Aqua scooter

Determined to escape the oppressive Socialist regime in the German Democratic Republic, chemical engineer Bernd Böttger decided that his best chance to reach the West would be to do so by sea.

[1] Taking the two-stroke engine from a motorcycle, Böttger attached a propeller to its driveshaft and sealed the unit inside a fibreglass mat using polyester resin.

[2] When Böttger's story was reported by European news sources, an executive at Rockwell International read about it and became interested.

[2] A West German subsidiary of Rockwell offered Böttger the opportunity to develop a commercial version of his aqua scooter.

The Aqua scooter is still produced today by an Italian company Comer Top Kart, and can reach speeds of up to 5 mph.