The idea of small mass-produced cars dates back to the 1910s.
But few would argue that the "Golden Age" of such cars arrived right after World War II, bringing with it "bubble"-licious designs.
smallest-car-1910
For decades, people have been trying to come up with ingenious cars for various reasons; to save the environment, to make parking easier, to ease congestion in built up areas. But the world's smallest car, designed in the 1960s by Peel Engineering, is yet to be beaten in the size stakes.
smallest-car-1960
The P50 was designed in 1962 by Cyril Cannell and Henry Kissack, and had appeal due to its really simple and cheap design. At its launch at the Earls court motor show, it was marketed as ‘almost cheaper than walking', and retailed for between £179 to £199, a snip at today's car prices.
smallest-car-1962
It was aimed at people who would travel alone, as it only had space for one person and a shopping back. The size made it perfect for fitting into the last space in the car park, and it didn't even offer a reverse option, as it was light enough to pick up.
It was made of fibreglass, and had simple features like a manual windscreen wash, operated by a bottle inside the car, that when squeezed, distributed the water to the windscreen, and the petrol tank gauge was a transparent sheet of plastic, so you could simply see when you were running low. It also had three wheels, to make it lighter, and only one door.
It was, and is still roadworthy in the UK, although being able to only achieve speeds of 38 miles per hour, it would be best suited to the congested roads of London.
Imagine, if a car like this was in circulation now, the cost of your road tax and Car Insurance? You could save a great deal.
The car can be seen at the Manx Transport Museum until October.
- The first Ka premiered in 1996, and was considered to be a modern day Volkswagen Beetle.
ford-Ka-car
- The Bolloré Blue Car is only available in France. The BlueCar is an electric vehicle from France that offers an operating range of 155 miles and a top speed of 84 mph. A full recharge requires 6 hours, while a two-hour rapid charge will recover 50% capacity.
the-bolloré-blue-car
- The Think City - Norwegian car maker Think was launched the all-electric City model in the US. A 2009 release was planned, but the company was forced to halt production because
of financial distress.
the-think-city-car
- The Daihatsu Copen is a Japanese two-seater that only available in Japan and Europe. It has been around since 2001.
the-daihatsu-copen-car- The Kandi Coco is available to Oklahoma residents . The electric two-person roadster arrived in the U.S. in 2009.
the-kandi-coco-car- The Smart Fortwo was originally Called the Smart City Coupe Pls it debuted in 1998. Ten years later, the all-electric concept car version was the Fortwo Ed Announced. The Fortwo is available in the U.S.
the-smart-fortwo-car- The Reva G-Wiz is a city car made by REVA Electric Car Company (RECC) in Bangalore, India. The company is currently the world’s leading electric car manufacturing company. This car is available in the U.K., but not the U.S.
the-reva-G-Wiz- The Tango by Commuter Cars has two electric motors, one for each rear wheel, that allow it to go from zero to 60 in less than four seconds. George Clooney was the first customer, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin is an investor and purchased three Tangos.
the-tango-commuter-car- The Lumeneo Smera, a French built electric car went on sale this May for about $33,000. It is currently only available in France, but is expected to be sold throughout Europe in 2010.
the-lumeneo-smera-car- The ElBil Norge Buddy Cab is a Norwegian electric car. It is the sixth generation of a model called the Kewet, developed for the first time in 1991. During the first five generations over 1000 electric vehicles were produced and sold in eighteen countries. In 1998 all rights were acquired by ElBil Norge AS. Strange that the Buddy Cab comes from Norway, considering Scandinavians are known for being tall.
the-ElBil-Norge-Buddy-cab
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