Back in the 1970s, people were desperate for something different. Malaise-era cars filled the streets with their boxy averageness, and the gas crunch had car buyers scrambling for smaller, more efficient vehicles. Then came the Dale: a three-wheeled car-cycle that promised to answer all of those challenges—or so its designer claimed.

The Dale was, in theory, a hyper-efficient, innovative vehicle come to save the day in the wake of high gas prices. It had weird, futuristic styling, and a three-wheeler platform built with motorcycle parts. The Dale raised over $30 million in investments in the hope it would revolutionize the industry.

Except, the whole thing was a sham. In the wake of high promises and questionable backstories, Car and Driver investigated the Dale to see just how much of it was true. They found a car with no steering wheel, no accelerator pedal, and a motor from a lawnmower in the engine bay.

After that, the company fell into a downhill spiral, losing the millions people had invested without having built a single car. Regular Car Reviews co-host The Roman is here to tell us the whole wild story behind the futuristic car that wasn't.

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