The 1932 Helicron: An Old-School Approach To Frontal Protection

Here's an interesting one for the weekend. Motoring guru Bill Tuckey sent us some images of a rather unconventional contraption, known as the "Helicron".

Built in France by an unknown manufacturer, the propeller-driven Helicron appears to be the result of an unholy union between an aeroplane and a wine barrel, and looks more like an instrument of war than a practical means of conveying oneself.

There's seating for three and the Helicron can apparently hit 120kph when that two-bladed prop is spinning at its fastest, but would you really want to travel that quickly in this machine?

I mean, something that sports a giant whirling blade on its nose and possesses a track width that's narrower in the rear than it is at the front can hardly be considered safe. And when the only roll-over protection on offer is your own scalp you'd better think twice about gunning this beast.

Thankfully Helicrons aren't a regular sight on modern roads, thanks to the small fact that this is the only surviving example. Built in 1932 and soon after left in a barn to rot, the Helicron was unearthed 60 years later, restored, and now resides at the Lane Motor Museum In Nashville, Tennessee.

For some reason we're kinda glad the whole propeller-driven car thing never caught on...