Inspired by our Mystery of the Cuban skycar post from earlier this week (handily solved by reader Marilyn Stine – thanks, Marilyn!), we’re going to see what we can do with Aerocar as the subject for this week’s Hemmings Six Degrees of Automotive Separation Challenge.
Unlike the last few weeks, I will be in the office and checking comments throughout the day, so we should be back to our normal Six Degrees routine this week, and there will be no interruptions in the game. Which means we’re back to the fox-and-hound format.
If you’re new to this game, it’s played like this: The first person to respond to this post gets to suggest another automaker (the fox) that must be connected to Aerocar (the hound) in six degrees or less. Whoever can answer that suggestion gets to suggest the next automaker (a new fox) to connect to Aerocar, and so forth. As always, a degree of separation consists of one company owning another, merging with another or sharing another’s parts.
UPDATE: marmer has suggested Doble, while andre roy suggested Hupp. Consider either of the two as your first fox.
UPDATE: marmer answered andre roy’s Hupp, which leaves Doble still on the table.
UPDATE: FleetwoodFancier gave us a Doble answer in nine steps, while marmer showed us a five-step path.
UPDATE (22.March 2010): Well, now here’s a giant coincidence. In researching the Gama Goat, I discovered it was built first by Chance-Vought Aircraft, then later by Ling-Temco-Vought. And while digging around in “A Drive in the Clouds,” I saw that Molt Taylor signed a contract with Ling-Temco to produce the Aerocar should orders for the Aerocar materialize. Considering that the Gama Goat prototype used a Corvair engine (and the production version used a GMC three-cylinder diesel), that opens up all sorts of connection possibilities.