Who would have thought that a simple swimsuit would revolutionize the automotive universe at this point? And yet, the inventor of the bikini, Louis Réard, marked the spirits not only on the beaches, but also on the French roads aboard a rolling UFO: a unique, extravagant and unforgettable banau car.
Between mode and mechanics: the unusual car of the inventor of the bikini
In the midst of post-war France, Reard seeks to promote its bikini, this little piece of fabric that will soon be scandal and history. To make an impression, he puts on a daring com ‘: a yacht -shaped advertising car. Imagined by the bodybuilder Henri Chappon on a 1937 Super Eight Packard base, it becomes a rolling symbol of the art of living and found freedom. Portholes, elegant prow, central mast: everything is there, until the naval tradition of baptism in champagne.
#Packard Super Eight ‘Yacht’ #1930s by Henri #Chapron pic.twitter.com/f5csiXcy8C
— Quirky Rides (@QuirkyRides) February 15, 2025
A price that lives up to success
This rolling work then crosses France and Europe, with models in bikini at the back as ambassadors. Present on the Tour de France, she even won the Grand Prix of Advertising. Preserved for almost 30 years by Reard itself, the car has resurfaced for the Artcurial de Rétromobile 2025 sale, estimated between 250,000 and 300,000 euros.
But the aquatic epic does not stop there. Another unusual model, the AMPHICAR 770, designed by Hanns Trippel – sometimes also attributed to the invention of the bikini – is also a sensation. Capable of spinning at 115 km/h on the road and 22 km/h on the water, this funny amphibious machine is also auctioned in Retromobile, held early in 2025, with an estimate flirting with the 200,000 euros.
This 1937 Packard Super Eight ‘Yacht’ by Chapron was offered for auction with Artcurial at Retromobile with a guide between €250,000-€350,000, but did not sell. Have you seen a wackier car? pic.twitter.com/JrLEnTssxJ
– Luden Automotive (@Ludenclassics) February 10, 2025
To summarize
The inventor of the bikini, Louis Reard, was not satisfied to revolutionize fashion: he also marked the automotive universe with a spectacular banau car, designed in the 1940s to promote his invention. Created by the bodybuilder Henri Chapron on a Super Eight packard base, this yacht -shaped car, used as an advertising medium, has become a real symbol of freedom and modernity.
