What Could’ve Been: The Swiss Aqua Quad (Videos)

Sometimes good ideas just never get off the ground. Such is the case with Switzerland’s Aqua Quad. The machine’s a rugged appearance with its wide tires and tractor-esque front end maybe didn’t make such a big splash on the market, as the Aqua Quad doesn’t exist today. While attempting to uncover more information through the website, we found that the domain was for sale. All that remains are the two videos included below.

The Swiss claim that this is the first true four-wheel-drive amphibious quad and is useful to the Army and rescue services, as well as for personal recreation. The vehicle comes equipped with dual side mirrors, four headlights, and tail lights making it useful for night operations (while on land, of course). The Quad is outfitted with a steering set up like that of a personal watercraft which makes for easy steering.

The first video published in March of 2013, shows the cumbersome quad cruising, stopping to pick up a couple of passengers (demonstrating that the machine is a three seater), continuing downhill until reaching a body of water where the driver rides into the water. There, the fat knobby tires rise with what appears to be the push of a button linked with a hydraulic mechanism.

The amphibious vehicle slowly moves along the waterway with somewhat of a sideways bobble, indicating some lack stabilization at lower speeds. When it reaches a faster speed, it doesn’t look as difficult to stay upright. The second video is more of an introspective on the Aqua Quad factory to show its sleek assembly process and early stages of prototyping. Sadly, none of this came to be, as the Aqua Quad failed to get off the ground (so to speak).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuB8NaxWulw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6W9QvsaiqY