The Daihatsu Midget, although not the pioneer in three-wheeled motorscooters (that title goes to the Piaggio Ape), made its mark in Southeast Asia as the iconic Tuk-Tuk in the late 1950s. These nimble vehicles took the region by storm, weaving through bustling streets and tight alleys, becoming a symbol of urban mobility. Unfortunately, North America […]
Billionaire investor/car guy/Yugo enthusiast Malcom Bricklin started importing the Subaru 360 in 1968, where he sold them for a basic starting price of $1,297. The little 360/Ladybug was only slightly faster than the typical lawnmower engine powered home-made go-kart, but had license plates and was legal to drive on the road. Unfortunately, US importation of the 360 ended by 1971, shortly after the muckrakers at Consumer Reports labeled the lightweight as “Not Acceptable” due to safety concerns. Imagine what those pearl clutchers would have said if they’d see a 360 that had been modified like this next one?! Find this 1971 Subaru 360 offered for $7,900 in Seattle, WA via craigslist.
From 1957 through 1970 Autobianchi used the Fiat 500 platform to build a cool looking minicar called the Bianchina, which I’ve been told is Italian for “makes the driver look huge.” And the truth is, you don’t need to be Kareem Abdul Jabar to look huge next to a car with a 72 inch wheel base and a 117 inch total length…in fact, Paula Abdul would look like a giant next to this thing. Which is, apparently, the appeal of the microcar, drive something tiny so you feel like a giant, I wonder if I could buy this with my HFSA money and claim it is a form of therapy? Find this 1965 Autobianchi Bianchina offered for $19,500 in Georgetown, TX via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
I don’t mean to be morbid, but there is probably a good reason why someone who makes tombstones for a living would want to sell two vehicles that guarantee death in even the smallest of fender benders. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy a King Midget or a Cushman Eagle…but just be aware that you might want to make a deposit on a tombstone…you know, beat the rush. Find this 1965 King Midget & 1958 Cushman Eagle offered for $13,900 in Arcanum, OH via eBay.
In the world of low volume ’50s roadsters, there are oddballs and then there are complete bizarro world lunatics. This is the narwhal in the room…the twin tusked unicorn that was designed by French car builder Panhard to be sold into the US market — think of it like a poor man’s version of a […]
Berkeley Cars Ltd out of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England had a short run of low-priced sporty microcars starting back in 1956 and ultimately ending in bankruptcy in 1960. Unfortunately, the company was just starting to get their formula of front-wheel-drive motorcycle powered fiberglass things with cars like the Sports SE492 when their main business (building Glass-reinforced […]
I’m really feeling the “old car” vibe today…probably the fumes in my 65 Buick getting to my head…but I really don’t enjoy some of the routine maintenance required in old engines…so I’m think the way to fix this is to find something vintage with a slightly more modern drivetrain. Like this 1931 American Austin with Datsun […]
The micro car market has seen some inflation in the past few years, which is strange because they were the spiders of the insect world — small, hidden front sight, and terrifying. Nothing about the actual experience of driving a micro car has changed much in the past few years, but the prices have certainly […]
Zut alors, how dare you call me a baldy Frog, you…you…dirty E-talian…oh…no. Zis, is not something you call me, a Frenchman, zis is sometheeng you call your voiture? Oh la la. Cette is not a car. Zis is someting zee cat coughed up after it eight some weeds. Get zis toy off my lawn and […]
The Cony 360 was a micro car/truck/van built by the Aichi Machine Industry Co, which built aircraft carriers before and during the war. Legend has it that Airchi was the recipient of German technology between the two World Wars because the Germans were limited in what they could design/produce and had to find an outlet […]