by Famous American TV host and retro car collector Jay Leno recently presented in his show “Jay Leno’s Garage” one of the most unusual cars in history — the three-wheeled Davis Divan.
The history of this car dates back to the mid-last century. Then American entrepreneur Glenn Gordon Davis promised his compatriots to release an affordable “car of the future.” In 1947, his creation saw the light of day. The “car of the future” received a rather strange design for that time – in the spirit of an airplane and, according to the developer, boasted staggering characteristics.
Davis claimed that his car, equipped with a 47-horsepower four-cylinder engine, was so nimble that it could turn around at a speed of…100 km/h! Of course, this was an exaggeration.
Moreover, according to Glenn’s calculations, the Divan consumed only 4 liters of fuel per 100 km, which was a negligible figure for cars of that era. Consumers were persistently informed of the advantages of the three-wheeled Divan – savings on fuel, tires, and parking space.
Davis’s company also developed an off-road version of the “car of the future” for the military. The designer believed that his car could replace the Willis jeep. However, after thorough test trials, the military rejected it.
In general, Glenn was not destined to bring the project to fruition. There were virtually no orders – Americans did not take the “car of the future” seriously, and it was time to pay off loans (at that time he received almost a million dollars from banks and private investors, assuring them that the Divan would become a killer product). Dealers, having not received the cars, began to refuse collaboration, and company employees demanded salaries. Ultimately, trade unions filed a lawsuit against Davis. The court recognized him as a fraud and sentenced him to 2 years in prison.
