The 1921 Helica, made by French automobile manufacturer Marcel Leyat, has it all. It is an extremely old car, rare in that only 30 of the vehicles were ever manufactured, and is completely original and unique in its design and appearance. Built in France, the Helica was called “The plane without wings” by the newspapers of the day. Passengers in the car sat behind each other as in an aircraft, and the car was steered using the rear wheels. And, this automobile was not powered by a conventional engine turning the wheels, but rather by a giant propeller similar to those found on an airplane. The body of the vehicle was made of plywood, and weighed a light 550 pounds. The lightweight configuration made the Helica dangerously fast, as it could reach a top speed of 106 miles per hour—mind-boggling at the time. A true experimentalist, Marcel Leyat continued experimenting with the Helica throughout the 1920s, adding propellers with two and four blades and adjusting the engine several times. However, owing to its unconventional style and breakneck speed, only 30 of these vehicles were sold between 1919 and 1925. Today, the remaining ones are in the hands of private collectors and rarely come up for sale. But it is estimated that an original model in decent shape would sell for more than $20 million.
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