micro car?

[Vancevr]

Can someone tell me why Austin sevens aren't microcars. Is it because they are over 600cc? But I have seen other 700cc cars at shows online. I would suggest that the seven was the first microcar. Thoughts?

[Tony Griffiths]

Microcar is actually a French maker of the things - and the word is only ever applied to 'modern' vehicles. Calling a small pre-war car a microcar is, I feel, akin to describing them by that useless word 'classic'. The website 'pinterst' probably has the quickest access to a collection of these weird and wacky vehicles: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1950s-reyo...055422427/
There are two reasons the 'microcar' is not popular with the young 1) you look stupid and 2) the picture below:

[Austin in the Shed]

Perhaps not much fun in a Messerschmitt but one of my elderly neighbours ,had great pleasure telling me about his exploits in an Isetta.

[Mike Costigan]

If you want a Vintage microcar, how about the 1920 Micron 350cc?


  micron 2-seater.jpg (Size: 184.93 KB / Downloads: 563)

[Reckless Rat]

This is the current rendering of the Microcar, made by Ligier in France. It costs 10,400€ new. It falls in a class of vehicles calles "Voiture sans permis" which means you can drive it without a licence, even if you've lost it due to drunkenness or other infractions, or if your driving is just that bad you cannot pass the test. They are popular amongst habitual drinkers, so be wary if you ever come across one. The above photo shows one that is new. Most of them are battered and held together with duct tape due to constant abuse and contact with other vehicles and objects. The price is high for what you get, but if it's your only option in a country where public transport in the sticks is virtually non-existant you have to make do. It's a 350cc diesel with CVT transmission and limited to 50kph.

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The Citroen Ami electric also falls into the VSP category.



Personally, I would rather pluck my eyes out with a spoon than be seen in one.

[Dave Mann]

Had a chuckle at that Reckless, however Citroen have shown the way forward with a low cost town car unlike most electric car makers.

[Tony Griffiths]

Perhaps not much fun in a Messerschmitt but one of my elderly neighbours ,had great pleasure telling me about his exploits in an Isetta.

In my teens, one of our group had an "invalid carriage". He was a good-looking lad with a great personality and the girls really went for him. Trouble was, the carriage only had one seat - so excursions had to be under cover of darkness and only the more "gymnastic" of the girls were able to 'cope'. The story of the Invacar invalid carriage is interesting - but the EU caused all to be recalled and scrapped due to the EU-Safety Mania Act 2003. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invacar

[JOHN WP]

  IMG_2245 trojan.JPG (Size: 138.83 KB / Downloads: 454)
  IMG_2434 frisky.JPG (Size: 120.07 KB / Downloads: 455)

As well as my Austin  i have this pair of " Microcars  "  have owned the Trojan over forty years and the Frisky over twenty years  not sure i need them to make me look stupid though i can probably do that well enough on my own !!!!!

[Parazine]

When I was a child, in the early 1960's, there used to be a local man who operated an invalid tricycle, rather like this:


  Harding.jpg (Size: 114.97 KB / Downloads: 384)

Except it was a hand operated model, rowed along by two handles, one either side. I can remember him, struggling up and down the hill in the village. My parents told me he had been injured during World War 1, so he must have been at least 60 at that time. He later got a motorised blue three wheeler I think.

An early form of "Microcar"?

[Tony Press]

All early pre war small cars were called Cyclecars.

The Austin Seven was hailed as the first proper car.

The name Microcar is late post war.

My 1960's 500cc Lightburn Zeta Sports wasn't called a Microcar.