One historic car that you may not know about, but that has made a lasting impact on design, is the Leyat Helica. Designed in 1913 by a French engineer named Marcel Leyat, the Helica is a bit different from other automobiles. You see, it’s powered by a propeller (and, in fact, the name “Helica” is derived from the French word for “propeller”).

Leyat began trying to sell the Helica in 1919. By 1927, he had managed to sell all thirty that he had built. Only two are still in existence today. However, replicas abound, and the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, actually has a perfect copy, built by Jeff Lane and based on Leyat’s original 1919 plans.

The Helica, also known as “the plane without wings,” allowed passengers to sit behind each other, as if they were in an airplane. The vehicle was steered by the rear wheels, which afforded some awkwardness to its early “pilots.” The car was not powered by an engine turning the wheels, but with the giant propeller. The propeller was powered by an 8bhp Scorpion engine. The entire body of the vehicle was made of plywood, and it weighed only 550 pounds, which made it incredibly fast for the time. In 1927, one was clocked on a raceway doing 106 mph!

As you can see, the propeller was fastened to the front of the car. It eventually sported a wood shroud to make it a little more roadworthy, but it still seems a bit dangerous to everyone in the nearby vicinity! The Helica had no gearbox, clutch, brakes, or reverse. And speed was controlled with a throttle lever. This of course took away much of the driver’s control, but by simply reversing the airflow the car could slow down relatively quickly. Unfortunately, while Leyat believed his design would maximize fuel economy, the reality was that it got horrible gas mileage.

Of course, one of the key elements of the Helica that you’ll still see in car design today is its aerodynamic shape. Leyat realized that he could maximize airflow by creating a pod like automobile, in the shape of an aircraft. However, maybe realizing that his cars weren’t taking off (sorry, we had to), Leyat eventually went on to build a series of airplanes.

So the next time you are out and about at a car show, keep an eye out for a propeller powered car. It most likely won’t be a Helica, but you’ll know and appreciate how it got its start.