Flying cars in movies and TV and the real-life vehicles they inspired

Elias ChavezJul 15, 2023, 20:25 IST

Rob Cumming in his Aerocar flying car airplane.CBS via Getty Images

The FAA just approved the first electric flying car, the Alef Model A, for test flights.
The first flying car, a Model T with wings attached, was created 106 years ago.

Earlier this month, Alef Automotive, a California-based automotive and aviation company, received a special airworthiness certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration for their flying car.

The certificate permits Alef to conduct experimental flight tests on their new fully electric flying car, dubbed the "Model A." This marks the first time the FAA has ever granted legal permission to test-run a flying electric vehicle like the Model A. When built, the Model A will be able to maneuver on roads and in the air and perform vertical takeoff maneuvers from a complete stop.

The possibility of a flying car being available for an estimated $300,000 is exciting, but humans and engineers have been fascinated with the idea of flying cars for over 100 years. Why are we only getting flying cars now?

The first "modern car," made by Carl Benz, was invented in 1885, and the first widely accessible car, the Model T Ford, hit the market in 1908. Only nine years after the invention of the Model T, Glenn Curtiss took aim at one of the first attempts at a flying car.

With the potential of flying cars around the corner, here's a look through the history of our obsession with making cars fly and the ups and downs that have come with it.

Chariots depicted an early fascination with flying vehicles.

Juno and Iris in a chariot pulled by peacocks in the sky surrounded by angels.Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Early depictions of a flying car even looked somewhat like a chariot, like this ad card from 1890.

A futuristic ad card depicting a flying car from the Au Bon Marche company.Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

Besides ancient references to flying chariots and postcards, the first modern reference to a flying car in the news was in The New York Times in 1894.

An image of Maxim's flying machine with a 104-foot wingspan and weighing 8,000 pounds.SSPL/Getty Images

Widely considered to be the first attempt at creating a flying car, the Curtiss Autoplane was invented in 1917 by Glenn Curtiss, 9 years after the invention of the Model T Ford.

The aviator Glenn Curtiss poses with full equipment before take off.Louis Van Oeyen/Western Reserve Historical Society/Getty Images

Widely considered to be the first attempt at creating a flying car, the Curtiss Autoplane was invented in 1917 by Glenn Curtiss, 9 years after the invention of the Model T Ford.

In 1930, the flying car made one of its first appearances in popular culture in the movie, "Just Imagine."

Maureen O'Sullivan says goodbye to John Garrick in a scene from the film "Just Imagine."Fox/Getty Images

H.G. Wells' 1936 movie, "Things To Come," has a brief scene with a helicopter/car hybrid.

A "Things To Come" lobby card showing a scene from the movie with a flying automobile.LMPC via Getty Images

H.G. Wells' flying car becomes more believable when compared to modern examples of attempts at flying cars.

The prototype Aska A5 flying car is displayed at CES 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.David Becker/Getty Images

Before we got to modern flying cars, movies and TV shows kept imagining cars in the sky.

Nancy Olson and Fred Mac Murray in "The Absent Minded Professor."RDB/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Another famous example is "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," a musical that revolves around a flying car.

A poster for the children's musical film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images.

Of course, one of the most famous examples of flying cars is in "The Jetsons."

The Jetson family wave as they fly past buildings in space in their spaceship in a still from the animated television series, "The Jetsons."Warner Bros./Courtesy of Getty Images

James Bond even had a flying car in "The Man With the Golden Gun."

Jacqui Smith looks at the Flying Car model for the new James Bond film "The Man With The Golden Gun."Arthur Sidey/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

The design for the Bond car was not too far off from a real flying car prototype from 20 years earlier in 1947 — the Convair Car model 118.

A flying Model 118 ConVairCar during a test flight in California in 1947.FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

But not all attempts at flying cars were so lucky.

The AVE Mizar taking flight on an airport runway.Bettmann/Getty Images

These real-life failures didn't stop Hollywood from imagining flying cars. This time, they were more than just cars with wings attached.

A 'Spinner' flying car takes off in a scene from Ridley Scott's futuristic thriller 'Blade Runner'Warner Bros./Archive Photos/Getty Images

In addition to flying, the Delorean, from the 1985 classic "Back to the Future," could also travel through time.

Universal Studios

The 1997 film "Fifth Element" also depicted a society rife with flying cars.

Fifth Element

So if we've been imagining flying cars for over 100 years, why are we still stuck commuting on the ground?

A plane is re-fueled mid-flight as it tries to break the flying endurance recordBettman/Getty Images

The simple answer is that cars and planes are made for fundamentally different purposes.

A woman sitting in a convertible car as an airplane flies overhead circa 1950.FPG/Getty Images

But flying car designs are starting to change.

Pal-V Liberty on display at Brussels ExpoSjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images

With the potential arrival of the Alef Model A, we've gotten one step closer to the future we've been dreaming of for over 100 years.

Alef in transition flight.Alef Aeronautics

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Flying cars in movies and TV and the real-life vehicles they inspired

Chariots depicted an early fascination with flying vehicles.

Early depictions of a flying car even looked somewhat like a chariot, like this ad card from 1890.

Besides ancient references to flying chariots and postcards, the first modern reference to a flying car in the news was in The New York Times in 1894.

Widely considered to be the first attempt at creating a flying car, the Curtiss Autoplane was invented in 1917 by Glenn Curtiss, 9 years after the invention of the Model T Ford.

In 1930, the flying car made one of its first appearances in popular culture in the movie, "Just Imagine."

H.G. Wells' 1936 movie, "Things To Come," has a brief scene with a helicopter/car hybrid.

H.G. Wells' flying car becomes more believable when compared to modern examples of attempts at flying cars.

Before we got to modern flying cars, movies and TV shows kept imagining cars in the sky.

Another famous example is "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," a musical that revolves around a flying car.

Of course, one of the most famous examples of flying cars is in "The Jetsons."

James Bond even had a flying car in "The Man With the Golden Gun."

The design for the Bond car was not too far off from a real flying car prototype from 20 years earlier in 1947 — the Convair Car model 118.

But not all attempts at flying cars were so lucky.

These real-life failures didn't stop Hollywood from imagining flying cars. This time, they were more than just cars with wings attached.

In addition to flying, the Delorean, from the 1985 classic "Back to the Future," could also travel through time.

The 1997 film "Fifth Element" also depicted a society rife with flying cars.

So if we've been imagining flying cars for over 100 years, why are we still stuck commuting on the ground?

The simple answer is that cars and planes are made for fundamentally different purposes.

But flying car designs are starting to change.

With the potential arrival of the Alef Model A, we've gotten one step closer to the future we've been dreaming of for over 100 years.