Microcars, or Bubble Cars as they are often affectionately referred to, due to many of them being of round or oval shaped, have in recent years become very kitsch and extremely collectable. Ultimately they are so small in size that garaging is a cinch, they’re generally very economical with most returning at least 50mpg, cheap and relatively easy to maintain and insure, but above all they are weird, wacky, and immense fun! Microcars can be one of the least inexpensive ways to enter classic car ownership, depending on which marque you choose. They can also become hugely addictive, and researching individual marque history makes for fascinating reading. Welcome to the wonderful world of micros!

History

The heyday of the microcar was back in the mid 1950s through to the mid 1960s. Following the end of WW2 it was a time of great austerity for many. Fritz Fend a German aeronautical engineer started manufacturing a small single seat self propelled vehicle ostensibly for disabled servicemen. Later he fi tted an engine in the rear and called it the Flitzer. A further development became the Messerschmitt KR175 which evolved into the KR200, one of the most successful of all microcars. They were produced at the former Messerschmitt aircraft factory at Regensburg and powered by a 191cc single-cylinder Sachs two-stroke engine, and cable operated brakes. They were later produced by Fahrzeug-Maschinenbau GmbH Regensburg and between 1956-1964 approximately 40,000 were produced. They had a top speed of 65mph and could attain almost 90mpg. Top of the range was the FMR TG500 ‘Tiger’ a four-wheel version powered by a 500cc engine and offered a most spirited performance. The Suez Crisis of 1956 which lead to fuel shortages, panic buying and rationing of petrol meant that economical transport was a top priority. All manner of manufacturers, some large and numerous smaller ones took to designing and producing microcars. Some of the larger included BMW who produced ISOs Isetta under licence, which was also manufactured by Velum in France, Romi in Brazil, and by Isetta Cars of GB in the former railway buildings at Brighton, Sussex.. The Isetta featured a separate tubular chassis and steel body with the door opening at the front, and an ingenious mechanism that saw the steering column pivot on the door when it opened. Power came from a 300cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine. Due to vehicle taxation regulations at the time, three-wheel cars paid a lower duty than four-wheelers, hence most of the microcars were three-wheelers. If the reverse gear was blanked off making it inoperative, then microcars could also be driven on a motorcycle licence. The Heinkel cabin scooter was another very successful microcar from Germany, which later in life was produced under licence in Dundalk, Eire, and by Trojan based in Croydon, Surrey.

One of the most successful of British micro marques was the Bond Minicar, designed by Laurie Bond and produced by Sharps Commercials of Preston. Early models tended to be rather crude. A Villiers two-stroke engine was mounted on the fork of the front wheel and the car could turn around on a sixpence. There was a motorcycle type kick-start to get the engine running! Later models were slightly more refi ned, and they were a remarkable very tough little car. Laurie Bond also designed the Berkeley using a GRP body which was produced by caravan manufacturer Charles Panter at his Berkeley Caravan Coachworks at Biggleswade, Beds. The company produced three and four-wheeler models which utilized Excelsior and Royal Enfi eld engines. Some of the smaller manufacturers produced cars such as the Meadows Frisky, Opperman Unicar and the Nobel. The latter was offered by entrepreneur York Nobel with backing from textile magnate Cyril Lord (remember the carpet adverts on TV?-ed). It was made under licence and a derivative of the German Fuldamobil. It had a chassis built by Rubery Owen, some early GRP bodies were produced by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and the cars were assembled by Short Brothers & Harland at Newtownards in Northern Ireland. Power came from a 191cc Sachs twostroke engine.One of the most bizarre of all microcars was the Scootacar, produced by locomotive builders Hunslet of Leeds. It featured tandem seating and was powered by a Villiers engine. Due to its rather tall ungainly GRP body, and when painted in red, it looked rather like a mobile post box! Defi nitely the smallest of all microcars was the Peel P50 single seater which measured 52.8-inches long and 39-inches wide. Designed by Cyril Cannell and built by Peel Engineering on the Isle of Man, it featured a 49cc DKW engine, 50 were built and they cost of £199 new. Peel also produced a twoseater called the Trident, of which the plexiglass dome looked rather like an inverted goldfi sh bowl! The arrival of the Mini effectively killed off the whole microcar industry in the mid 1960s as it was vastly superior to anything else on offer and very competitively priced too.

Driving

If you are of the very slightest nervous disposition, then microcars may not be for you! Whilst it’s true that you’re fairly vulnerable sitting in something as diminutive as a Messerschmitt, especially when being overtaken by a lorry, it’s no worse than if you’re riding a pushbike. Messerschmitts have handlebar steering which is extremely direct. Sudden snatched movements will induce swerving. They have a sequential gear shift mounted on the right hand side of the tubular frame which is easy to use.

The BMW Isetta has a conventional H shift pattern mounted on the side, depending if it’s LHD or RHD. The Goggomobil has a rather unusual shift pattern that features neutral in a vertical plane, with 1st top left, second top right, 3rd bottom left and 4th bottom right. Some cars also featured an electronic pre-select gearbox. Whatever micro car you drive, they all have drum brakes, so don’t expect braking power anything like modern servo assisted discs. Anticipation is the key to effective stopping here! Generally speaking micros can be noisy, it comes with the territory and two-strokes aren’t known for their torque. Comfort also has to be a tad compromised, seat design is pretty basic as is interior refi nement in general. Pot holes are to be avoided if possible! Above all, getting behind the wheel of a microcar is a complete antithesis from the normality of your daily hack. They are huge fun to drive, miserly on fuel consumption, and cruising at 40-50mph, there’s less stress, you see much more of the countryside glide by at a slower pace. Some of the fi nest handling and driving cars are the Messerschmitt KR200, FMR TG500 ‘Tiger’, Heinkel/Trojan and the Goggomobil, while Berkeleys are also noted for their good turn of speed.

Prices

Cheapest to purchase are the Bond Minicars, about £500 for a restoration project and £2000 - £2500+ for a superb example. Most expensive are Messerschmitts with a KR200 restoration project starting at £6500, and £10,000 - £12,000 for a good car and £15,000+ for an excellent example with the TG500 ‘Tiger’ £45,000+. An Isetta will be £4500 - £7000, and for the Heinkel/Trojan £4000 - £7500+. A Berkeley restoration project will be £200 - £500, a fi ne three-wheeler £2000 - £3000 and an excellent four-wheeler with a Royal Enfi eld engine £4000 - £5000. Goggomobils range between £3000 - £7000 and a Scootacar £1000 for a restoration project to £5000 for a mint example. A Nobel 200 ripe for restoration will be about £700 while a good example with MoT will be around £4000. There are no hard and fast rules with microcars and some have fetched far in excess of these guide prices so value with care.