Let's Talk Cyclecars

And the "First to the accident Award" is

 

Bluto,
The best thing is that motorised shoes are aerodynamical!
It seems to me that they are powered by small NSU engines?
Synchornisation of speeds?
Ciao.

 

Look closely she has a throttle in each hand........... Repeat after very VERY bad idea!!!!!

I bet the fuel is stored in the toe of each shoe

 

I bet her nose/face didn't look like that for long...

 

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.

.

 

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.