Graham Blue Streak Coupe and Curtiss Aerocar Land Yacht
A rather unusual vehicle for daily use, but not to the American banker Hugh McDonald who used this luxurious combination in the early 1930s to be driven from his estate on Long Island to his office in New York.
The semi-trailer resembles an aeroplane and was built in accordance with aviation construction principles by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company in Florida. A lightweight, tubular metal frame is braced with wire cables. The Aerocar’s nose looks like a cockpit and is fitted with a compass, barometer, altimeter, speedometer and swivelling floodlights. The interior is furnished with lightweight wicker chairs and a desk. The galley features a refrigerator and there is also a lavatory with flushing toilet.
The yacht was towed by a Graham Blue Streak fitted with a four-litre engine. A spare wheel was placed in the space normally occupied by the ‘dickey seat’. The towing pin of the trailer fits in a socket in the hub and the tyre damped out the shocks while driving.