In 1967 Alex Tremules, contracted by California-based Gyro Transport Systems, built the single-seated Gyro-X. The automobile had just two wheels, one in front and one in the back and, as the car’s name implies, it utilized a built-in gyroscope to remain upright when moving.
The Gyro-X was displayed for the first time at “The Wonderful World of Wheels”, an exhibit at the 1967 New York International Auto Show. Of the vehicles presented, the Gyro-X was included, offering a sneak peek into the possible future of the automobile.
According to an article in the September 1967 issue of
Science & Mechanics, the car could reach a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), and could swoop through 40-degree banked turns without tipping. It weighed in at 1,850 pounds (839 kg), measured 47 inches (119 cm) in height, just 42 inches (107 cm) in width, and 15 feet, 5 inches (4.7 meters) in length. It rolled on two 15-inch wheels, and was powered by a small 80-horsepower engine. For parking purposes it had two small side-wheels on the right.
The company went bankrupt, and the one-and-only specimen of the car became an orphan. That car passed from owner to owner, its condition deteriorating along the way. Now, it’s about to be restored by a Nasville museum to its former (weird) glory.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVEXmaJu12Xf2B24izgSAPMoU6A-J-5FaVL7h5qX7g8MzRj9jGEqiZFq8nZZR9DGrvMEeAIzOLwLwlDZej3OVFRsDHmubhEx-A8feVbGBglTThyYDL0t0q-qeaizw12q8qVcGJB2UFf4/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-2.jpg) |
Designer Alex Tremulis with the Gyro-X. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5n_GeOPrZ_ZTIL8xG-uRzUCaPaan1izWUPwIrShjxJ0Li7rZpskAOVGRsMfPnM_fDF1D3Eiwy0IAtSULzpC47W8fi6WVfd_cE68gcH5nn16ERopTTvAnYxDgNlm5kdbT0avnOmE5fP0/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-3.jpg) |
Tremulis and Summers stand next to the Gyro-X. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqu1NNRGQYz2M1-8o_nPdYHuf0cPKTfA-DCnOPWDDqHgS_rWEZqfhf0MjbdLLZRw-HQoHY6Ng2Mm7m7MOVdYZnLtz0ZfQwv2K27E1qtwqDYiR-2nMCEwB36l8BWT59MGbTz3tRT89s1eA/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-4.jpg) |
Tremulis and Summers demonstrate that the Gyro-X can seat two. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBytaPc7EZB-CNqCkPT_VvPV6Z0gbvCmLdPdB0r7TjgbbJW03gj8k_P3k1tFep_7rTKugXAatymRq-jBDTA30IkoLGKGTBfWenGeUZXP4oabPIQzVUk1hQ76jJeAh4NfEgXlJmHQ063I/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-5.jpg) |
With its auxiliary wheels down, Tremulis sits inside while Summers stands beside the Gyro-X. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwPnI4JZvA8v0OU5bukl39kJYz-LZpF4ZCOdE8h5ohZu8Slmtf9cwjmxuOflccAD9IkwVMVGG4MtrszuQTT96i-6yP6C-QRFIHenALqryNxeeWAkQ6OPeEKNRFwUoVFW4ps1-6P-scYQ/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-6.jpg) |
Alex Tremulis working on a clay model of the Gyro-X. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAHzwnxBe1mdAd9JfGjfoLDenLr8BCluX5OvlpacVRCXauDjRH7O5oXs6yJtrx29vE-XKI6JHcgO5iD0oqnorKWGlhYvyDXfmlSUU33kDy_ijOcAlPKQIqYbwZJQfuNsrfJah_MVpHTg/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-7.jpg) |
A design sketch of a two-seater Gyro-X. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeot22KNHo5chsYqfe-ZUDy_8-uoUqoG4Fj0EufBkIGYyaAo_y2uYloxXEcl-9uoDFIqsq-jdIMD3LxD8A3Z5mkaHMl3aEQ70wAdHwHL566WvwLyVBdI_jxsQoxEiwZt6XdjVEhmKvmlg/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-8.jpg) |
