Photos: Ford’s tiny nuclear reactor-powered car concept that never hit the road

In 1958, Ford unveiled the Ford Nucleon, a visionary concept car powered by a compact nuclear reactor instead of gasoline. Developed by Ford’s Advanced Styling Studio under industrial designer George W. Walker, the Nucleon was designed to explore future mobility technologies and spark discussion about atomic propulsion. The vehicle featured a rear-mounted nuclear reactor housed in a "Power Capsule," with a cab-forward, bubble-style cockpit inspired by fighter jets to maximize passenger distance from the reactor. Cooling was managed through air intakes on the roof to address the significant heat generated by the reactor, and the propulsion system was based on a closed-loop steam turbine powered by Uranium 235, aiming for long driving ranges without conventional refueling. Ford envisioned a replaceable reactor capsule system, where drivers would swap out depleted capsules at specialized stations every 5,000 miles, addressing safety and convenience concerns. However, the Nucleon never progressed beyond the design stage due to insurmountable engineering challenges. The most critical