Alan Gibbs - High Speed Amphibians

High Speed Amphibians

Frustrated by the extreme tidal nature of the Kaipara Harbour, that forms the western boundary of his farm, Gibbs began experimenting with amphibious vehicles in the early 1990s. In 1997 he began to develop the concept in Detroit. Gibbs relocated the project to the United Kingdom in 1999. He partnered with Neil Jenkins who became CEO and based the operation at Nuneaton. Over the next four years they developed the concept to the point that the Aquada, the world’s first road legal, high speed amphibian, was shown to the public in September 2003. In June 2004 Richard Branson drove an Aquada to break the record for an amphibious crossing of the English Channel. In 2007 a new division of the business was set up in Detroit Michigan. A major R & D program has been undertaken in Auckland New Zealand since 2004. Two new high speed amphibians, the Humdinga and the Phibian were released in Washington in 2012 and it is understood a third the Quadski will be put on the market late in 2012.