Microcars and Bubblecars

[Populuxe]

This is a thread for all the tiny cars in the world that aren't covered by the existing Kei-car thread. I have always loved these little tiddlers and feel they deserve more love. So let's start with one of each, a microcar and a bubblecar.

1961 Mitsubishi 500. Rear-mounted 493cc OHV air-cooled parallel-twin making about 21 hp. Built from 1960-1962. Grew to 600cc and was not only Mitsubishi's first car, but also the beginning of the Colt range, and was Mitsubishi's first successful race car, when the 600cc 500 Super Deluxe took the first four places in the under 750cc category at the 1962 Macau Grand Prix.



1957 Heinkel Kabine. Rear-mounted OHV air-cooled single-cylinder of 174cc and 204cc (later reduced to 198cc for insurance reasons) making 9 and 10 hp respectively. Built from 1956 to 1958, but later licenced and built by Trojan UK from 1960-1966. Interestingly, the larger-engined version could be bought as either a 3-wheeler or a 4-wheeler. I like the big aircraft canopy look with the tiny little bubble-butt back end. Speaking of Trojan, they had previously made their own car, the Trojan Utility that is fascinating in it's own right and I will cover in another post.

 

[Turbo]

 

[Populuxe]

More of a very small car than a microcar is the Goliath GP700 built from 1950 to 1957. Goliath was a sub-brand of Borgward and had been around since 1928. The GP700 was all new for the post-war market, powered by a 688cc parallel-twin two-stroke engine driving the front wheels. It even came in four flavors: 2-door sedan, convertible, van, and a slinky sports coupe.

 

[Tyger]

Looks like a 356 tailgating a Subaru 360 (presumably not the one in the post above), yet somehow works.

 

[homeforsummer]

I suppose one of the most well-known microcars is the Reliant Robin. First produced in 1973, it actually lasted as long as 2002. This is a later one:

Not as small as some here but had all the usual microcar requirements: Cheap to buy, cheap to run, economical, some kind of tax or usage dodge (they were initially taxed as a motorcycle in the UK, hence the three wheels, and could be driven on a motorcycle license too). Front-mid engined, rear-drive, four-cylinder engines of either 748cc or 848cc.

Used to see them semi-regularly in the UK but they're a rare spot now, as are the Reliant Rialtos which were effectively renamed Robins and sold throughout the 1980s. Would quite like to drive one out of curiosity.

 

[Populuxe]

Today we've got a little treat from France, the 1955 Inter 175 A Berline (often called just the Inter Autoscooter) from French aircraft builders S.N.C.A.N., or Societe Nationale de Construction AeroNautique. It was built from 1954 to 1956, with a few hand assembled through 1958. It runs a 175cc 2-stroke single-cylinder engine by Ydral driving the rear wheel by chain. I love the forward leaning bodywork, it looks so jet-age.

 

[homeforsummer]

That really is neatly designed. Jet age is a good description - it looks like an automotive version of googie architecture, which is probably my favourite style of architecture. I'm guessing by your username @Populuxe Cowboy you're probably a fan of it too!

Found a little video of the Inter 175 here:

​

 

[Populuxe]

That really is neatly designed. Jet age is a good description - it looks like an automotive version of googie architecture, which is probably my favourite style of architecture. I'm guessing by your username @Populuxe Cowboy you're probably a fan of it too!

You're absolutely right. Googie/Populuxe/Mid-Century Modern, whatever you want to call it, I love it. Great video, too.

 

[CSMDuty11]

Bubblecars

Spoiler

It was probably built on an Isetta chassis too.

 

[05XR8]

1955 Nami A50 Belka

 

[Turbo]

1955 Nami A50 Belka

What's unusual about this bubble on rugged tires is that it's a Russian car.

 

[Populuxe]

What's unusual about this bubble on rugged tires is that it's a Russian car.

I was wondering about that. Those meaty knobby tires screamed "Russian!" at me.

 

[homeforsummer]

Not as stylish as the last few - the Velorex:

Designed and built in soviet-era Czechoslovakia primarily as a car for the disabled. Tubular frame and the "bodywork" was simply vinyl stretched and secured over it. The model pictured used a 350cc two-stroke twin and has a top speed of little over 50mph.

I remember reading a test of one in a magazine back in the 90s that decreed it absolutely terrifying. Predictably, today there seems to be a small band of enthusiasts keeping them running. And doing daft things like driving them to Iceland...

