Louis Réard land yacht

 

Based on a 1938 Packard with the nautical theme body built by the French coachbuilder Chapron, this car was commissioned by Louis Réard, a designer and manufacturer of women's swimwear.

 In 1946, a competitor, Jacques Heim came up with the idea of the world's smallest two piece swimsuit and called it the Atom, after the smallest bit of matter known.

 When the nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll were conducted on July 1st 1946, Réard had already copyrighted the name for his even smaller swimsuit. The "Bikini" was introduced at a fashion show on the 5th and was predictably a sensation.

In an effort to promote the new bikini, he had this car made to tour resort towns and beachfronts, often with young women in bikinis riding on the rear deck. The car was used for promotion for about three decades. More story here. 

Update: much better story here.