From the Press Release on May 31, 1953
A new light weight vehicle, suitable for air lifting, has been unveiled by Fletcher Aviation Corporation in Pasadena, California. Constructed completely from Aluminum, this 1600-pound jeep-like automobile has a water-tight chassis that will float.

The Fletcher six-passenger amphibious auto is powered with a 55hp air-cooled Fletcher-Porsche Four-Cylinder Engine. The engine is routed deep in the rear of the aluminum vehicle and cooled by "exhaust augmenter tubes". This cooling system has been pioneered by Fletcher Aviation Corporation in their single-seat ground support airplane, the FD-25, and more recently in the Fletcher "jet cooled" conversion kit for Navion executive planes.

The new Fletcher vehicle employs many aircraft techniques of construction. There is no conventional frame, but loads are carried through 1/8 inch aluminum alloy skin. Basic structure of the water-tight body is of welded aluminum alloy sheet. The air-cooled engine eliminates both coolant weight and the many cold weather problems encountered by water cooled power plants.

Exclusive American production rights for the Fletcher-Porsche engine have been granted the Fletcher Aviation Corporation at the conclusion of lengthy meetings by President Wendell S. Fletcher and members of the Porsche Company in Stuttgart, Germany.

"It's the most utility for the least chassis. We believe that this new approach to the problem of light-weight, efficient surface transportation will receive a favorable reception," said President Wendell S. Fletcher. "After a thorough shake down the vehicle will be made available to both Military and Civilian Markets."

The Fletcher vehicle has a 79 inch wheel base, is 64 inches wide, 149 1/2 inches overall in length and 53 inches high with windshield folded. The 1600-pound weight compares with a 2800-pound weight on the present military jeep. The new Fletcher auto is designed to carry a useful load of 1800 pounds, substantially greater than the all-up weight of the vehicle.

"Production tool and die on this type of vehicle would be vastly simpler than on a conventional automobile. There's nothing in the transportation field that is comparable to it," say Fletcher engineers.

The prototype jeep was built in Pasadena and shake-down testing is planned on the Fletcher owned airport at Rosemead. A Fletcher employee contest is now underway to find a suitable name for the new vehicle.