Chevrolet
Concepts
Chevrolet Sidewinder
In 1964, Chevrolet showed a cross-country amphibious vehicle, which had military potential, known as the Sidewinder. It was double articulated, with the cab section, power unit, and cargo section all being separate units. Articulation at both joints was in roll (plus and minus 15 degrees) and in yaw (25 degrees per joint for a total of 50 degrees in either direction) which provided the steering.
A 215 cubic inch Buick V8 powered this pilot model. It used a 48-inch diameter tires (14.00×20) and had a maximum speed of 60 mph on land, and 3 mph in the water. The spinning wheels and articulation provided water mobility. It had 15 inches of ground clearance under the differentials, and 60 degree angles of approach and departure. All components were of commercial manufacturer, including the rigid on-ton truck axles, leaf springs, two-speed automatic transmission with torque converter, and the Spicer transfer case.
Successor: Chevrolet TASC