Flying cars in movies and TV and the real-life vehicles they inspired

• The FAA just approved the first electric flying car, the Alef Model A, for test flights.
• The first flying car, a Model T with wings attached, was created 106 years ago.
• In 1930, the first flying car was featured in a movie, kicking off a long line of flying cars appearing on screen. 

Earlier this month, Alef Automotive, a California-based automotive and aviation company, received a special airworthiness certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration for their flying car.

The certificate permits Alef to conduct experimental flight tests on their new fully electric flying car, dubbed the “Model A.” This marks the first time the FAA has ever granted legal permission to test-run a flying electric vehicle like the Model A. When built, the Model A will be able to maneuver on roads and in the air and perform vertical takeoff maneuvers from a complete stop. 

The possibility of a flying car being available for an estimated $300,000 is exciting, but humans and engineers have been fascinated with the idea of flying cars for over 100 years. Why are we only getting flying cars now? 

The first “modern car,” made by Carl Benz, was invented in 1885, and the first widely accessible car, the Model T Ford, hit the market in 1908. Only nine years after the invention of the Model T, Glenn Curtiss took aim at one of the first attempts at a flying car.

With the potential of flying cars around the corner, here’s a look through the history of our obsession with making cars fly and the ups and downs that have come with it.