Erickson Streamliner- 1945

Anton F. Erickson built this streamlined car in his garage in Dayton, Ohio at the end of World War II. Mr. Erickson had a patented method for repairing metal panels, which is evident when looking at this car – the body is made of many small pieces of aluminum instead of several big sheets.

Anthony Staub, a Dayton-area resident, remembers driving by Erickson’s house many times and seeing the car. Around 1960, Staub stopped to see if Erickson would sell the car, and they agreed on a price of $400.00. Erickson told Staub that he made the body out of scrap B-29 skin pieces he had gotten from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Staub kept the streamlined car until the mid-1980s, driving it in local parades. By then, tiring of the car, he decided to place it in a yard sale. He sold it to Milan Zeljak, who owned a used car dealership in the Dayton area. Milan kept the car until about 2010, when it was purchased by John Steelman, also in the Dayton area.

The layout and design of the Erickson poses some interesting questions. It has the same front wheel drive, rear engine, and rear steering layout as the Dymaxion. In 1934, Fuller had drawn a smaller Dymaxion which he called the “Tudor Sportster.” The car was never produced, but it’s very possible that Erickson saw the original Dymaxion, and used it as a model for his car. Whatever happened, Erickson built his car, and to the delight of many, it survives today.

We also have patent drawings of two other similar 3-wheel cars from 1934 and 1945.