A French engineer named Marcel Leyat designed a car in the early 20th century that used an airplane propeller as its primary means of propulsion. The vehicle, known as the Hélica, was built between 1913 and 1925 and featured a lightweight plywood body, a front-mounted propeller, and a design inspired by aviation. It was driven by two passengers seated in a cockpit-like configuration, with steering controlled via the rear axle and braking on the front wheels. The Hélica reached speeds of up to 170 km/h during a test at Montlhéry in 1927, a remarkable achievement for the time. Marcel Leyat, born in 1885 in the Drôme, was an aeronautical engineer whose idea of applying airplane propulsion principles to a car was considered unconventional at the time. The first prototype, the Hélicocycle, was built in 1913 and used a JAP engine. It weighed less than 300 kg with two passengers and could reach about 100 km/h, which was impressive for the era. The Hélica was later produced in several variations, including a four-wheel model with a MAG engine in 1919 and a model with an ABC engine in 1921, which included ten sedans and three sports convertibles. Despite its technical success, the Hélica faced practical and economic challenges that led to its failure. The front-mounted propeller posed significant issues in urban environments, including noise, the risk of debris projection, and concerns for pedestrians. Additionally, the company Automobiles Leyat, based on the quai de Grenelle in Paris, went bankrupt in 1922 due to insufficient orders. Only a few dozen units were sold between 1919 and 1925, making it difficult to sustain a profitable production. Today, two units of the Hélica remain, displayed in the museums of Arts et Métiers in Paris and Louwman in The Hague. The Hélica’s story highlights the challenge of introducing innovative technology into a market that may not be ready to adopt it. While the car was technically advanced and reliable, it failed to gain widespread acceptance due to practical and economic constraints.