A Look Back (and Forward) at the Flying Car

Taking personal transportation from the ground and up in the skies seems closer than ever today. It seems that science fiction is slowly creeping into reality, as cars are getting more and more capable of flight. The world might be one flying DeLorean poorer, but present time car manufacturers are close to creating the first automobile that will shorten the distance you have to pass towards your destination.Show more

Cartoons and movies might have had characters behind the steering wheel of a flying car for the past few decades. Hollywood surely won't even bat an eyelash if a car flew over their sky. But people have been trying to get their cars flying in the skies for the past century.

In fact, the first car to be successfully airborne was the Aerobile in 1934. Also called Aerocar, it was the first roadable aircraft that saw the light of day but never hit the pavement. The Aerocar was invented by Waldo Waterman, an inventor and aviation pioneer from San Diego, California.

Dozens of flying car prototypes have been made and tested since then, but the one who may have gotten closest to actually releasing one into the public has to be – drum roll please – Elon Musk! The Tesla CEO claims that his flying Model F will be ready to ship in 2019. Uber is also joining in on the “Back To The Future” plan, saying that they plan to have their cars in the air by 2020.