In the face of rising fuel costs, I think we need...

Hunter · 17-12-2007, 05:44 PM

...the Ford Nucleon - the first nuclear powered Ford!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Nucleon

Quote:

Ford Nucleon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Ford Nucleon was a nuclear-powered concept car developed by Ford Motor Company in 1958. No operational models were built. The design did not include an internal-combustion engine, rather, a vehicle was to be powered by a small nuclear reactor in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle featured a power capsule suspended between twin booms at the rear. The capsule, which would contain radioactive core for motive power, was designed to be easily interchangeable, according to performance needs and the distances to be traveled.

The passenger compartment of the Nucleon featured a one-piece, pillar-less windshield and compound rear window, and was topped by a cantilever roof. There were air intakes at the leading edge of the roof and at the base of its supports. An extreme cab-forward style provided more protection to the driver and passengers from the reactor in the rear. Some pictures show the car with tailfins sweeping up from the rear fenders.

The drive train would be integral to the power module, and electronic torque converters would take the place of the drive-train used at the time. It was said that cars like the Nucleon would be able to travel 8000 km (5,000 miles) or more, depending on the size of the core, without recharging. Instead, at the end of the core's life they would be taken to a charging station, which research designers envisioned as largely replacing gas stations. The car was never built and never went into production, but it remains an icon of the Atomic Age of the 1950s.

The mock-up of the car can be viewed at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Good thing they didn't build it, not sure I like the idea of dozens of nuclear reactors under the control of joe public

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Green X · 17-12-2007, 06:13 PM

I thought you were going to say>In the face of rising fuel costs, I think we need... the A Team

LOL

fmc351 · 18-12-2007, 01:56 AM

Ha!, you sit further forward of the front wheels than in a truck.

Fairlane · 18-12-2007, 08:42 AM

Ah werent the 50s Grand.

Still prefer the Chrysler Turbine Car though, they actually sold them and they could run on virtually anything.

Fev · 18-12-2007, 09:54 AM

why arnt there any more of the turbine car then?

christ imagine if ford made them? they would have more exports to the middle east then GM

theunfairadvant · 18-12-2007, 10:47 AM

If they were to built it that car would be like the movie Back To The Future.

ABoringUsername · 18-12-2007, 01:37 PM

Could save all those 'who's at fault' arguments in accidents, both parties will be vapourised...

Although a car that goes for 10 years on a single reactor would be nice.

Fev · 18-12-2007, 01:55 PM

the back to the future delorean was modeled on that nulear ford