Although looking at the images might suggest a Japanese bullet train, this was actually an experimental German railcar named the Schienenzeppelin—“Zeppelin on Rails”—due to its resemblance to airships ...

Heralded as the 'Zeppelin on Rails', it was the propeller-powered train that promised to beckon a new era in travel. On June 21, 1931, the Schienenzeppelin set a new speed record for the railway ...

While the Hélica faded into obscurity, other inventive designers believed propeller-powered cars were the future. Considering we have none today, it seems that was a misguided notion.