The Coolest Car Ever Built: 1962 Ford Seattle ITE XXI

The Ford Seattle-ite XXI was a concept car designed by Alex Tremulis, and first unveiled at the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle, WA. The car had six wheels, with the four front driving ones steerable in tandem, and two fixed rear wheels. This car also had a cameo appearance in the 1967 Philco-Ford short documentary film: "The Home Of The Future: 1999 A.D." starring Wink Martindale. The car's designer considered the six-wheel concept would enhance tracking, traction, and braking. Virtually effortless fingertip steering would allow accurate "zeroing in" at all speeds. A viewing screen showed engine performance, road and weather conditions, position of the vehicle in relation to an automatically rolling road map, and estimated time of arrival at any selected destination. The passive safety of four front wheels meant a front tire puncture will not cause loss of control. Then there's also additional stopping power afforded by four front discs and tires. Hydroplaning is reduced as the two foremost wheels clear the water for the ones behind them to get a better grip. The car was modular in design and could be unplugged in sections from the passenger compartment allowing the owner to swap out drive trains, body parts, and propulsion systems. The car was expected to run on fuel cells or micro sized nuclear fusion reactors. Many of the concepts incorporated into this 1962 vehicle are commonplace today. But in the early 1960's, this was the coolest car ever produced!

Added 13 May 2026