Today the Tesla Motor Company announced that they had begun regular production of the Roadster, the all-electric supercar that does zero-to-60 in less than four seconds.

Since PopSci's inception, we've had a special place in our heart for cars. Cars that fly and cars that swim. Cars that glide along on three wheels, or one, or none. Rocket autos, sleeper buses, monster trucks-we've covered them all (and, on occasion, more than once).Launch our blast-from-the-past gallery to see our conception of the future as we saw it way back when, as well as the future as we view it now. Have we guessed right? You be the judge.