Sask. couple making waves with the 'Amphicar'
One Saskatchewan couple is making waves in their Amphicar this summer, a vintage vehicle that is part car and part boat.
Stan Brenner has dreamed of owning an Amphicar since he was seven years old, when a friend gave him a ride in one.
His dream finally came true four years ago when he bought a similar vehicle from the same friend.
"I said if you ever want to sell it, I would be really interested in buying it. So, the guy I knew passed away, and his son had no interest in it, so I bought it,” said Amphicar owner Stan Brenner.
It is a 41HP Amphibi car model 770, "It's called a 770, because it's supposed to do 70 miles on land, and seven miles in the water,” Brenner said.
Only 3,878 of the Western German manufactured amphibious cars were ever made and Brenner said very few can still float.
“I've got one of the 300 that swim in the world,” Brenner said.
Brenner's wife, Karla Sastaunik, said she didn't know what an Amphicar was until she met him. Now, she gets a kick when others learn about it too.
“The best part is [when] somebody isn't aware of what this does and they see us driving into the lake, the expression on their face, and their arms go up like they’re going to scream,” she explained.
The vehicle can be launched into the water by simply driving in. When it’s on water, it drives similar to a regular car
"You just turn the steering wheel and it's just like a regular boat, but the front wheels are what steers it,” Brenner said.
The couple often spends their weekends driving on Good Spirit Lake.
“If we see someone around, and they wave, and we have the time, we offer them a ride,” Sastaunik said.
The two enjoy offering rides in the vintage vehicle.
“We love sharing it with other people,” Sastaunik said.
"When it’s young kids, I always tell them about how Stan got this, and I always say, “You never know, one day you might own this.’”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.