Zippo Car

The Zippo Manufacturing Co. built the Zippo car in 1947 by adapting a Chrysler Saratoga. However, the weight of the lighters kept causing the tires to blow out. So in 1952 the car was sent to a Pittsburgh garage for repairs and re-adaptation. It was never seen again. To this day, no one knows what happened to the Zippo car.

It reminds me of the tale of the lost Star Wars Celica GT.

In 1998, a replica Zippo car was built — fitted with modern tires that could handle the weight.

More info: post-gazette.com, NY Daily News, Zippo.

Thanks to hotsauce269 for the photo!

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Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 04, 2017
Category: Motor Vehicles | Cars | 1940s

Comments

Looks like the offspring of a telephone booth and an automobile.

Posted by KDP on 08/04/17 at 08:30 AM

It'll probably turn up in some shed out in the Midwest one day, as things do.

Posted by Brian on 08/04/17 at 06:13 PM

I can't imagine how it was built that it added that much weight. Did they use steel plate rather than sheet?

Maybe they should have just used pickup tires. The 1937 Cadillac V-16 weighed a ton more (6,000 lbs vs. slightly less than 4,000 lbs. stock curb weight), and it was fine on 6 ply 7.5x17 tires.

Posted by Phideaux on 08/04/17 at 09:07 PM

Well, it may not be the Lightest car in the world, but it was certainly Lighter.

Posted by Greg on 08/05/17 at 10:29 AM

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