Qaddafi designs a rocket car to celebrate his 40 years in power

Tripoli (Libya), Sep.3 (ANI): Libyan leader, Muammar al-Qaddafi, has designed a 'rocket car' to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his 1969 coup that brought him to power.

The "Libyan Rocket", as the prototype is called, is described as an "elegant sedan" 17 feet long, more than six feet wide, with a 3-liter, V-6 gasoline engine.

According to the BBC and Fox News, it also has airbags, an unspecified 'electronic defense system', and a collapsible bumper.

The car can go hundreds of miles on a flat tire, a feature that could come in handy while driving in the vast Libyan desert. Other safety features include a device to cut off the fuel supply to avoid a fire in case of accident.

Domenico Morali, CEO of Tesco TS SpA, an automotive design company based in Turin, Italy, said Qaddafi joined in discussions about the car's styling and asked for an original car using Libyan materials including marble, leather and fabric.

The car was unveiled earlier this week in Tripoli at the end of an African Union summit.

According to the BBC, construction of a factory to produce the car will begin next month in Tripoli. (ANI)