BOLD RIDE
Often times when we think of an amphibious vehicle, the Amphicar is the first thing that comes to mind. It would be unfortunate, though, to not acknowledge this awesome one-off dubbed the “Corphibian.” And now you can buy it, if you’ve got the scratch.
The Corphibian used a Corvan as its base, considering it was one of the lightest vans on the market, and the idea was as simple as sealing up a few holes, adding a few propellors, and seeing if it would float. Or so they thought…
According to Hemmings, Hulten and Holm started by extending the Loadside by two feet in order to house the hydraulic reservoir and motors. That would power the twin propellers located behind each rear wheel and the electrically operated rudders. Controls would then be located in the bed of the truck.
Hulten and Holm then pitched the idea to GM, working to put the car through initial tests for nearly two years. After testing was complete, GM didn’t see the dollar signs and scrapped the project as a whole.
Hulten kept his Corphibian creation locked away until 1993, where he then sold it to Wally Wheeler of Waterford, Michigan, who then turned around and sold it at auction to current owner Mike Hollen.
The aquatic Corvan only has 157 miles on the odometer, and according to Hollen, “It drives fine on the street, but we’ve never had it on the water.”Interested buyers can bid on the one-of-a-kind Corphibian between January 15-24 at the Mecum Kissimmee, Florida sale.
Photo Credit: James D. DeCamp
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