Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome – and one of the world’s worst cars.

Much has been written about the celebrated architect, engineer, designer, author, free-thinker and futurist, Buckminster Fuller. But what will probably interest .id insight readers most is the role he played in influencing modern urban design, and to a much lesser degree, automotive design!

Fuller was born in 1895 in Massachusetts, USA, and after being expelled from Harvard, twice, he went on to become one of the world’s leading thinkers  in many fields including design, philosophy and engineering.

In 1945 he invented the Geodesic dome, by exploiting the concept of structural materials under tension. The design soon became known to the US Army, who employed Fuller’s company, using the geodesic dome principle, to construct thousands of temporary and permanent structures to house materials and troops. Geodesic domes can be seen in many military radar installations to this day.

Earlier, in the 1930’s, Fuller’s thinking had extended to developing a motor vehicle. He envisioned a car that would feature adequate accommodation, a tight turning circle for city use and outstanding fuel efficiency. The result, called the “Dymaxion” featured 11 seats, a V8 engine mounted in the rear, front wheel drive and single-wheel rear steering. On the plus side, it could turn in its own length and make parallel parking child’s play, and make over 30 miles per gallon.

However, with strange handling dynamics brought about by the unusual layout and wobbly rear steering, it was destined to be a real challenge for any driver at speed, despite Fuller’s claims it could do 120 mph.

Only three were produced and Chrysler, who were to be involved it he project, withdrew after a test driver was killed. No more were produced and the Dymaxion disappeared.

In 2009, TIME magazine rated it “one of the worst 50 cars of all time”, criticising its inherent lack of stability.

As an aside, renowned UK architect Lord Norman Foster, himself a Buckminster Fuller devotee, recently commissioned a fully functional, driveable remake of the Dymaxion. The London City Hall (often called the beehive) is one of Foster’s landmark works. Foster’s recreation of the Dymaxion is pictured below.

“Dymaxion” was a term Fuller coined to combine the words “dynamic, maximum and ion, or dynamic, maximum and tension” (the jury is out on which is correct, although tension seems most likely).

It was also used when Fuller designed and built prototypes of a low cost housing concept, the Dymaxion House. The house was made primarily of aluminium and was designed to be light, transportable and very energy-efficient.

A full size example of the Dymaxion house exists today in the Henry Ford Museum, Detroit. (Pictured above)

Fuller also used the term “Dymaxion” to refer to a type of sleep he developed, which he called “Dymaxion sleep”. It consisted of sleeping just 2 hours a day in a series of short naps. Fuller himself followed this regime for some years.

Fuller died in 1983, but his many inventions and ideas continue to inspire….