You might imagine the hardest car to drive is an overpowered beast that loses traction at the gentlest tap of the throttle or snaps in mid corner, but you’d be wrong.
Because it’s actually this peculiar looking thing; the 1932 Helicron. Basically a First World War biplane without wings, the Helicron uses a huge front-mounted propeller to move about. As that wasn’t odd (and dangerous) enough, the “car” – if you can call it that – sits on a Rosengart chassis that’s been positioned…in reverse of the usual direction of order.
In other words, the Helicron’s steering wheel is controlling the rear wheels, just like a forklift. The result is absolutely terrifying, especially as the vehicle’s controls are not where you’d expect them to be (like in most pre-war automobiles).
But if you don’t take into account the noise it makes, the fact that it’s slow, and that you’ll have to occasionally push it to catch wind, the driving experience seems exciting and unique. Just try to avoid bumping into humans, and animals. Or any living beings, for that matter. Or objects.
Discovered in a barn in 2000, the car was rebuilt using many of its original components, including the Rosengart chassis, wire wheels, dashboard and steering wheel, according to Lanemotormuseum.org. Sadly, the Helicron’s original engine was nowhere to be found, and a 1980s Citroen GS 4-cylinder was installed in its place – enough to propel the vehicle to 75 mph (121 km/h).
But here’s the kicker, the car passed the French safety inspection in 2000 and is approved for road use.