The Bonkers Atomic Car with 5,000 Miles Range

In February of 1958, the Ford Motor Company unveiled an extraordinary concept for the automobile of the future. Dubbed the Nucleon, the vehicle was a showcase of mid-century styling and technology, featuring sleek, futuristic lines, optional tail fins, one-piece wrap-around front and rear windscreens, electric torque converters, proximity sensors, and automatic climate control for the cabin. Oh, and for those who care about such things was powered by a miniature nuclear reactor… As Ford’s ad copy breathlessly proclaimed: “A glimpse into an atomic powered future when car drivers might select their own horsepower is proceeded by the Nucleon…developed by advanced stylists in the Ford Motor Company Styling office to probe possible styling influences of atomic power in automobiles. The model features a power capsule, suspended between twin booms at the rear, which would contain a radioactive core providing motive power…. Power output of the car could be controlled at the driver’s option, much as the intensity of the reaction in a nuclear pile is controlled. Cars like the Nucleon might be able to travel 5,000 miles or more, depending on the size of the core, without recharging. At that time, they would be taken to a recharging station, which advanced stylists envision as largely replacing the present-day service station.” This is the story of the brief and bonkers rise and fall of the atomic car. Author: Gilles Messier Host/Editor: Daven Hiskey Producer: Samuel Avila Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices