Car buyers today have their pick of gasoline-powered, electric, and hybrid vehicles, but if some 1950s visionaries had their way, another option would be available in dealer showrooms: nuclear. In the late 1950s, several carmakers rolled out prototypes for nuclear-powered automobiles. Foremost among them were the Ford Nucleon, the Seattle-ite XXI, and the Studebaker-Packard Astral (pictured). In theory, nuclear-powered cars could run for thousands of miles without refueling, and some could even fly. However, several obstacles became evident quickly. For one, nobody had ever developed a nuclear power plant small enough to fit into a car. In addition, scientists calculated that an automobile with enough lead and other materials to shield the driver and passengers from radiation would weigh at least 50 tons, making it more than 25 times as heavy as the average vehicle. There was also the question of what to do with the nuclear waste. These issues were never resolved, and the world quickly moved on.
