Remember a few months back when I made a joke about how dangerous a flying Ford Pinto would be? Well, in 1973 two inventors actually tried to create such a flying vehicle, and died while testing it. The article from the September 12, 1973 Press-Telegram (Long Beach, CA) is below.

Known as "the flying Pinto," a combination of a Ford Pinto auto and Cessna airplane, the prototype plunged to earth about a mile from Ventura County Airport late Tuesday afternoon.

Killed were Henry A. Smolinski, 40, Santa Susana, and Harold Blake, 40, Los Angeles. They were the founders and top two officers of Advanced Vehicle Engineers, launched at Van Nuys in 1968.

Previously on Paleo-Future:

• The Inevitable Flying Car (USA Today)
• "Aerocar" Hits the Road (1950)
• The Future of the Helicopter (1955)

This Ford concept car appears in the 1966 book Automobiles of the Future by Irwin Stambler. The description of the car appears below.

Exotic engines of tomorrow may provide the power for a sports car such as this, which could be mass-produced while keeping the appearance of a racing car.

See also:
Automobiles of the Future (1966)

In the future, kids will be so dumb that they'll forget the year (and spooky music will swell on cue).

How does the computer know everything? I mean like how . . . I mean like, how many times to exercise and all?

You can find 1999 A.D. on the DVD Yesterday's Tomorrows Today, released by A/V Geeks.

See also:
1999 A.D. (1967)
Online Shopping (1967)
Monsanto House of the Future (1957-1967)

The 1964 film World's Fair Report with Lowell Thomas took viewers through a preview of what the 1964 New York World's Fair would have to offer. Below is a short clip of the film that shows the transportation exhibits, including the paleo-futuristic Futurama.

World's Fair Report with Lowell Thomas can be found on the DVD 1964 New York World's Fair, released by Extinct Attractions Club.

See also:
To The Fair! (1965)
Walt Disney Explaining the Carousel of Progress to General Electric (1964)
All's Fair at the Fair (1938)

Split second lunches, color-keyed disposable dishes, all part of the instant society of tomorrow. A society rich in leisure and taken-for-granted comforts.

In 1967 the Philco-Ford Corporation released a short film titled 1999 A.D. In it the inevitable advances of the future are demonstrated. This clip of the kitchen of the future showcases a world of automation, maximized health, and a push-button culture; themes we see throughout the film.

Like the film Future Shock, you can find 1999 A.D. on the DVD Yesterday's Tomorrows Today, released by A/V Geeks.

See also:
Call a Serviceman (Chicago Tribune, 1959)
Monsanto House of the Future (1957-1967)

The Chicago Daily Tribune ran an article in their April 26, 1959 edition proclaiming, "In 50 Years: Cars Flying Like Missiles!" Below is an excerpt from the piece.

Can you imagine an autoist driving up to a "gas" station 50 years from now and receiving replacement energy capsules for his car instead of getting a tank full of liquid fuel?

Also, can you imagine flying automobiles directed by automatic guidance systems?

These were possibilities discussed last week by Dr. Andrew A. Kucher, Ford Motor company vice president in charge of engineering and research, in an address at Northwestern university.

See also:
Flying Car Patent (1991)