THE immediate post-war scene in Great Britain was not a rosy one for the motorist. Cars were in very short supply and for a long time so was petrol. But gradually, as things eased and the dreary 1940s passed into the hopeful 1950s, it became a more normal aspiration for many households to possess motorised transport of some kind.

In this climate the micro car made its second big attempt to gain a permanent place on the motoring map.

Most of these were at first foreign imports because the micro car was far more popular in war-torn Europe, with the exception of Laurie Bond's little Minicar launched in 1948. British manufacturers gradually took up the baton, including such unlikely companies as the AC and Allard sports car manufacturers, a Midlands engine and transmission manufacturer and a football pools promoter!

Let us start, though, with the Messerschmitt which somebody once said was "the perfect answer to a question nobody asked," but which nonetheless was one of the most successful of the breed.

Fritz Fend was an aeronautical engineer who had served as a technical officer in the Luftwaffe during World War two. He was a natural inventor and able to convert his ideas into practice, but like many of his ilk he was no businessman and did not know how to market his brainchild.

At first he played around with a simple form of invalid carriage for disabled ex-servicemen, which moved by pulling and pushing the handlebar to the single front wheel. Later came ideas for a powered version but now there were two front wheels and one rear. Known as the Fend Flitzer (meaning flitting, or darting quickly), it had a strange multi-faceted aluminium-panelled body, suspension composed of rubber-in-torsion ele- ments and a two-stroke, single-cylinder 98cc Fichtel & Sachs proprietary engine driving the rear wheel by chain. Fend found, much to his surprise, that he was inundated by requests for the vehicle not from disabled people but from those seeking economical transport.

Fend had neither the facilities nor the finance to launch such a venture, but he did have many contacts in the aircraft industry, currently in a parious state so he approached Messerschmitt who were anxious to get their Regenburg factory back into production.

Announced as the Messerschmitt 175 in 1953, Fend's design was really quite clever, its shape now more flowing and less like a grounded metal airship, even if its plexi glass canopy gave rise to the rumour that it was made from old fighter plane parts!

Nonetheless it was a novel feature for a passenger vehicle, while the chassis consisted of steel tubing combined with a pressed steel monocoque tub - a concept not unlike that of present-day racing cars.

The Sachs 174cc engine had a kickstarter, there was a high-geared steering bar (about a third of a turn lock-to-lock) but the turning circle was poor (some 40 feet) because the 175 had no front wing cut-outs. The lever for the four-speed gearbox was to the right and operated in a fore and aft plane, with a cable operated clutch pawl integral with the gear lever; the throttle control was a twist-grip on one handlebar. It may sound complex but was really very simple, especially to someone used to a motorcycle.

The brakes were mechanically actuated by cable on all three wheels. Top speed was around 50mph.

In 1954 a novel form of reverse gear was fitted. The method was to stop the car and engine and then by means of the Bosch Dynastart and reverse-starter circuit, the engine could be made to run in the reverse direction giving, in theory, backwards momentum in all four gears! Few were brave enough to use this facility.

By 1955 the KR200 had been introduced which featured many improvements. The front track was widened, cut-outs provided in the front wings, a completely curved windscreen with electric wiper, a more fully trimmed interior space for an adult and child at the rear with a split seat like the Mini-Metro (who said anything was new?), and a larger Sachs engine of 191cc became standard.

A road test in Motor Cycling gave a top speed for the new model of 56mph though more has been claimed in favourable conditions. Petrol was consumed at a rate of 57mpg when driving flat out but 75mpg was possible with more sedate usage. The KR200 cost just under £340.

Almost inevitably other versions appeared. The KR201 Roadster came to the UK in 1957. This had an unframed windscreen, hood, sidecurtains, special wheels, special instruments, and chi-chi snakeskin pattern interior trim. This was superseded in 1959 by the Cabriolet which had a soft top but a fixed Perspex sidescreen structure.

Perhaps the most dramatic variant was the TG500 (Tiger) which used the same body shell, but had four wheels and a 500cc twin-cylinder two-stroke Sachs engine delivering 19.5bhp at 50OOrpm.

It was obvious from the outset that this Schmitt was going to be a lively performer so some changes were made in the chassis department.

The engine and transmission were mounted into a separate steel tube sub-frame which was attached to the central monocoque. The Kabinroller's simple but effective suspension was replaced by a swing-axle design. The TG500's short halfshafts were fitted with a universal joint at each end to counter camber changes, and the tyre size went up to 4.40 x 1 0.

Fritz Pend envisaged the TG500 as initially produced appealing to only a very limited number of enthusiasts - how wrong he was! So the planned provision of a 'proper' steering box was abandoned on cost grounds. However, the four speed gearbox did have a traditional gate instead of the push-me-pull-you set-up of the three wheeler.

Another wise precaution was the fitting of hydraulic brakes. As well as the bubble-top, a roadster version of the Tiger was available and both models retained the KR200's ingenious pivoting front seat on parallelogram arms which could be raised to make getting in and out easier. As much as 90mph was claimed for this tiny projectile, but they are extremely rare in this country, perhaps no more than 20 in number.

Production of the Tiger ceased in 1962 and the 200 model two years later. Of the 200s some 45,000 were made with around 15,000 UK imports.

The other most well-known 'bubble-car' shape is the lsetta-BMW, known irreverently as an Easter egg on roller skates. This was made in 1953 by the Italian Iso company, who later produced some interesting sports exotica like the Grifo and Lele. But in 1954 BMW took over the production rights - they've come on a bit since then, too! They fitted a BMW 250cc four-stroke single-cylinder engine in place of the ISO 236cc two-stroke engine. In 1955 AFN Ltd of lsleworth imported the car to this country but it was not a good seller because of its relatively high price and four wheels (albeit two close-set ones at the rear) which made it subject to full car tax. From 1957 a 300cc engine was offered and in 1959 Isetta of Great Britain made the car at Brighton, Sussex.

The factory space taken was in fact the old locomotive works by the railway station, and a bizarre by-product of this arrangement was that there was no road access, so all the Isetta bubbles left the works by rail. Fortunately the company had the sense to offer a three-wheel version and this quickly took-over the bulk of sales.

Entry was very different from the Messerschmitt. A 'proper' door was fitted occupying the whole of the front of the car and the steering wheel was cleverly arranged to pivot on the door when opened to allow easy entry. Although little chrome nudge bars were fitted at the front, a frontal impact might have made difficult an emergency exit, which is the reason all Isettas, Heinkels and Trojans had canvas sun-roofs.

Other efforts were made to give these trikes a more car-like feel than the Schmitt. The gearchange on the side of the vehicle was of a normal H-pattern (a small number had a Smiths Selectra-Shift system which operated a magnetic clutch via pressure on the gearlever). Ten-inch wheels were used and the coil spring and swinging arm front suspension and rear quarter elliptic leaf spring reai suspension gave a much improved ride. But it was probably less stable than the Schmitt, even though one acquitted itself well by completing the 1000-mile Mille Miglia in an average of 49.6mph. Fuel was consumed at around 55-60mpg and you would have paid £339 19s 6d for one in 1959. In all 160,000 Isetta-BMWs were manufactured in Germany, and some 30,000 were made in Great Britain. There is no doubt that the strong separate tubular chassis of this make has accounted for a higher than usual rate of survival. They continued until 1964.

The last two well-known bubbles are really one and the same car the Heinkel/Trojan.This was introduced by the German aeroplane company of the same name in 1954 using a 174cc single cylinder 4-stroke engine of their own manufacture. This and the final drive had been used in the Heinkel scooters.

The Heinkel differed from the lsetta by having monocoque structure and was consequently lighter and needed a smaller engine. There was a bench seat for two in front, with occasional seats for children behind. The body was similar in appearance to the Isetta apart from flaired-in headlamps, indeed there is said to have been litigation on the subject between the respective manufacturers. There were both three-wheelers and narrow track four-wheelers made, though only three-wheelers were brought into this country, with some four-wheelers ending up in Eire.

The car continued in production until l958 when a 200cc engine was fitted. Shortly after production ceased in Germany, and after a spell being made in Dundork in Eire, Trojan at Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey (an old and respected manufacturer of utility vehicles) took over production, under which name they persisted until 1965.

These cars were extremely economical,a genuine 90mpg being possible. A top speed of around 55mph was available and the car had a handy 24.5-foot turning circle.

As mentioned previously most British products followed on from their continental counterparts, with one exception. Bond of Prestori, Lancashire, made their Minicar from 1948. The model-A boasted two rear wheels and one front which had the tiny 122cc Villiers engine suspended on it and driving it - it also turned through 180 degrees making the car highly manoeuvrable. Styling throughout the run was something akin to an escape from a fun fair, but as time went on they really tried to court the sophisticated image of the big car operating on micro car costs. Wire and bobbin steering on the first model was reminiscent of cyclecars but later versions used a worm-and-sector steering gearbox. The model-D featured a Dynastart, the E featured a full-width body and by mid 1958 the model-F saw a 250cc engine fitted. The model-G had hydraulic brakes and 10-inch wheels which gave a better ride. In 1963 a twin-cylinder engine again of 246cc was offered.

In 1966 came a radical redesign when the more modern 875-model was introduced, which featured a four-cylinder rear-mounted 875cc Commer Imp van engine.

In 1970, due to Reliant's merger with Bond, came the Bond Bug which made a serious bid for the youth market with its distinctive wedge styling, though it is said to handle and perform worse than the earlier 875. In all a surprising number of Bonds were sold: A, 2000; B, 3000; C, 7000; D, 3500; E, 1350; F, 7000; G, 3250; 875, 3500 and Bug 3500.

One of the more unusual attempts on the market came from Allard,makers of high performance cars. It was built during 1954/5 by the Allard Clipper Co., of Fulham, London, SW6. Bolt-together fibreglass panels produced by Hordern-Richmond Ltd., were used for the body which was designed by David Gottlieb (who later designed the Powerdrive and Coronet micro cars).

