In 1940, Henry Ford stated “mark my words: a combination airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will come." And indeed, science fiction & fantasy eventually became science fact, with many early pioneers making strenuous efforts; many inevitably didn’t end well, sometimes tragically so.

Today, there are more would-be flying cars than ever – and some now just need customers. Here’s our run-down of the twist and turns that make up the story of the flying car, complete with photos of them in both states of operation, where possible: