Let's Talk Cyclecars

For the last several days I have been looking for an old German automobile book.

Here are the photos..... all done before we got a scanner ...... As I find the actual book I'll try to post better.

For now.....this is 1933

 

Those are awesome!... 5th pic is rather squid-like

 

Hello Bluto,​

Thank you for wonderful old sketches of micro-cars! In last time, I was attracted to small cute coupes and cabriolets, part from practical reasons (everyday use) and part for their esthetic, mostly aerodynamic shapes.

For now, they are interesting for me as inspiration for kid-car that I shall build this Autumn for my step-grandson... It would be at first time just pulled or pushed by parents, without active steering and pedaling, but later could be used by himself. Kids here use to drive bicycles on streets, alone or with parents, from 3-5 years old... Plywood monocoque body of pedal-car with top over it – would be much safer then bicycle?

Ciao!​

 

Bluto,the top picture looks a lot like the Indian powered 3 wheeled streamliner Jay Leno has.

 

I've been studying the body style/designs of Indy/Formula One cars from the early years when everyone had their own ideas before design trends became the norm. Here are a few interesting examples featured in David Hodges book A-Z of Formula Racing Cars.

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Now that I have found the photos I can go back to chasing the chassis in the drawing. Yes I do know where it was at least before all this heart crap started to get truly debilitating

 

That would be an interesting piece to aquire,

Herb

 

Bob - were you there on Sunday?

 

No,I was and am half a world away. I'm just connected with a few folks on the continent. when I come to England and Europe I will let you know.

 

Another example for "Build it yourselfers" out there

Sorry this was before I got a scanner

 

Is this thing a cyclecar?

 

No it's actually an Elephant

 

Rosemarijn and her Amilcar. Notice the brick pavers of the street.

 

Bluto, is that from a Home Mechanic book, or one of the "Projects for Boys" books? Dad gave me a copy of one years ago with all sorts of great ideas/how-tos!

 

I go mine from 37kid years ago...... yes projects any kid can do

 

I just love this type of body, one of my all time favorite. I'm planning on building something like that from a mid 20's Renault NN, underslung,flathead V8 and hi boy, almost done collecting parts...

 

A Bedelia that looks like it sleeps at the Schlumpff...

 

'48 Mochet Model K

 

This is a '57 or '58 Messerschmitt KR201, it is one of 304 roadsters built. Note the side curtains instead of sliding windows. It is hard to believe that someone would take a roadster skiing! I have a KR200 and a KR201.

 

Bluto, you slay me. Elephant!! I would prefer some of those mini-specials to the microcars that have wormed their way on to the thread lately.......Actually, I could spend most of my time here just admiring Banjeaux Bob`s avatar pic....

 

I think anyone that read my post ..... it wasn't meant to be a cyclecar but show some of the materials and construction techniques for a low budget project. Homemade by a backyard mechanic or blacksmith was really the back bone of so many predecessors of the Voturettes pictured here produced in factories and large teams of workers.

When I was a kid I'd look at these stories and dream of building my own car ..... I hope that that post awakens that feeling for some of you that were not there.

These magazines were found in so many old book shops and school libraries. They were accessible too budding designers an inventors from he late 1800's and in most of the world's languages. A few years ago I was thumbing thru one of these and saw the winner of US$5 for his small car pictured and motorcycled powered. In this connected world it took only a few days to track it down and discover it still existed today. Without that prewar magazine and a cold rainy day I would never have found the little car.

I would like to help people here understand that one-off and sometimes early creations still exist just waiting for enthusiasts efforts and little 5 cent magazines.

Even old and sometimes near death I have kept alive sometimes by the spark of those dreams.

 

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Hello KR,​

Wonderful pair to have in own room! Nice surrounding, too - real micro-museum. I hope that sometimes you have pleasant weekend-cruises taking them out?

Maybe holders for skis look out of place, but people in those times were quite different than today, especially in relatively poor Europe...
--- ---
Messerschmitt Cabin-rollers were less present than Isettas on Belgrade's streets in my childhood and youth, but I knew for a few abounded in backyards of big buildings in center of the city. There were more BMW Isetta bubble-cars, but people didn't like them either, considering them as “cars for invalids”, as they were originally imported by the state for WW2 veterans. Nobody liked them: neither owners accepting them as necessity, nor public considerning tham as funny quazi-cars...

Later, they could be bought cheaply in relatively good condition, as were never used a lot. Some 20 years ago, I could buy one cheaply at Belgrade's periphery, from old man, first-owner and back-yard mechanic. His adult children was ashamed of him because he used Isetta from time to time, driving it around. He offer me to change it for my old Trabant (not used any more, as I bought Triumph Dolomite) – but my wife should kill me if saw “that” in front of house! If I made that deal, now I would be rich and could have a few “normal” old-timers instead of then unloved Isetta! Of course, small cars in any class (veterans, voiturettes, cycle-cars, micro-cars...) are my old love...

Ciao.
P.S.: However, there still could be found a few well-reconstructed, or derelicted:






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messerschmitt TG500

 

A few of Damien V.'s images of the ATF Rally in Normandie.