00:00This is a Volkswagen KDF Type 166, better known as the Schwimmwagen.
00:05This amphibious vehicle was completely designed by Ferdinand Porsche himself.
00:10The Type 166 was fitted with a four-cylinder air-cooled Boxer Petrol VW Type 1 engine,
00:15the very same one that later made the Beetle famous.
00:19An engine with a displacement of 985 cubic centimeters and an output of 23 horsepower
00:24at 3,000 RPM. It might seem like next to no power, but there were advantages too.
00:30The Boxer layout with horizontally opposed cylinders provided a low center of gravity
00:34and compactness. Air cooling eliminated the need for radiators and the vulnerable water
00:39cooling system, which was critically important under frontline conditions.
00:43The engine runs smoothly at any temperature, and its simple design allowed it to be repaired
00:48right in the field. Thanks to this engine, the Schwimmwagen reached speeds of up to 80 kilometers
00:53per hour on the highway and about 10 kilometers per hour on the water. For water travel,
00:58a retractable propeller was used, which connected to the crankshaft via a simple clutch. When entering
01:03the water, the driver simply lowered the propeller at the rear of the hull, and the engine drove it
01:08directly. Steering on the water was done using the front wheels, which acted as improvised rudders.
