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Executive Lifestyles
Cruising
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What resembles a Fiat, has an English-built Triumph engine, seats four and floats? The Amphicar, a 1960s, German-made vehicle that's half-car, half-boat.
Miami immigration lawyer Joel Stewart says Amphicars fascinated him since he first learned about them. In 1998, he became a collector, purchasing his first for $10,000. Stewart says he wanted to own one in each of the original colors and now has a flotilla of four in various stages of repair.
On weekends, Stewart likes to take a spin in Biscayne Bay or motor over to Pompano Beach. He's even taken one out in the ocean. "They're very stable and don't tip," he says. Launching is easy; you simply drive down the boat ramp into the water. The doors have watertight seals. Once the car's afloat, a special transmission allows you to engage the propellers. The Amphicar can reach speeds of 65 mph on land and 8 mph in the water.
Today, Stewart's car is worth $40,000 to $50,000; one reportedly went for $100,000 on eBay. It's a quirky passion, he admits. "I suppose it brings out the child in all of us."
