Atlas Twp. – Ahoy drivers.
No – it’s not James Bond – it’s township resident Dawn Bastian and her Amphicar out for a cruise on the lake.
‘This is my toy, I love it. Mostly, I enjoy sharing it with everyone,? said Bastian, a Lake Shinangaug resident. ‘I get stopped all of the time. People ask me questions like, ‘What kind of car is that??, ‘Where did you get it??, ‘Does it really go in the water??
One of the ways she enjoys her car, is to drive it down a ramp she built by her house. Then with a soft swoosh of water, the car is floating. Before she knows it, water ends up lapping against her passenger door.
About four weeks ago, Bastian was invited by the International Amphicar Club, of which she is a member, to attend a swim-in exhibition in Boston, for a segment on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America.?
‘I put my car on a trailer and drove it all by myself to Boston for the show,? said Bastian. ‘It was a personal challenge for me to do that. The segment on the show turned out pretty good. Sam Champion got in one of the amphicars and gave his weather report.?
The Amphicars were made from 1961 through 1968 by a German company named Deutsche Industric-Werks and Deutsche Waggons-und Maschinenfabriken GmbH. They built about 2,800 of the vehicles. ‘There are only about 500 still running from that era,? said Bastian.
The model series number 770 was assigned to all of the Amphicars because it can go 7 knots in the water and 70 mph on land.
Bastian said her Amphicar was originally owned by William Clark, who won the car at a ‘Saveway? gas station giveaway. ‘There were 10 cars given away that year, in 1965, and William was one of the winners. Can you imagine signing up for a giveaway and then winning a car like this?? asked Bastian.
After becoming the owner of the car, Bastian said it needed to be restored. ‘The last time my car was driven was in 1970 and it had 6,500 miles on it, that’s when the car quit running,? she said. ‘I met a guy in Canada and he restored it for me in 2006.?
Knowing that an Amphicar requires a whole lot of maintenance didn’t intimidate Bastian. ‘I do most of the work on the car myself,? said Bastian.
Required to grease the adapters and many other parts on the car every other time she gets in and out of the water, Bastian said if she doesn’t do that, it will rust.
‘The brakes get wet when I go into the water, so I have to make sure they are working before I head out onto the road,? said Bastian. ‘Once anyone sees my car, they want to go for a ride. Because I like doing that, I have to make sure it’s safe – so I really have to pay attention. This isn’t just a car, it’s also a boat.?
Bastian said there is only one insurance carrier that will insure this kind of car.
‘I get my insurance through a company the International Amphicar Club uses.?
Bastian said there is only one thing to consider if anyone wants to go out and find one to buy, it’s not cheap.
‘About two years ago, I saw one just like mine sell for $125,000 at the Barrett Jackson car auction in Scotsdale, Arizona.?
Even though her car has a high price tag, Bastian thinks it is really worth it. ‘It’s all about sharing,? said Bastian.