Purple People-Eater – Melvin Gould 1961
The Purple People-Eater is an eight-wheeled buggy built by Melvin Gould in 31 years, farmer-mechanic from Cheyenne, Wyo, a passionate hunter who designed the machine to go hunting in the Rockies where deer and antelopes abound.
He built the Eater in 1961 in just over 12 months of work with an investment of 200 $. The car is made mainly from Ford parts, vintage 1940. It is powered by a four-speed V8 engine from a Ford pickup truck. The body is a Crosely station wagon with the cut top. It can roll at around 100 km/h.
Synchronized steering turns the four front wheels. Traction from two additional wheels provides excellent handling. Mel deflates the tires about 12 books before going off-road and hands them over to 28 books, their normal pressure for highway travel.
All axles are independently suspended to allow at least one set of steer and drive wheels to stay on the ground, whatever the terrain.
Given its weight 1600 kg, the Purple People-Eate is fast, very handy and powerful.
It can climb a slope of 65 percent, reach a speed of 96 km / h on the open road or do all terrain at 64 km/h.
The Purple People-Eate was on loan at the Forney Automobile Museum in Denver, but quickly Melvin wanted to get it back, he had to prove he was his in order to get it back, he finally got it and put it back in the hangar next to his house
In 2017, a fan went to meet Melvin Gould at his home, he had 87 years old and he was fine, He could see the Purple People Eater and many of the other vehicles he had built. Watch the video he shot at the time
Purple People-Eater is a fictional character from a children's film, it’s a unicorn that has only one eye and eats purple people..
A famous children's song by 1958 also bears this name and speaks of the same character.
Source : Mechanix Illustrated, December issue 1961
