Description

Daix Piano Pedal Car, 1926:

In the mid-1920s, Gaston Daix, a highly skilled piano maker at Pessac near Bordeaux, made this unusual pedal car in the shape of Noah's Ark. The overturned boat hull body uses a construction method called Lapstrake. This process involves light overlapping of long, thin wooden boards, in which the bottom of each board attaches to the top of the board below. The boards that overlap are then fixed to the frame. This ancient method, sometimes called "clinker boards," has been used in shipbuilding for hundreds of years. One of the most surprising details about the Daix is the unique method of entry and exit. Piano Car opens in the center, articulating the front and back ends. Once opened, the reclining seat and the mechanical structure of a bike: forks, pedals and handlebars reveal themselves. When seated indoors, the driver can rest his head in the wooden tower on top, allowing to see the road while being weather-protected. The latter can also be completely worn out for hot sunny days.