A design sketch of the Gyro-X. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6akh3r1kMssFiMJTX-UR_il3ljbNGPS2Os1LyngXujUVOAVHcDqqBPDnRQqr8sIvkUhvHlfZqaklf10mraFo5nUtjSHcPU1Z-uFeaFLqCV5L_JBg_qqwDagGU39pLH7ATFa96n_bZFE/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-9.jpg) |
A design sketch of the Gyro-X. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVsIbkLEinple-PU1uiYKggdHijTuBRvBZIbfwO7R9HBdxaaROhIIzHk4vrihaUBaMKOVVdcmD7BGBhTJUBOUDVQj6-OM0kCd3gbTViivYfx0ki9T9sH8FTm8oahLXSapD8AO903fv-k/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-10.jpg) |
The Gyro-X in the workshop. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgempf1UKyhM8yjNA-4AhE8nGvfJiWXyCMDTqoELeoDrbRRVIUFxqHX3C0ON6p8RfxCI0LFbQ-4Brd1Tihg38LgvCgwbRjSpLQzumpKUHFsHv-KlRJ3fTdQlZ_jAnHlODZowIz6MhuOY_c/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-11.jpg) |
The Gyro-X under construction. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2imNh6M_zzWdcB87YEiiEutx0c5CHQry_u6W87EZ-ewKuyCMOXshx_oCOBIOfkx-9Z9leai0GmFUKpKmjrIPNKL5hDbPHfCOREiYc6CTTsVl1yg4hAPAXnBuwn0ITFkp3j_pmkHFFB8/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-12.jpg) |
A look under the Gyro-X’s “hood”. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ce-mAqlSm-90aKD02emiEQh1KYqQdx4bvgBpidGnE6wj1yRLmuFNZfdrk9Xg9-E5hr1QtscGk6Py8157GihDiKtL06rEDqfhjYbjSjoanbZQo8Snh2pop4M23d9vuaWnZIHm0id7Jdo/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-13.jpg) |
One of the Gyro-X's outriggers. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKwNEDZ1sz-_JFH6PsHM6DEjNRzoHARO6j5w0TEICzTllEoe1KO13pj4b_rW9Gq_TpflHMYJzyOfgTBOUJ9CILVfauWH31DJdyt85L4SDfzd9L4pXWpE4pQuI9ZNYrSZgILpOPdTLjEE/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-14.jpg) |
The Gyro-X beside a slightly less “unusual” car. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR38G8QjN6bec_TG1sYQrxRJ0dc7qDKXD9-V26jfzZZyKoMIobsSRCsFY5hKbivlwMcMWNRKs461e1FU_S0Qw3Khg-KXsN22A81uuXYUxFRB2YQjBlfYNypSvAXfYJqc2UoRhPyJKDSDA/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-15.jpg) |
The Gyro-X beside a slightly less “unusual” car. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHW4a-7mYR4RXd5UwoHh2wuj_R4-Xhaxg-7tXCMxDwHCNEkDTnp3SwM-xOwltA7IkkxE3V7q9PUx2Oe_-v3y6Qr6aIXYY6DXWfGiDBDl2B3CdsZgKJjHZMOODYtFXOkOmU4JjChlb2KYk/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-16.jpg) |
The Gyro-X outside the factory. The spherical unit on the ground is the gyroscope. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxm2c-pdBlGo0VLrbhwsPaR2P_o0ejGJmdG6E9tRlRVsxOEPaeqNhlJbqs_QDZ22c-byC7yEZmRSnogda_-5v9USnMgQQAu3rR7HWMeYTVIDNJvYJAxV54kNHDqs-wCNs9Js-6s0Vmos/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-17.jpg) |
The 1967 gyroscopically-stabilized Gyro-X car is being restored by an auto museum. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJz18J9mlcdT-GexYDmXfqC7CDIvvW2fTJPCM40MRKHcDILNteYDYCuM5vlAA1QvRlC-uhn8ghVqqDdLs82FuAUOyxBKYwJutgHfI964WBUBsmsTV38MuophIF-HZXcomVPgy4budzhTY/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-18.jpg) |
The Gyro-X outside the factory. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2QhiyP_FGQTSMl9HuyO_1aRGv-rGrPK7y5AXY46HyAm_DLe887w7rLTZYUpNCXLX2XM63K5mHPxD86L-9xD7D16ihPGGp-X_E6aFy8QCfn06TZ1Yb9Fvz2YFrlMM3FKViaDfHjxM2ZA/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-19.jpg) |
The Gyro-X at speed. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqcxr40yiC21oqqH1srqz3mIM5H1UzEY8Sq9CxZXGQ39v5baCnVDc7nxiRnDmWmGmVbtK3rFP_ItAthxsiQfRNzpQY-2hd3jIcdBqPXEiyjZsQHzOtn1irZWXXq-3erowhKA2ohsfQUc/s640-rw/1967-gyro-x-20.jpg) |
In September 1967, Science and Mechanics magazine featured the Gyro-X on its cover. |