A US firm is said to have successfully tested a street-legal plane, or ''flying car''.
Massachusetts-based firm Terrafugia said their production prototype ''Transition'' car-plane had completed an eight-minute test flight, clearing the way for it to hit the market within a year.
"With this flight, the team demonstrated an ability to accomplish what had been called an impossible dream," said founder Carl Dietrich.
The two-seater craft, which has the rounded features of a Fiat 500 and collapsible wings, is on presale for $279,000 (€209,000) and some 100 vehicles have already been ordered.
The successful test flight has given hope to aficionados that this staple of science fiction is a step closer to reality.
"Is it going to be like the Jetsons with everyone driving one in five years? No," admitted Winfield Keller, vice president of The International Flying Car Association, a trade group.
"But we are getting to the point where 10, maybe 15 years from now that the people owning and operating (them) will be everyday people."
In the meantime, manufacturers hope they can build something that appeals to border security agencies, the police or the military, as well as hobbyists.
Terrafugia is targeting pilots looking for a bit more flexibility and fewer hangar fees.
Spanning 2.3 metres, it fits into a normal-sized garage, before unfurling an 8m wingspan.
The Transition, they say, offers unparalleled freedom of movement, with a range of 787km and without the need to check bags.
Would-be owners will need to have both a driver's and pilot's licence - with a minimum of 20 hours of flying time.
The craft needs 762 meters of runway for takeoff, meaning pulling onto the shoulder and escaping the traffic is not really an option.
At least two other companies are racing to bring an autoplane to the market.
Dutch company PAL-V has tested a prototype gyrocopter-style car. It hopes to now build a full production prototype and to have the first deliveries by 2014.
California-based Moller International has built a personal vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, although it requires a little more training to operate.
