MICROCARS: THE MINIMUM IN MOTORING

By Leslie Kendall
Curator, Petersen Automotive Museum

BMW Isetta

The world’s smallest vehicles, microcars are minute passenger automobiles normally powered by tiny gasoline engines. In countries where vehicles are taxed based on their engine displacement, microcars are far more affordable than full-size cars and accessible to virtually everyone. In certain areas, the smallest microcars are even classified as motorcycles and no license is required to operate them. People from all walks of life drive microcars, especially in Japan and older European cities with extremely narrow streets, and they are also used by businesses for local deliveries of small goods. Microcars are inexpensive to maintain, can be parked in even the smallest spaces, and handle better than traditionally sized cars due to their lower weight. But the microcar’s biggest attraction is its extremely low cost of operation, a quality appreciated by motorists in countries where gasoline costs three to five times more than it does in America.

Arola

Though they reached the height of their popularity during the years immediately following World War II, micro-size cars have existed for decades. Two of the earliest kinds of ultra small displacement vehicles were the motorized tricycle and quadricycle, both of which had vertical frames like a motorcycle, handlebar steering, pedals, and a saddle upon which the driver sat. Many tri-cycles and quadricycles had forecars with comfortably upholstered seats in which a passenger could ride. Though vulnerable to damage in a frontal collision because of its location between the two front wheels, a forecar was a desirable place to sit because it kept passengers away from exhaust fumes, road dust, and whatever grease or oil might be thrown off the rear-mounted engine.

Biscuter

As motorists grew more sophisticated and desired to ride in (instead of on) their vehicles, a more civilized type of small vehicle call a cyclecar rose to prominence and was popular between about 1910 and 1914, both in America and abroad. As the name suggests, cyclecars embodied characteristics of both motorcycles and automobiles. While most had either three or four wheels, they were indeed lightweight, cheap to operate, and often could seat two in tandem, qualities shared with most motorcycles. A large number even had V-twin engines and belt drive like many motorcycles. Most were so narrow that they could be driven through a standard door opening and kept inside one’s house overnight. By the late teens, the popularization of inexpensive, more comfortable “light cars” (such as the Austin Seven) and decline in the price of traditionally sized vehicles (like the Model T Ford) brought about the cyclecar’s demise and they disappeared from the marketplace.

Eshelman

During and after the heyday of the cyclecar, the invalid carriage became popular, especially throughout the United Kingdom. Intended primarily for the physically handicapped, though available to anyone, the invalid carriage was usually about half again the size of a wheelchair and powered by a very small gas engine. Virtually all such vehicles were equipped with hand controls and some had an area for carrying a wheelchair. Like the cyclecars of the early teens, they were narrow enough to be maneuvered through standard door openings. Similar in size to an invalid carriage, a monocar had a single chair-like seat positioned between its two rear wheels, one steerable front wheel, and minimal bodywork. Most monocars were built and sold in Europe.

Fiat 600 Multipla

During the early twentieth century, a distinctly American type of vehicle called a buckboard achieved limited popularity in the United States. Buckboards were characterized by “chassis” that were nothing more than wooden slats upon which simple seats were bolted. Such vehicles were not normally equipped with suspension systems because the wood was considered flexible enough to cushion the driver from all but the worst bumps. The Orient and Briggs & Stratton were among the most popular buckboards built in America, the latter being one of the few cars ever built with five wheels. Until the outbreak of World War I, it was not uncommon to see such vehicles in both urban and rural environments.

 

Zundapp Janus 750

As with American family-sized cars, American microcars built immediately before World War II differed from their European and Asian counterparts in concept and held an entirely different appeal for most. Whereas European microcars were built in response to poorly developed roads and high fuel and raw materials prices, American microcars tended to be preferred by individuals who simply desired to make a personal statement. The Ohio-built 1939 Crosley, for example, was poorly suited to American driving conditions, which came to be characterized by cheap gas, low vehicle taxes, and long stretches of wide open road. It was, however, dramatically different than almost anything else on the American roads of the time and could be guaranteed to set its owner apart from other motorists. In dire contrast, the tiny Fiat Topolino was a rational choice for most Italian motorists, who had little money to spare for big cars with heavily taxed, large displacement engines that consumed great quantities of expensive fuel. Far more nimble than most American cars, the Fiat was also ideal for crowded city driving (and parking) and could be maneuvered around cobblestone streets and rutted dirt roads with ease.

Julien

As the global economy expanded after World War I, most engineers abandoned the idea of building micro-size vehicles and a decreasing number of very small cars were constructed. One such car was the French Monotrace, which had a narrow body, tandem seating for two, and four wheels arranged in a diamond pattern. The car’s side wheels were approximately half the diameter of the single front and single rear wheel and could be retracted at speed so that the vehicle rode on two wheels like a motorcycle when underway. A very small number of manufacturers built similar vehicles, but when war broke out, production of virtually all civilian automobiles, regardless of type, was suspended throughout the world and vehicle development stopped. What little engineering talent that could be spared by the warring nations went partially to the development of alternative fuel systems such as coal gas generators and alternative power vehicles like the Peugeot VLV electric. But when peace returned, a new reality was in place. Influenced by Detroit marketing efforts, most postwar American consumers clamored for cars of ever increasing bulk while European motorists were content with anything that would simply get them around.

Peel Trident

Faced with a great deal of excess production capacity, a large number of former war materiel manufacturers, especially in Germany, began producing automobiles for civilian consumption in an effort to regain their viability. Some vehicles had styling that betrayed their manufacturers’ wartime activities while the designs of others owed little to their past. The German Messerschmitt, for example, had a see-through canopy resembling those of the fighter airplanes the company once produced. Conversely, the Italian Iso Isetta (and the license-built versions made by BMW in Germany and VELAM in France, among others) were a complete departure. But regardless of the design, all microcar manufacturers faced the challenge of packaging the necessary components as cleverly—and attractively—as possible.

Reyonnah

Judging from promotional materials of the day, most microcar manufacturers targeted buyers with a modest income, the need to regularly transport no more than two adults (and occasionally a small child), and a strong desire to leave behind a motorcycle or scooter for the comfort of an enclosed, weatherproof vehicle. Some were also promoted as inexpensive second cars. While a small number of microcars like the Messerschmitt Tiger raced competitively in select events or within special classes, they were not regarded as performance cars. Nor were they suitable for long-distance commuting. Microcars were too slow, cramped, and uncomfortable to ride in for any length of time. And their unusual handling characteristics could make them dangerous for unwary drivers to maneuver on the open road. But what they lacked in luxury they made up for in economy and it was common for owners to average over 75 miles per gallon of gasoline, an unheard of figure for an American car.

Rovin

Like the cyclecars of 40 years earlier, microcars proliferated for several years, becoming especially popular after the 1956 Suez crisis brought about a marked increase in gas prices worldwide. Familiar today, the rising fuel prices fostered the development of an incredible array of vehicles and established manufacturers and aspiring automakers alike came to discover that manufacturing microcars was far simpler than manufacturing full size vehicles. The same qualities that made them cheap to buy were the same qualities that made them easy to build: they used smaller quantities of steel, glass, rubber, fiberglass, and other materials. This meant that they required less space to assemble and took less space to store stocks of raw materials. Most of their component parts could be easily moved by one person, eliminating the need for expensive heavy duty hoists, lifts, and other shop equipment. Some microcars, like the Peel from the Isle of Man, were so tiny that two people could lift the entire car if necessary.

Messerschmitt Tg 500

Seeking the engineering breakthrough that would draw attention to their products, microcar makers from around the world experimented with a wide array of designs. They were built by well known firms like Allard (in England) and BMW (in Germany), who desired to diversify their product mix, and by unfamiliar companies such as Julien (in France) and CMZ (in the former Soviet Union). And while the vast majority were built of metal (like the French Rovin) and fiberglass (like the Japanese Fuji Cabin), one of the most popular, the Czechoslovakian Velorex, was constructed of fabric stretched over a tubular metal framework. The typical microcar engine had one or two cylinders and some were diesel or electric powered. Engines could be in the front, back, middle, or even hung outside of the body like that of the British Gordon. They could be configured as open or closed vehicles with doors on the front, back, side, or roof (for a gullwing effect). One unusually ingenious model, the French Reyonnah, was designed to fold so that it could be brought inside through a door opening of average size.

Vespa

During the 1950s and early 1960s it was common to see microcars buzzing around the streets of European cities and small towns. A few microcars were considered so beautiful in their day that they were shown at some of the grandest Concours d’Elegance in Europe. Attempts to build and market microcars in America were invariably unsuccessful because they were poorly suited to American roads and driving conditions, the same reasons that prevailed before World War II. As a result, they were more a novelty than serious transportation. Few domestic consumers regarded them as realistic alternatives to the standard family sedan and a number of dealers who had taken on franchises to sell microcars resorted to giving them away free with the purchase of full-size, domestic cars just to move them. One notable exception was the electric-powered microcar, which was about the size of a golf cart, yet had no provision for carrying golf clubs. But despite the American consumer’s lack of interest in microcars, they continued to be sold in Europe and elsewhere even to the present day. And as technology expanded, so did the variety of approaches to microcar design. Once synonymous with cartoon space travel, clear plastic tops were adapted for use on microcars like the German Messerschmitt and the Peel, giving rise to the term “bubble car.” Like a greenhouse, such vehicles were sure to become uncomfortably hot on a sunny day.

As small, multi-cylinder cars developed sufficiently to give full-size vehicle comfort and performance at affordable prices, consumers outgrew microcars and, while most were scrapped, they were so small that many owners found it easier to simply park them in out of the way locations where they were often forgotten. Today an increasing number of these microcars are being discovered and restored to like-new condition by enthusiasts who acquire them for the same reasons they did when they were new. Microcars are far less expensive to buy, own, and maintain than traditional collector cars and offer the same kind of vintage driving experience. This resurgence in interest has affected their desirability, collectability, and value.

An increasing number of manufacturers today are designing and marketing brand new microcars, which appeal to consumers whose personal circumstances dictate that they drive a truly small automobile. Since most American motorists have only ever seen traditionally sized Japanese cars, they would be surprised to learn of a classification of Japanese vehicle called the keicar. These tiny vehicles were created to take advantage of prevailing tax and insurance regulations, and their owners are not required to prove that they have adequate parking for the vehicle, a persistent problem in crowded Japanese cities. The small size of the microcar is also appreciated in cities like Amsterdam in The Netherlands, where many of the roads are so narrow that no other type of vehicle can maneuver through them.

Better known internationally, the Smart has acquired such a following that a U.S.-legal version equipped with certain amenities and mandatory safety equipment is being developed for import. Electric NEVs (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) have also captured the attention of motorists who live in uncrowded neighborhoods with little traffic or cities like Avalon on Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles, where motorists are barred from owning traditionally sized vehicles. In California, three wheel cars like the Corbin Sparrow can be parked in spaces designated for motorcycles and may even be operated on freeway diamond lanes otherwise reserved for carpools.

Once maligned for their dismal performance and bizarre appearance, microcars have recently become the focus of a great deal of interest among modern collectors and enthusiasts for their uniqueness, minimal storage space requirements, and comparative low cost of acquisition, restoration, operation, and maintenance. Small and quirky, they offer a counterpoint to mainstream collectible vehicles, often stealing the limelight from traditional concours d’elegance favorites such as Packard, Delahaye, Rolls-Royce, and Mercedes-Benz. They betray an approach to design and engineering that remind today’s automakers of what can be achieved with a bit of tenacity, creativity and motivation.

On exhibit in the Gordon R. Howard Gallery June 23, 2007 – February 3, 2008

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