With Automotive Sector Down, Designs in Works for Flying Cars

As the global automotive industry faces stark declines across all vehicle classes, futurist designers are demonstrating what can be done with flying cars. Is this the future of private transportation?

While the Obama Administration readies more bailout aid for General Motors and Chrysler - and worldwide automotive manufacturers work through difficult sales declines globally, a number of innovative independent futurist designers are test driving a next generation in private transportation: flying cars. And though these designs are not the stuff of Blade Runner or The Jetsons, at least not yet, they do offer an interesting look at what may be coming. In a piece by Matthew DeBord of Slate Group's The Big Money, Terrafugia's Transition is profiled with a business plan that showcases the kind of real-world immediacy that the flying car market represents. Earlier in March, Terrafugia demonstrated the viability of a test drive/flight, and the company is actively courting reservations. And Terrafugia is by no means alone. There are several designers in this space, each offering forward-looking models that feature a wide variety of innovations. Some designers are further ahead than others - like Millner Motors, a nimble Terrafugia competitor, who has coined the term "air car" and has the pictures and the history to back it up. Of course, there are questions on road infrastructure and safety and coordination among government bodies to even determine where such vehicles would be registered and overseen, but The Big Money report uncovers more on the potential marketed targets: "By flipping the flying-car fantasy to place the emphasis on fly rather than car, Terrafugia isn't aiming at customers who mostly drive but dream of flight. Rather, it's looking to bring the option of driving to those who fly, thereby offering a less expensive yet more versatile type of general aviation. The Transition's predicted price tag will be near $200,000, and although that's steep by car standards, it's a bargain in the new small-plane market," DeBord reported.