Fuller teamed up with naval architect Starling Burgess to build three prototypes. Thanks to donations and a family inheritance, they crafted a vehicle that broke the mold. The Dymaxion wasn’t just a car. It was an experiment in efficiency, aerodynamics, and ambitious design.
Its sleek, aerodynamic body pushed fuel efficiency and top speed to new levels. The chassis was lightweight and hinged. A rare rear-mounted V8 powered the front wheels, a layout scarcely seen then. With three wheels, it steered through a tiny turning circle, thanks to a rear-wheel that could swivel 90 degrees.
That rear steering wasn’t without its quirks. At high speed or in gusty winds, handling problems surfaced. Only the most skilled drivers could tame it. Fuller himself admitted the design was too risky for average drivers, calling it an invention demanding improvement before it could hit the masses. A crash that killed a driver soon after launch shadowed the project’s promise.
Despite capturing public imagination and interest from automakers, Fuller poured his own money into finishing the prototypes. He sold all three and shuttered the Dymaxion Corporation, making it clear it was never meant to be a commercial product.
One original Dymaxion still exists today. Two modern replicas honor Fuller’s daring vision and keep the dream alive. The car earned a spot in “Fifty Cars That Changed The World” (2009) and became the focus of the 2012 documentary “The Last Dymaxion.”
In Fuller’s mind, the Dymaxion was a sketch of the future—provisional and brimming with potential. He later developed a bigger idea called Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Science, aiming to harness technology for everyone’s benefit as fast as possible.
Fuller realized his role was to spot problems and build solutions—even if the world needed decades to catch up. Back in 1930, he bought an architecture magazine, renaming it Shelter. There, he shared early drawings of his “4D Transport,” a land-air-water hybrid vehicle that pushed ideas beyond imagination.