A car that if it had been produced would have made you more nervous about a collision than a Ford Pinto, a car that looks straight out of the jetsons, a car that if you had an engine swap you’d have to worry about disposing of radioactive waste.

Today we discuss the Ford Nucleon.

Let’s paint a little picture of the times, we are at the end of the 50’s, the cold war simmering, and a growing interest in nuclear energy is spreading across the US.

This was the beginning of the atomic age, with promises of nuclear power stations producing electricity that would be “too cheap to meter”..  Promises that small nuclear reactors would be an option for everyday practical uses.

To many the thought of limitless inexpensive power for the populace was enthralling. The public welcomed nuclear energy with open arms.

Nuclear energy and all it’s potential glory was on every consumer’s and the US government’s mind. Ford was not going to miss out on the opportunity.

Ford endeavored to build this futuristic nuclear-powered concept car in 1957. While they had been tooling with the idea but this was the first to come to scale.

Ford showed off the Nucleon concept to an intrigued public in 1958. What would people’s reaction to that be now? It kind of looks like a thumb drive.

The Ford Nucleon was to be powered by a small nuclear reactor placed in the rear of the vehicle. It was devised to use a similar steam engine used by nuclear submarines, a uranium fission.

A little background, in 1955 the US launched the USS Nautilus, the first submarine featuring nuclear propulsion. Nuclear power was an excellent idea for submarines as your normal combustion engine was loud and easily detected by sonar plus internal combustion would give off fumes! Like a dolphins blow hole.

Now they did also use electric propulsion via batteries, but then (just as it does now) limited the time of underwater operations before necessitating a recharge. However, with nuclear power, a submarine could continue it’s mission underwater for months.

These nuclear reactors could create not just power but also potable water, electricity and air for the submarines.

In the Ford Nucleon, passenger and driver sat in the front with reactor at back. With how heavy the nuclear reactor would have been, ford needed to distribute weight as best as possible.

Similar to nuclear power stations, the reactor would be used to heat water which would then turn turbines, powering the wheels and also any other equipment. With the cycle starting all over again once the water condensed.

Sounds kind of like a steam car huh? Which steam was one of the three major power options for the birth of the early automobile, steam, electricity, and combustion engine.

The Nucleon’s reactor could be expected to run for 5k miles till it might require a swap out for a new reactor. Keep in mind, when you do that that also means you have to dispose of radioactive waste.

The man behind the futuristic Nucleon design was Jim Powers. This was not his first fantasy inspire whip to create. Powers was also behind the Volante, a flying concept car. Jetsons anyone?

But likely his most well known design was the 1961 Ford Thunderbird.. Which were affectionately nicknamed Bulletbirds.

Ford’s attempt at a nuclear powered car was not just a one hit attempt, they also would reveal the Seattle-ite XXI at the World’s Fair in Seattle in 1962 (because of this fair we still get to enjoy the space needle). This wild car featured six wheels and a swappable front end.

The designer of the Seatlle-ite was Alex Tremulis… Who was behind the Tucker 48, he also did the retro Thunderbolt. BUT also get this, Tremulis was behind the canceled Dyna-Saur military space plan that was a predecessor to the 1980s space shuttles.

Side note, Ford was not the only automaker enticed by nuclear energy, Studebaker and Packard came up with the helicopter looking Astral prototype.  The Astral balanced on a gyroscopic ball AND was touted to supposedly be able to hover over water.

Though sadly none of us would be hovering on water in a Studebaker as both brands would be gone within the next five years. Full video on history of Studebaker as well as Packard below.

The excitement for Nuclear energy dropped when it became clear this power source would cost the same as the more common oil, gas or coal.

They also figured out nuclear waste was not easy to dispose of.. Plus you add a few nuclear reactor leak scares and you have the public opinion starting to pivot. Add the Chernobyl disaster and public opinion has done a full 180.

Just imagine two nuclear powered cars crashing into each other on a highway.. scary thought.

However, years later in 2009 GM decided to catch some headlines with Cadillac introducing a 100 maintenance free car powered by thorium instead of uranium.

The reality is that the ability to make a nuclear device small enough for a car has not yet been proven.