Watch and learn: How the gyroscopic guts of the Gyro-X keep it up on two wheels

The 1967 Gyro-X is a one-of-a-kind self-stabilizing two-wheeled wonder of the automotive world. Developed by aerospace engineer Tom Summers and designer Alex Tremulis, it was a fanciful approach to what the future of personal transportation might look like. The sole Gyro-X prototype is a sleek, if not quite practical, vision on two wheels.

Of course, the concept never really took off, and the venture established to put America on two wheels — Gyro Transport Systems Inc. — folded in 1970.

Not long ago, Jeff Lane, connoisseur of automotive esoterica and founder of Nashville’s Lane Motor Museum restored the one-of-a-kind car and took it on a world tour; it’s popped up everywhere from Pebble Beach to Villa d’Este, sparking smiles and inspiring wonderment wherever it goes. Summers and Tremulis’ dream has been fully realized at last.

In this case, the dream is held aloft (or at least upright) by a honkin’ gyroscope developed for this car by Agency Impianti. The Italian company’s products are usually deployed to keep big yachts from getting all wonky on the high seas; adapting the tech for a dinghy-size car required no small amount of math and a fair bit of programming — not your typical restoration stuff, that’s for sure.

The result is a car that likely works better than anything the Gyro-X’s creators could have put together in their decidedly analog age. But if the gyroscope is one of the more mechanically interesting features we’ve ever seen on an old car, it’s sadly near-impossible to show off. Even with the hood popped, the spherical casing is all that’s really visible.

Now, thanks to YouTube creator Jared Owen, we can get a clear look at the car’s gyroscopic guts, and learn the science behind how torque-induced precession is used to keep the car balanced and help it whip through corners. Owen’s videos use computer-generated animations to make complex concepts easy to understand, and his skills are perfectly applied here. Check it out above.

You’ll be able to see the Gyro-X at the Lane starting in September. If you’re passing through Nashville, it’s worth a visit!

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