1959 advertisement by America’s Independent Electric Light and Power Companies, an industry group representing investor-owned electric utilities.

The full ad was titled “More Power to You!” The flying vehicle was captioned “Your Personal ‘Flying Carpet’” and was presented as a future electric vehicle that could take off and land anywhere, then plug into an electrical outlet to recharge.

The ad was promoting a broader idea: that Americans of the future would use far more electricity for things like automated homes, remote education, and futuristic transportation.