky set out to build the world’s most fuel-efficient motor car and created the Dymaxion, which could go at least twice as far on a gallon of petrol as any other car with a similar engine. It also a great deal faster, despite having a huge and very comfortable interior.
The secret was in the aerodynamics. The shape he came up with resembled an aircraft fuselage without wings. Although the Dymaxion was powered by a large, side-valve V8 engine, it delivered a remarkable 35mpg. As for performance, Fuller’s claims were extravagant but it’s definitely quick enough to cruise comfortably with the faster traffic on motorways today. It was a remarkable technical achievement but Fuller aimed yet higher. He built a series of three prototypes and planned an even more advanced model, which would lift its rear wheel off the road at speed. Setting off, it would be steered normally but, as the speed built up, the rear would rise up into the air and steering would be by a rudder on the tail, like a light aircraft. That model was never built. Lord Foster’s Dymaxion is a recreation of an earlier prototype
A more advanced model, never built, would have used a tail rudder, like an aircraft, at speed
fig.1
34 / goodwood THE SEASoN
but the technical details are still utterly astonishing. It’s a rear-engined three-wheeler with front-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering. It’s 20 feet long and can turn round in its own length. Driving this bizarre machine is very different from driving any other car, of any age. The pedals, steering wheel and dashboard instruments are all familiar but you need to retrain your mind before taking a spin in a Dymaxion. For one thing, there is no steering feel whatsoever in the cable-driven system and there are 12 turns from lock to lock. At speed, The Dymaxion is surprisingly stable and very little steering input is required but, to repeat Fuller’s favourite party trick and turn round in a narrow street, you must slow right down before twirling the wheel, rather like a boat – and round it goes in the most amazing way. The driver must pay great attention to which way the rear wheel is pointing before setting off, otherwise the tail could swing out instantly, with disastrous results. By modern standards, there are serious flaws in basic safety and the average motorist would probably get into deep trouble. A sudden cross-wind at speed is not a happy thought but Fuller’s astonishing automotive vision from 1933 still has the power to make us think. As a young man, Norman Foster collaborated with Buckminster Fuller on bold designs for highly innovative buildings. His reproduction Dymaxion car represents a personal tribute to his extraordinary mentor. Tony Dron is a motoring author and journalist who has frequently competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
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