An invention created with millions of dollars that promised to transform transportation in the 1930s. Its innovative design was forgotten after brief tests.
Transport systems Public transport, often supported by multi-million-dollar state investments, face constant adjustments in their fares, affecting passengers. Despite subsidies, costs continue to rise, driven by inflation and the maintenance of an infrastructure that requires constant improvements to adapt to the needs of millions of users.
In this context, the search for innovative alternatives was a recurring challenge throughout history. A striking example is the Dynaspherea project that, during the 1930s, promised revolutionize transportationoffering an option that could reduce operating costs. However, this peculiar vehicle was forgotten.
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What was the Dinasfera, the giant wheel that was intended to be the car of the future?
The Dinasfera was a British prototype of a self-propelled car designed in the 1930s which, with its monumental structure and innovative concept, aimed to redesign the way people moved around. Created by John Archibald Purves, This vehicle consisted of a huge iron wheel three meters high, where the driver and a companion were located inside. In its first versions, the Dinasfera worked both with electricity and gasolineseeking to offer a more economical alternative to conventional cars.
This project emerged at a time when England was in the midst of expanding its automotive industry. While models such as the Austin Seven and the Morris Minor gained popularity, Purves opted for a radically different design. The idea behind the Dinasfera was to simplify the mechanics of vehicles as much as possible, with a single wheel that sought to reduce friction and, therefore, energy consumption.
The vehicle reached speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour and had a curious way of handling: the driver had to lean his body to one side to turn. However, this system proved impractical, which led to the implementation of a steering wheel in later versions. The lack of stability and the complexity of maneuvering were some of the factors that influenced its failure.
Although it promised to be a revolutionary solution for transport, the Dynasphere failed to live up to expectations. After a series of demonstrations and improvements, the project was abandoned in 1933, leaving the Austin Seven and the Morris Minor as the darlings of the British automotive industry at the time.
Source: Ambito
