The Blaster (also called the "BMW Flamethrower") was a 1998 invention by
South African inventor Charl Fourie as an car-mounted laterally-firing flamethrower, designed to provide a defence against
carjackings.
The Blaster was a
liquefied petroleum gas
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or LP gas) is a fuel gas which contains a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases, specifically propane, propylene, butylene, isobutane and n-butane.
LPG is used as a fuel gas in heating appliances, cooking e ...
flamethrower
A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in World ...
installed along the sides of the vehicle under the doors. Should a group of carjackers suddenly attack the vehicle while it is stopped in traffic (the typical scenario), the occupant could flip a switch and direct plumes of flame upward into the facial area of anyone trying to enter the vehicle through the doors or windows. Fourie claimed it was unlikely to kill but would "definitely blind" the assailant. In South Africa, it is legal to use
lethal force in
self-defence if in fear of one's life,
and ownership of flamethrowers is unrestricted.
The invention came in response to the increasingly severe
violent crime situation in South Africa, which in 1998 had already made the country (particularly
Johannesburg) the per capita
murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
,
assault
An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
,
rape and carjacking capital of the world.
The device was controversial in South Africa, with some, including the
Automobile Association of South Africa, speculating that the device might cause more carjackers to simply murder drivers with gunfire as a precautionary measure before approaching the vehicle, a tactic which was already fairly common.
The device was not banned (as is sometimes reported), but the high price tag at 3,900 rand ($655)
limited its market and made it unprofitable. By 2001, only a few hundred had been sold, and the device was taken off the market by Fourie, who instead started marketing a less expensive pocket-sized "personal flamethrower".
The Blaster received ample (and often satirical) media coverage from abroad. In particular, it earned its inventor the 1999
Ig Nobel Peace Prize (a parody of the real
Nobel Prizes).
See also
*
List of flamethrowers
References
External links
BBC News report
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blaster (Flamethrower)
Automotive accessories
Flamethrowers
South African inventions