Tag: Microcar
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Factory Supercharged Subaru Sambar Posing as VW
Once upon a time, a Subaru 360-based Sambar van was sold in the US market. This is the fifth generation, which was produced from 1990 to 1998 and was never sold here. The VW appearance it cute and all, but we’d prefer this just be a proud Subie. Surely nothing has been done that can’t…
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Daihatsu Trimobile: The Three-Wheeled Mircocar from Japan
Here’s a rare beast in the US. The Daihatsu Midget was a utilitarian microcar sold in Japan for several years and sold and marketed in the US as the Trimobile for a few years starting in about 1959. Apparently, these were primarily used inside large manufacturing plants in the US, but can be registered and…
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Rare American Bantam Boulevard Delivery Microcar
American Bantam was a short-lived Microcar maker, which spun out of the bankrupt American Austin in the mid-to-late 1930s. Despite only about five model years of production, these Austin-based cars existed in several body types. This “Boulevard Delivery” is one of the most interesting and collectible. The seller provides little information, but says the car…
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One-Pic Pony: Poor Ad for Interesting, Wooden Crosley
Here we have a 1947 Crosley – something we love in any body type – with a homemade, wooden body. Unfortunately, the seller has included only one image, which means we can’t even see the front. Needless to say, we’re intrigued, but also worried about the mass of this beast. Click for eBay ad Perrysburg,…
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Elio Alternative? Litestar Pulse
The Litestar (later called the Pulse) was built from 1984 to 1990 in Owosso, Michigan by the creatively named Owosso Motor Company. If you can’t stand waiting for your Elio another minute, this might be for you! After all, this offers a small engine and tandem seating. Power comes from an 1100 cc Honda Goldwing…
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Tron/Transformers Chevrolet Spark (?)
We’re oddly drawn to the Chevy Spark, though we often wish the Sonic’s turbo I4 would end up in it in order to make a really goofy little pocket rocket. Why is this here? Well, it’s because the photo below grabbed our attention. The seller seems to have applied what he or she calls “Tron…
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1950s Rapida – Homemade Microcar or Pedal Car?
This is being touted as a one-off microcar, but it’s not clear to use it isn’t a pedal car. Given the wheels, it might be considered the first cyclekart?? The seller seems to know little about the car, and there is no mention of mechanical bits. The interior shot below might even reveal it’s a…
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Own a Tiny Piece of French Automotive History
Apparently, there were loopholes in French vehicle registration and licensing that led to a number of “cars” which could be driven by anyone age fourteen or higher and with no license. These are called “voitures sans permis.” Today’s feature is an example of one known as the Mini-Comtesse and is offered by none other than…
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Crofton Bug Project with many Needs
This isn’t our first Crofton Bug; but the other feature was in much better condition. This one supposedly ran recently, but it has a lot of cosmetic needs. These cool micro-Jeeps are based on the Crosley Farm-o-Road and use Crosley engines. These were only made for five years or so (roughly 1958 to the early…
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You can’t Beat this Honda with a Stick
Yes, this is a rare (especially outside Japan) Honda Beat Kei Car. This little beast has a 0.7L, three cylinder engine and weighs just about nothing. 0-60 wasn’t impressive by today’s standards, due primarily to a lack of torque, but we imagine this would be amazingly fun to drive. The seller claims this car is…