25 Old Machines That Prove We've Gone Backward

Daniel Bonfiglio Published 10/23/2024 in wow

While humanity has never been more advanced, anyone with eyes can see that our modern aesthetic needs some work.

Machines of the past were infused with a daring spirit, and built with a passionate disregard for what anybody thought they should be. Were they safe? God no. But in every other respect, it's easy to feel like we're going backward while technology moves forward.

Here are 25 old machines that prove everything used to be better.

List View
Player View
Grid View

1.
Jean Bugatti standing next to his Bugatti Royale, one of seven built. 1932.
2.
The Flying Scotsman train.
3.
Lun Class Ekranoplan ground effect vehicle, Soviet Union, 1987.
4.
Ford bubble glass top vehicle, 1947.
5.
Bike from 1946.
6.
“This old unbreakable lathe in my dads workshop, year unknown, made in Zurich, Switzerland.”
7.
1973 Terex 33-19 Titan dump truck with a pickup truck in the bed. It had a 169L V-16 diesel engine and weighed in at 1,209,500 lbs.
8.
A steam powered American Railway Ditcher.
9.
‘Bluebird,’ 1935. The vehicle went on to set the new land speed record of a whopping 301mph.
10.
The Zeppelin Train.
11.
Ikarus prototype bus that was supposed to deliver passengers directly to the aircraft from the early ‘80s.
12.
1960's Air France, Breguet 763 Provence Aircraft.
13.
Three friends take a joyride on their "new" car, Ohio, circa 1924.
14.
Land train.
15.
The Antarctic Snow Cruiser on the drive towards the ship that would take it south to the Pole. The vehicle provided living space and laboratories to five scientists. Unfortunately, it was found to have no traction on snow unless driven in reverse and was eventually abandoned. 1939.
16.
Purves’ Monowheel. This crazy looking vehicle was built based on a drawing made by Leonardo da Vinci. Known as a monowheel, the design for this wheel was patented in 1930 by a British inventor Dr. J. A. Purves.
17.
The Alligator. Amphibious landing vehicle, 1941.
18.
100 year old steam-powered rotary snowplow.
19.
20.
Dr. von Braun stands by the five F-1 engines of the Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle on display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The engines measured 19-feet tall by 12.5-feet at the nozzle exit. 1960s.
21.
Northrop P-61 Black Widow.
22.
US engineer vehicle, Normandy 1944.
23.
Antique pencil sharpener.
24.
B-17 Ball Turret Gunner.
25.
Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle in its final parking space. December 14th, 1972.

1.
Jean Bugatti standing next to his Bugatti Royale, one of seven built. 1932.
2.
The Flying Scotsman train.
3.
Lun Class Ekranoplan ground effect vehicle, Soviet Union, 1987.
4.
Ford bubble glass top vehicle, 1947.
5.
Bike from 1946.
6.
“This old unbreakable lathe in my dads workshop, year unknown, made in Zurich, Switzerland.”
7.
1973 Terex 33-19 Titan dump truck with a pickup truck in the bed. It had a 169L V-16 diesel engine and weighed in at 1,209,500 lbs.
8.
A steam powered American Railway Ditcher.
9.
‘Bluebird,’ 1935. The vehicle went on to set the new land speed record of a whopping 301mph.
10.
The Zeppelin Train.
11.
Ikarus prototype bus that was supposed to deliver passengers directly to the aircraft from the early ‘80s.
12.
1960's Air France, Breguet 763 Provence Aircraft.
13.
Three friends take a joyride on their "new" car, Ohio, circa 1924.
14.
Land train.
15.
The Antarctic Snow Cruiser on the drive towards the ship that would take it south to the Pole. The vehicle provided living space and laboratories to five scientists. Unfortunately, it was found to have no traction on snow unless driven in reverse and was eventually abandoned. 1939.
16.
Purves’ Monowheel. This crazy looking vehicle was built based on a drawing made by Leonardo da Vinci. Known as a monowheel, the design for this wheel was patented in 1930 by a British inventor Dr. J. A. Purves.
17.
The Alligator. Amphibious landing vehicle, 1941.
18.
100 year old steam-powered rotary snowplow.
19.
20.
Dr. von Braun stands by the five F-1 engines of the Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle on display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The engines measured 19-feet tall by 12.5-feet at the nozzle exit. 1960s.
21.
Northrop P-61 Black Widow.
22.
US engineer vehicle, Normandy 1944.
23.
Antique pencil sharpener.
24.
B-17 Ball Turret Gunner.
25.
Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle in its final parking space. December 14th, 1972.