​

 

[Tyger]

Looks like it drove straight out of Fallout 4 =)

Introducing the awesomely-named Tourette Supreme:

 

[Populuxe]

1939-1942 Crosley. Based in Cleveland but built in Indiana, the Crosley ran a 580cc air-cooled flathead twin that made about 12 hp. It originally came in either a coupe or sedan, the only difference being whether it was a two-seater or a four-seater. Sales were not especially impressive, but Crosley kept at it, adding new body styles in 1940, 1941 and 1942, including deluxe sedan, Parkway delivery, pickup delivery, covered wagon, station wagon and for the final year of production before switching over to wartime production, the Liberty sedan. Crosley was the last automobile manufacturer to cease civilian production. One reason was that the Crosley made 50 mpg which was incredible for the time and would be very helpful during a time of gas rationing. Another reason was that it took the government a while to figure out what to do with their small factory. Crosley resumed production after the war and lasted to 1952, but as those cars were completely different, that will be a another entry for another day.

1939 Convertible Coupe


1940 Deluxe Sedan


1940 Flatbead Delivery


1941 Pickup Delivery


1941 Parkway Delivery


1941 Station Wagon


1942 Liberty Sedan

 

[05XR8]

Not as stylish as the last few - the Velorex:

Designed and built in soviet-era Czechoslovakia primarily as a car for the disabled. Tubular frame and the "bodywork" was simply vinyl stretched and secured over it. The model pictured used a 350cc two-stroke twin and has a top speed of little over 50mph.

I remember reading a test of one in a magazine back in the 90s that decreed it absolutely terrifying. Predictably, today there seems to be a small band of enthusiasts keeping them running. And doing daft things like driving them to Iceland...

​

Love it. BMW replicated that with one of their concept cars. I think it even had a zipper.

 

[Populuxe]

1957-1958 Zündapp Janus. After the Second World War, Germany was forbidden from building aircraft. Dornier needed something new to build. They built a prototype car with seats that faced away from each other. Zündapp was a motorcycle manufacturer looking to make a make a vehicle with more weather protection. They licensed the Dornier design, cleaned it up and put it out on the market in 1957. The back-to-back seats created the cars "which way is it going" looks. The name Janus was chosen because the Roman god Janus had two faces, one looking forward and one looking back, just like the car. The idea was to produce a higher quality microcar than their competitors. It had a 245cc two-stroke single mounted right in the middle of the car between the seats. Although they sold 6900 in two years, it didn't make any money and was discontinued after the 1958 season. If you've seen Cars 2, then this should look familiar, since it the car the evil Doctor Z was based on.

 

[homeforsummer]

Discovered another microcar recently - the Replicar Cursor:

Around 100 made in the UK between 1985-1987. Used a moped powertrain - the idea was to allow 16-year-olds to drive it, much like the class of vehicles currently known as quadricycles, with limited power and top speeds. Only 26mph as a result (from 50cc).

 

[TexRex]

More of a very small car than a microcar is the Goliath GP700 built from 1950 to 1957. Goliath was a sub-brand of Borgward and had been around since 1928. The GP700 was all new for the post-war market, powered by a 688cc parallel-twin two-stroke engine driving the front wheels. It even came in four flavors: 2-door sedan, convertible, van, and a slinky sports coupe.

Looks like a 356 tailgating a Subaru 360 (presumably not the one in the post above), yet somehow works.

The bodies on those GP 700 Sports were built by Rometsch, so of course they work.

Worth noting that the cars were fuel injected, too.

 

[Populuxe]

Part 2 of the Crosley story, 1946-1948
After the war, Crosley started up auto production with an all new car. The old twin-cylinder engine was ditched in favor of the CoBra (Coper Brazed) engine, a 724cc inline-4 SOHC industrial engine constructed from sheet steel and used in multiple capacities during WWII. The engine had a reputation for reliability that was built on regular maintenance by military mechanics. Unfortunately, in the civilian world where it received little or no regular maintenance, it was far less reliable. Despite the engine's problems, the car sold well with 24,000 sold in 1947. It came in sedan, convertible coupe, station wagon, panel van and pick up truck variety. The slab-sided styling (with a big chrome update for the 1948 model year) was by Sundberg and Ferrar.


1946 Sedan


1947 Convertible Coupe


1947 Station Wagon


1947 Pickup


1948 Panel Delivery


1948 Station Wagon

 

[TexRex]

American Austin > Crosley.

Those wheels have a 4x4.5" bolt circle.

 

[Populuxe]

American Austin > Crosley.

Those wheels have a 4x4.5" bolt circle.

When I was in high school, I owned an original dealer brochure for American Bantam. I found it at a car swap meet. It had a stamp for a dealership in Portland OR.

