Photo courtesy of Tegan Shockley
The rare, amphibious car that cruises the Lake’s shorelines sports a fascinating back-story.
by Tegan Shockley
Is it a car? Is it a boat? Yes!
The Amphicar is the only civilian amphibious automobile to be mass-produced, and one resides right here at Lake of the Ozarks. Originally built in Germany in the 1960s, less than 4,000 Amphicars were made in total, with the majority imported to the United States. Roger Sallee proudly owns a Lagoon Blue Amphicar, one of the four colors originally offered. The convertibles also came in Beach Sand White, Regatta Red, and Fjord Green.
Sallee splits his time between Kansas City and Lake Ozark, and loves taking his family out on the water. A widower, Sallee’s three children and nine grandkids have all ridden in the vintage car at least once. He has owned this Amphicar for 26 years, but it’s not his first. Sallee is something of an Amphicar aficionado: he has bought and restored many since he sold his business at age 49.
“It’s just a great hobby,” Sallee said. “I got my first Amphicar probably 30 years ago. This blue one is my favorite. I modified it to make it 400 pounds lighter for going out on the deep lake.”
With possibly the most extensive collection of original Amphicar literature that exists, Sallee has documents from the 1960s relating to his blue Amphicar courtesy of the previous owner. From the receipt of the original purchase, to a descriptive booklet about the vehicle, to a letter applying for a Missouri motor boat registration, Sallee has a binder full of vintage documents.
Photo courtesy of Tegan Shockley
His beloved collecting hobby has led to some unique experiences. One instance involved helping country music star Alan Jackson sell his Amphicar at the Barrett-Jackson auction. It sold in 2011 for $123,200.
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