Thanks to backing from the German government, production commenced that same year.
Named the Amphicar Model 770, it was targeted at US buyers and was advertised as "the sportscar that swims". However, "sportscar" was a stretch. Mounted at the back was the 43-horsepower 1.1-liter four-cylinder engine from the Triumph Herald, delivering a (estimated) 40-second 0-60 MPH time. In water, it topped out at 7 knots (8 MPH/13 KPH); on land, it topped out at 70 MPH (113 KPH). Furthermore, the high center of gravity adversely affected the handling.
However, it's ten inches (25 cm) of ground clearance was competitive with off-road vehicles at the time, and the smooth hull made it an excellent performer in the snow. Each car came with two transmissions: for on-road driving there was a four-speed manual, and for on-water driving there was one forward gear and one reverse gear. A lever switched power from the wheels to the dual rear propellers, but the wheels steered the car both on the road and on the water.
A two-stage door seal and an electronically-welded body ensured watertightness, but waterproof seats and a high-capacity electronic bilge bump were standard just in case. Oars and life jackets were optional, and Coast Guard-approved navigation lighting was standard. Finally, a low first gear allowed the Amphicar to ascend 37-percent grades. Pricing started at around $2,800 to $3,300 depending on the year ($25,000-$30,000 in 2021 currency).
Although the engineering was excellent, the marketing could have been better. In September 1965, two Amphicars set across the English Channel from Dover to Calais, and then to the Frankfurt Motor Show. Heavy winds and high seas resulted in the clogging of the one of the cars' bilge pumps, causing the electronics to get flooded and the engine to stall. It was towed by the second car, which needed refueling while at sea to finish the journey. It took seven hours and twenty minutes in total for the cars to make it to Calais, where the flooded one required an oil change and drying out. The pair made it to Germany the next day.
Furthermore, despite marine paint, Amphicars tended to rust after exposure to saltwater, and many owners neglected proper marine maintenance procedures.
90% of Amphicars were sold in the US, but money was lost on every car sold. Conforming to new EPA and DOT regulations would have been too expensive, so production ended in 1967. Trippel's goal was the produce 25,000 Amphicars, but in the end, a mere 3,878 were made, with 3,046 imported to the US.
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