History's Innovative Autos
Compressed air
In 1979, as America found itself embroiled in
an energy crisis, Missouri-based engine designer Terry Miller built a car that
ran on an abundant, zero-emission fuel source—air. Compressed-air engines
had been used in some locomotives and trucks since the 1800s, but Miller
streamlined the design for his Air Car One (above). Pressure generated by the
release of compressed air from onboard tanks drove the car's engine.
Miller's vehicle was never commercially produced, but interest remains.
India's Tata Motors, for one, may have a compressed-air car on the
country's roads by 2008.