Ford Nucleon

The car was to use a steam engine powered by uranium fission, similar to those found in nuclear submarines.

[2] Ford stated: "The Nucleon was styled on the assumption that the present bulkiness and weight of nuclear reactors and attendant shielding will some day be reduced.

"[3]This supposition has not come to pass, and modern fission reactors with enough power to propel a vehicle still require roughly 5 feet of radiation shielding (e.g. concrete, water, and/or tungsten) to prevent the operator from absorbing hazardous amounts of radiation dose.

These would be scaled-down versions of the nuclear reactors that military submarines used at the time, utilizing uranium as the fissile material.

The game's depiction is purely satirical, as the cars explode into an implausible mushroom cloud and release radiation when shot.