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Ford Levicar Mach I

Ford Levicar Mach I

Announced: 1959
High-tech applications: Levitated by a magnetic field

The Ford Levicar was an early experiment in so-called maglev propulsion. It is an example of an era of "Jetsons"-type concept cars. They were never meant at the time to be practical for a mass market, but the auto industry has had a hard time living them down. Countless articles cite "flying cars" as a symbol of unfulfilled promises for the future, as envisioned 50 years ago. Maglev is a real technology, however. Operating on the principle that alike poles repel, a maglev vehicle or monorail train can be propelled down a track by manipulating an electromagnetic current underneath.