Ford Levacar Mach I

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The Ford Levacar Mach I was a 1950s Ford concept vehicle designed as a hovercraft. Instead of wheels, it hovered on a layer of pressurized air, using air pressure for both lift and propulsion. The name Mach I reflected an aspirational speed, inspired by Mach numbers.

How it worked
- Lift and propulsion came from pressurized air, not wheels.
- Air pressure used ranged from about 15 to 100 psi (100–690 kPa).
- In tests, around 50–60 psi allowed the vehicle to hover, needing about 15 hp to lift, and about 2.5 hp to move at roughly 20 mph (32 km/h).

Size and appearance
- A 1960 Boys’ Life advertisement listed the Mach I as a single-seat vehicle about 94 inches long (2.4 m), 48 inches high (1.2 m), and 54 inches wide (1.4 m).

Team and development
- The Levacar project was led by Ford Vice-President of Engineering and Research Andrew A. Kucher and Senior Development Engineer David J. Jay.
- Kucher conceived the idea as early as 1930.
- Gale Halderman, who would later design the Ford Mustang, was one of the lead designers.
- The project also produced a similar levitating scooter called the Levascooter.

Performance on a track
- In circular-track tests, Levacar vehicles hovered about 0.125 inches (3.2 mm) off the ground and could clear 1-inch (25 mm) obstacles.

Public display
- The Mach I was shown publicly in Dearborn, Michigan, for about two years in the late 1950s.

See also
- Hovercar
- Hoverboard
- Maglev