bubblecars & microcars

In a world where the size of a man's car is sometimes thought to reflect the size of his manhood and the size of a woman's car to show how she can not only "have it all" but bring it with her, there seems to be little room left on the road. There have always been small cars, but they tend to be the first to go out of fashion, especially as societies become more affluent. To have a dramatic increase in pollution, danger and crowding caused by people's egos is rather pathetic, but that is a human attribute we seem to be loathe to leave behind. Still, there have always been those who have thought differently.

The Davis Divan was an American early post-war effort on three wheels that must've been a challenge to steer--especially at speed! The Fend Flitzer was a much more compact German effort, and with its single wheel in the back rather than the front, for better stability and handling.

           

During the 1950s, Europe went through a microcar boom, with dozens of manufacturers sprouting up. One of the best was Messerschmitt, formerly an aircraft factory. Their 3 and 4 wheeled vehicles all had tandem seating and a hinged, aircraft-type canopy. Robert has driven one and found it to be quite a thrill. MV Agusta, the legendary Italian motorcycle and helicopter maker, made this outstanding microcar prototype, but sadly, it never reached production. The BSA motorcycle (and occasionally car)-makers made this delightful "Ladybird" 3-wheeled prototype but decided against production.

           

The Brutsch Mopeta was surely one of the smallest cars ever made, with room (just barely) for one. Few sold. The Peel company, located on the Isle of Man, made a couple of different models. Their P-50 was strictly utilitarian, but their Trident was the perfect bubble. However, apparently there was no provision for ventilation under the bubble.

BMW was one of the most successful microcar makers, with no less than three separate lines. Their 700 series was almost a compact car, and was made in a number of versions, all with 700cc motorcycle engines in the back. The Isetta was a 300cc car that would've been a fine bubblecar, but for the fact that the single, front door was impossible to escape from in the event of an accident. But there was no faulting its slightly larger sibling, the 600. With a second door and seating for four adults, it made larger cars unnecessary for most people. Unfortunately, it had the bad luck to come along near the end of the austerity era in Europe and most people were soon able to afford full-sized cars.

           

This could've been Citroen's replacement to the immortal 2Cv. Named the Cocinel, it was even more aerodynamic than their sleek DS series, although about half its size. Sadly, it never went into production, although this prototype has been expertly restored, giving us a look at an intriguing might-have-been.

Even after the microcar boom faded, there were still small cars made, often for heavily congested areas. Once such car was the Daf, the sole car manufacturer of quantity in the Netherlands of the past 50 years. Dafs featured a clever and simple automatic transmission that endeared them to drivers who did not want to have to worry about shifting. While they were not perhaps as small as some microcars, they were more compact than most European autos of the '60s and '70s. Their first series of cars were cute and distinctive. Second series cars were a bit blander, but the rare variant beach buggy called the DafKini was a delight. This one was made for Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus. The Daf City was a prototype from the Italian coachbuilder OSI, and would've been a nice contribution to the struggle against urban gridlock.

           

Microcars are still made today, if in small numbers. In many European countries, they are subsidised by governments for sale to the handicapped. This Ligier was produced for sale in France, although it would work well for anyone who needed the use of a compact urban vehicle. Horlacher is a German company that has developed dozens of interesting little vehicles over the past two decades. Their work has contributed to the Smart Car--one of today's best microcars.