A three-wheeled prototype Domino’s delivery car from the 1980s, resembling a space shuttle more than a typical car, will be auctioned off in Las Vegas next month.
The car is one of 10 Tritan A2 Aerocar prototypes commissioned by Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan as a high-speed delivery vehicle for operation in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The car will be sold by Mecum Auctions in Las Vegas on Nov. 10. Another one of the prototypes was previously sold by the Bonhams auction house for $44,800.
The Tritan A2 Aerocar still retains the Domino’s branding and features a futuristic design, including an arch at the back for stability and fuel efficiency, and a sliding cockpit roof similar to a fighter jet.
The car’s aerodynamic design and light fiberglass body, weighing only 900 pounds, made it have less than half the drag of conventional cars at the time.
The cars used to include pizza ovens to keep delivery pizzas hot, but those were subsequently removed before Domino’s got rid of the prototypes. Only seven of the cars still exist.
Driving the car, however, was not enjoyable according to current owner Chuck Sinnott. It only has space for two people, one behind the other, and is classified as a motorcycle for regulatory purposes. It also rides low to the ground, making potholes and obstacles even more dangerous.
“This thing turns some heads. It’s a crowd-pleaser. But my wife and I can’t jump in it and go to Monterey,” said Mr. Sinnott, a Californian, to CNN.
