1964 Pepsi Commercial stunt

[Jon March]

How did they achieve the look of that car skimming so FAST across the water at such high speed?

at first i thought it was a special long, shallow ramp - but its listing to the drivers side, and is kind of "bobbing"
I guess they might have sped up the film playback....but how did they maintain the body so level and the spray so constant??

it honestly looks like it would if the drag-inducing tires were removed and it was being towed at high speed behind a ski-boat

 

[SNOWBIRD]

Many, (many) years ago Peter made up a tape and included this and many other Amphicar spoofs and tales incl the 2ed 3ed mt Dora swim in. I watched the tape the other night, brought a lot of good laughs, Did you know The Amphicar was made under contract in Springfield USA??? According to "The Simpsons" Right out of factory and into the water. and if you see it on TV it must be true?

 

[Jon March]

But take a look at the video closely: how the hell did they get it to ""plane" so flat / stay on top of the water??!!

 

[okey0]

when I go frame by frame, it looks like a couple skids pop out of the water....


plus I catch a glimpse of what looks like a rope line in the water from time to time, but I cant pause the video in the right spot to get a screen grab....

 

[SNOWBIRD]

Hm. I looked it over, Yes I see the 2 skids and 2 splashes but we have done this with Amphicars at Boston Swim In. we found a sand bar that stretched from shore to a Island and when we zipped from land out to Island we could get this effect. Boy was that car hitting the water FAST..
At last years Fl. swim in I did this when Ron was going in slow.... SOAKED HIM!

 

[Jon March]

oh man! that a classic photo!

 

[Jon March]

I did a frame by frame here on my computer. I think the "skids" look like the initial waves curling because they dont show again - and i cant see a rope at all -

I would agree with Gord, that the head-on shot/coming at the camera, could just be a long stretch of shallow water...the only thing that doesnt make 100% sense is the "bobbing" of the car as it proceeds - and how it starts to "list" to the driver side toward the end.
Maybe its a paved area that had a some "dips" and a final leftward tilt to it?

(the head on segment was sped up im sure - but the initial entry looks normal speed - (but definitely unadvisedly fast!)

 

[jfriese]

I don't see any reason an Amphicar can't plane if enough force and speed were applied to it. The prop locations and lack of power are the main things that prevent it. Over the years there have been many instances where someone mounts a small outboard motor on an inverted dining room table and it will plane just fine. It doesn't steer too well though because of the completely flat bottom. It will steer though, just not too well. I would imagine someone has such a video on Youtube.

John Friese
67 White
67 Red

 

[Jon March]

An amphi could plane... if the tires were taken off and it was towed by a high power ski boat - but as shown by even the fastest water entrances: the drag of the front tires precludes planing speed -

Hey - maybe the "hi-speed" footage was taken at a place like this that is partially covered by shallow water! -

 

[SNOWBIRD]

here is a front view of my car hitting water at full speed in 2ed gear.
Wheres the car....

 

[Jon March]

oh my word - what an incredible shot!!