Hoover vacuum car

These funky-looking rides are the Hoover "Constellation" promotional cars (often called Hoovermobiles).

They were built in the 1950s and 60s for the Tour de France publicity caravan.

Companies create "art cars" that look like their products to drive along the race route and hand out treats or flyers.

Why do they look like that?

• The Design: They were modeled exactly after the Hoover Constellation vacuum, which was famous for being shaped like a globe and actually "floating" on a cushion of air instead of using wheels.

• The Features: If you look closely at the image, the driver sits in the middle of the "vacuum" body! The long tubes on the back were meant to look like the vacuum hoses.

• The Base: These were usually built on top of a small truck or car chassis, like a Renault or a Citroën, then covered with the custom vacuum body.

It's a classic example of "Americana" style advertising, even though these specific ones were used to wow crowds in Europe.