Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

Anti-Gravity Cars

Wednesday, 12th September 2007 by James

Look closely at the car park of BMW’s headquarters and you’ll see that there’s a Mini parked on the wall. Even more bizarrely, this isn’t even unusual: we’ve found gravity-defying Mini parking before!

You may also remember that early last year there was a lot of press about a possible flying car found in Google Earth, with much debate on whether or not it was just a visual illusion involving a black car parked next to a white one.

So it’s with much excitement that I present a car which nobody can doubt is capable of flight - it’s got giant golden wings!

The “Golden Bird” as it’s known is a winged Ford Fiesta which is, much to my disappointment, a static sculpture marking the entrance to Cologne city museum1. So I guess we’ve still not found a conclusive flying car.

Of course any car that’s thinking about taking to the sky should beware: outside this Volkswagen garage in Nuremberg they’ve actually impaled this poor car as a warning to others who might try to escape! Maybe this explains why flying cars are so hard to find?

Thanks to Felippo and KugelErde


  1. The artwork was made my German artist HA Schult, who is most famous for his work with Trash people

17 Responses to 'Anti-Gravity Cars'

  1. 1. Fat Tony says:

    I used to live just round the corner from the BMW headquarters. The Mini on the wall really catches your eye as you walk past.

    Seems it’s also been done at BMW in Swindon:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lgladdy/474636453/

  2. 2. Jel says:

    Now if you want the real thing, try finding the Moller works in Davis, California

  3. 3. Patrick says:

    ….and then there is this flying truck out in Nevada. WTF!??

    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  4. Google Sightseeing Admin
    4. Alex says:

    @Fat Tony: Here’s Placemark: the factory in Swindon / Google Earth but I’m not sure where the mini is?

    @jel - the Moller works is Placemark: around here / Google Earth, but I can’t see any flying cars! Maybe they’re invisible too.

  5. 5. Jonathan Blundell says:

    I’m sure it’s been touched on before, but don’t forget about Cadillac Ranch outside Amarillo, Texas.

    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  6. 6. Jel says:

    There were, of couse, a number of developmental failures and the more desperate even built a temple

  7. 7. Glenn says:

    Cadillac Ranch is here:

    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  8. 8. Glenn says:

    …I’m still waiting for those high-rez images of Alliance , Nebraska, home of CARHENGE!

  9. 9. B.J. Olejnik says:

    How about a flying school bus?

  10. Google Sightseeing Admin
    10. James says:

    @Johnathan & Glenn: We’ve actually featured Cadillac Ranch in the past and, even better than Carhenge, Fridgehenge!

  11. 11. Petra says:

    In the city where I live there have been Mini billboards which consist of a full sized red Mini car with a black roof parked on a billboard. They are quite cool billboards and I believe would be the same as the Mini on the BMW building.

  12. 12. Jel says:

    That VW is but as nothing by comparison with this Chicago kebab. Featuring in Wayne’s World, latest reports suggest it’s days are numbered.
    To return to the original subject, some flying cars are truly unexplained.

  13. Google Sightseeing Admin
    13. James says:

    @Jel: This thread is full of classic car-related GSS posts! That kebab is called the Spindle. I can’t believe they’re considering removing it!

  14. 14. Fat Tony says:

    @Alex: I can’t see it on the map either. Maybe it was only a temporary fixture. Or the imagery isn’t detailed enough.

  15. 15. shawn says:

    There is one on the top of a dealership in Tacoma WA. On the side with the grill facing up.

  16. 16. Myagooshki says:

    I found an “s” on the top of a building in Albequerque. Idk if thats off topic or not but it looks like skid marks from tires. Don’t get me wrong, but that would mean that a car would have to be driving on the roof.
    Here it is u can see for urself.

    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  17. 17. Fat Tony says:

    I found a picture that I took a few years ago of the Mini on the wall in Munich.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdid/1788827553/

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