 

[homeforsummer]

Something a little newer - the Volkswagen Nils.

One of my favourite "cars that never were". Took the photos above myself at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show where it was unveiled - that year there were loads of concepts along these lines, either one- or two-passenger, very light weight, all aimed at urban transportation.

The Nils always seemed the most fun. It was futuristic without being obviously a concept. The car on display was available to actually sit inside, and naturally, I took that opportunity! It looked and felt much like VW's regular road cars at the time, albeit a little more cheerful with its blue seat, digital dash and abundant glass area.

At the time it had a claimed range of only 40 miles, with an 80mph top speed. Improvements in battery technology since then mean you could probably double that range from a similarly-sized pack today. Unfortunately I don't see many cars like this really reaching production - ultimately, the idea of an urban-only car is actually quite dated, and modern population densities mean single-person transport (outside of very small vehicles like bicycles, scooters and motorcycles) causes as many problems as it solves.

 

[Dennisch]

Part 2 of the Crosley story, 1946-1948
After the war, Crosley started up auto production with an all new car. The old twin-cylinder engine was ditched in favor of the CoBra (Coper Brazed) engine, a 724cc inline-4 SOHC industrial engine constructed from sheet steel and used in multiple capacities during WWII. The engine had a reputation for reliability that was built on regular maintenance by military mechanics. Unfortunately, in the civilian world where it received little or no regular maintenance, it was far less reliable. Despite the engine's problems, the car sold well with 24,000 sold in 1947. It came in sedan, convertible coupe, station wagon, panel van and pick up truck variety. I'm not 100% sure the cab-over pickup was actually produced or this is just a custom or one-off creation. The slab-sided styling (with a big chrome update for the 1948 model year) was by Sundberg and Ferrar.


1946 Sedan


1947 Convertible Coupe


1947 Station Wagon


1947 Cabover Pickup


1947 Pickup


1948 Panel Delivery


1948 Station Wagon

There is so much greatness in this post. 👍

Also, I recently found out that my dad used to own a Messerschmidt KR200.

 

[TexRex]

A COE appears in the second Crosley post as quoted above but not appearing in the original post (broken link)--is this confirmed? I'm not a Crosley historian by any stretch, but I'm highly dubious.

 

[homeforsummer]

Another tiny electric concept. The Toyota EX-II, from 1969. Don't know a great deal about it, but just look at it!

Reminds me very much of the 1942 L'oeuf Electrique by Paul Arzens.

​

Perhaps the most compelling thing about concepts like these is imagining them scooting around the kind of utopian cities that people envisaged when they were originally designed. The Toyota totally has that Joe 90-style sci-fi vibe to it, while retaining many of the ideas from the 1950s bubble car period.

 

[Populuxe]

Another tiny electric concept. The Toyota EX-II, from 1969. Don't know a great deal about it, but just look at it!

View attachment 700042​

Reminds me very much of the 1942 L'oeuf Electrique by Paul Arzens.

View attachment 700043
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Perhaps the most compelling thing about concepts like these is imagining them scooting around the kind of utopian cities that people envisaged when they were originally designed. The Toyota totally has that Joe 90-style sci-fi vibe to it, while retaining many of the ideas from the 1950s bubble car period.

Oh, man. I'm not the only person here who knows about Joe 90.

 

[homeforsummer]

Oh, man. I'm not the only person here who knows about Joe 90.

Watched it a few times when it was replayed back in the 90s.

Although it has just struck me that nine-year-old Joe would probably be scarred for life having his dad's knowledge and experience transferred to him. Like the night he was conceived as just one small example. That, and that he presumably had perfect sight before and subsequently had to wear glasses, which seems pretty harsh. But I digress...

 

[Apok]

The Kleinschnittger F 125 was built from 1950-1957 and apparently cost as much to buy and maintain as a motorcycle. Or at least that was the idea. It had a 123cc two stroke single cylinder engine producing 4,5hp. Lacking a reverse gear means that you'd need to get out of the car and move it by hand if necessary. Inconvenient, but not that bad at a weight of only 130kg.

More photos here

 

[homeforsummer]

The car above raises an interesting question actually. Do you prefer microcars that are shaped by the requirements of cramming components into a very small space, such as the Toyota concept I posted or something like the Zündapp Janus or Isetta, or cars like the Kleinschnittger and a few others in this thread that are instead designed to look very much like normal vehicles of the time, only smaller?

I personally think the latter results in some quite awkward looking cars and prefer the idea of a completely blank-sheet design, but interested to hear peoples' thoughts.