Oh those unconventional American presidents and their eccentric habits!

The Amphicar was manufactured in West Germany between 1960 and 1968, with only 3,770 made. This picture of LBJ driving his was taken in April of 1965—for context, that’s right around the time Johnson delivered his “Peace without Conquest” speech on Vietnam, while secretly deploying offensive operations against the Viet Cong with a massive troop increase.

Apparently, LBJ used to take unknowing passengers for rides in the Amphicar, waiting until they got to the shore before shouting, “The brakes don’t work! The brakes won’t hold! We’re going in! We’re going under!” And of course they’d slip into the water, unharmed, but terrified!

Haha! What a wacky guy!