Buckminster Fuller: Dymaxion Car

by R. Buckminster Fuller, Hsiao-Yun Chu, David Jenkins

In 1933, the visionary architect, engineer and designer Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) built a car that was at that time the world's most fuel-efficient car. The Dymaxion Car ran on 35 miles per gallon, while every other car on the road struggled to manage half that amount; zeppelin-like in appearance, it was streamlined to minimize wind resistance and was capable of carrying six to eight passengers. Fuller designed two more Dymaxion Cars over the following year, though none of the three saw production. In his book Everything I Know (1975), Fuller remembered: "Many people said to me, after I built three of these cars, 'I'm sorry your car wasn't a success.' And I'd say 'What do you mean?' They said, 'Well you didn't get it into production.' I said, 'I wasn't going into business, I was producing a vehicle. And it was extremely successful. I learned an incredible amount.'" Today the Dymaxion Cars look dynamic, beautifully designed and several paradigm shifts ahead of their time, and Norman Foster has taken up their legacy with a new vehicle of his own. This monograph reconstructs the history of Fuller's first three models for the Dymaxion Car through detailed plans and archival photographs, and relates the production process of Dymaxion #4, a new prototype produced by Norman Foster, which was launched on the street in 2010.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2011

About the author

Richard Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller was an American architect, systems theorist, author, designer, and inventor.

Fuller published more than 30 books, coining or popularizing terms such as "Spaceship Earth", ephemeralization, and synergetic. He also developed numerous inventions, mainly architectural designs, and popularized the widely known geodesic dome. Carbon molecules known as fullerenes were later named by scientists for their structural and mathematical resemblance to geodesic spheres.

Buckminster Fuller was the second president of Mensa from 1974 to 1983.

Reviews

[Alexander Fontana · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all the flam, Bucky was indepth and trying for his time. The house designes were an overextension of trianglar research and geodesic domes that yields little more than giant Mongolian Yurt.

The car, however, consists of signicantly more interest. A tri-wheel boat style car that reportedly got 30 mpg, top end 90 mph and seating at least 4 all with a parellel parking system that is a delight for present day driving. Think mini-van - except he made it work with a unique suspension in 1933 when most Fords where getting 15 Mpg with the same engine.

Now is there is anyone interested in making a working ELECTRIC model of the creature, let me know!

[Lorenzo Diaz campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiero imaginar lo que para el ámbito creativo eran los Estados Unidos justo después del la gran depresión. Todo era posible, había que inventar una nación y así lo vio “Bucky” quien en sus treintas veía todo un futuro tecnológicamente ideal para aumentar considerablemente la calidad de vida de los estadunidenses. Dymaxión - marca que ideó para bautizar a todos los elementos que formarían ese mundo y que viene de “Dynamic Maximun Tension” – incluía la creación del automóvil ideal, espacioso, eficiente y tecnológico.
Del Auto Dymaxion se construyeron tres modelos/prototipos surgidos de una empresa que tras sólo dos años de nacida murió en medio de fuertes deudas y grandes desilusiones. Aún así la visión había sido expresada y no fue hasta años después que algunos conceptos se materializaron, que las visiones de este “verdadero hombre del renacimiento” – como lo llamó el presidente Reagan en su momento– pasaron a ser parte del estilo de vida norteamericano.
Norman Foster, el galardonado arquitecto británico, trabajó más de 10 años con Fuller a quien reconoce ser su mentor e inspiración. Tal vez como homenaje, seguramente en una odisea romántica, Foster emprendió la tarea de construir el cuarto Auto Dymaxion, mismo que vio la luz a finales del año 2010.
Este extraordinario libro da cuenta de la historia del vehículo y documenta detalladamente la creación de la cuarta versión. Editado por la casa fundada y presidida por la esposa de Foster, el volumen se presentó a propósito de una muestra que sobre el inventor se presentó en la galería de la editorial en España. El trabajo de Buckminster Fuller fue sin duda visionario, y por supuesto así ha sido reconocido, tal vez lo más valioso de este libro es el entusiasmo de Foster por rescatarlo, por materializarlo y por demostrar que un hobby y un capricho como este puede recordarnos lo que no debe abandonarse, el entusiasmo por inventar un nuevo mundo.