Allard tried to give the Clipper a big car appearance, using sweeping curves of almost baroque proportions. It had only one door, on the passenger side, but a useful hinged boot was provided at the rear. This could be converted to auxilliary seating for children and as such must have been the last vehicle made in this country with a 'dicky-seat'. Power unit was a 346cc single cylinder two-stroke Villiers engine mounted to the rear nearside and driving one rear wheel by chain. The chassis was an immensely complex system of channel and box section steel and the suspension was by rubber-in-torsion. On only eight-inch wheels, the Clipper was somewhat overbodied for good handling, but the manufacturers claimed 40mph and 70mpg. Its reasonable price at £255 was only attractive enough to overcome its appearance to 22 purchasers, and only two cars are known to survive.

Though the AC company were making middle-class saloon/tourers and fast sports cars, their entry into the micro car field was more of a re-entry. After all they had started life with their Autocarrier commercial trikes and passenger sociables in the early years of the century. But they made the mistake of making their Petite look too much like their government-sponsored invalid trikes for general public acceptance. They were current between 1953 and 1958.

The engine was a 346cc single cylinder two-stroke Villiers, there was a three-speed column gearchange, hydraulic brakes, independent springing, and the bodywork was aluminium. Early cars has 8-inch wheels but later ones boasted 12-inch wheels which gave it a very good ride for the type. Top speed was just short of 50mph, consumption 60-70mpg. They were not cheap at just under £400 and only a dozen or so are known to survive.

Other British micro cars worthy of mention include the Berkeley, the Gordon (made by Pools Promoters, Vernon's Industries) one of which drove from Land's End to John O'Groats averaging just under 70mpg over one stretch; the Powerdrive made in North London's Wood Green (another David Gottlieb production) which sold through the Blue Star Garages network. A target of 1500 units per year was set but never reached and there are no known survivors.
Gottlieb then evolved the Coronet also marketed by Blue Star Garages which had a fibre-glass body rather than the Powerdrive's aluminium one but like that car it used an Excelsior unit which was totally enclosed at the rear and consequently overheated. The steering and front suspension utilised Standard Eight parts. It was made between 1957 and 1960 and sold for £449.

A brave attempt came from Henry Meadows, the engine and gearbox manufacturers in Wolverhampton. The prototype featured a Michelotti saloon with gullwing doors. but this failed to reach production, emerging as the Capt. Raymond Flower designed Frisky saloon and coups in 1957. This was a generally good design which featured a narrow-track pair of wheels at the back and normally spaced front wheels, enclosed by a fibreglass body. An open version, the Frisky Sport, also appeared and all were powered by a 325cc Villiers twin. The bodies were built, by the way, in the nearby Guy lorry factory. The design featured a cheap form of MacPherson strut suspension but this did not work out as well as it might have and contributed to a somewhat notchy ride.

The Family Three appeared in 1959, being a three-wheeler version but none were big sellers.

A Frisky Sport prototype sports car of striking appearance might have been good but was not proceeded with. However, it popped-up in Australia where it was known as the Ligntburn Zeta and used the 500cc twin Messerschmitt Tiger engine.

If the Gordon, with its associations with Vernons Pools, sounds an unlikely combination, then the Nobel was well able to trump that. It was based on the German Fuldamobile, promoted by York Nobel, financed by Cyril Lord (the one-time carpet tycoon), featured a chassis built by ship constructors Harland & Wolf of Belfast and a fibreglass body courtesy of the Bristol Aeroplane company.

The ubiquitous Sachs 191cc two stroke engine was used, driving the single or sometimes twin close-set, rear wheel(s). The Nobel was really quite pleasant to drive on its single transverse front leaf spring, coil rear suspension, and eight-inch wheels. There were four speeds with reverse and a dynastart. A top speed of 50-55mph was possible with 60mpg and 20 or 30 survivors are known, despite a short production run between 1959 and 1961. The Nobel 200 was linked to the Lea-Francis name for a while and York Nobel owned the prototype ill-fated Leaf Lynx which carried the number plate YN200. When both projects foundered a quantity of Nobel bubble cars were said to have been buried under the Al2 between Chelmsford and Colchester.

Anyone got a bucket and spade?

Another make, which lasted rather longer than the Nobel, was the Scootacar (1958 to 1965). This was made by the Hunslett Engineering company of Leeds more famous for railway locomotives, and who, incidentally, had one previous foray into motor cars with something called the Atilla. (Atilia the Hunslett, presumably!)

Henry Brown, the designer, who still owns and uses one (which must say something) evolved the body around an occupant sitting astride the engine motorcycle fashion at the rear of the tandem seating arrangement. Thus the vehicle has a somewhat top-heavy appearance but actually boasted a hefty chassis which prevented it toppling over. The Mkl with Villiers 197cc engine sold for £244; the Mk2 gained a new body and a proper chair for the rear passenger offset to 45 degrees at £321, and the Mk3, priced at £370, sported a twin-cylinder 324cc Villiers unit. Early cars were red which gained them the tag of 'telephone box'; 1000 were built. A further 500 made up the later series, and we hear that a postman in Sussex still uses one to deliver letters. Some 35 to 40 are known to survive and are said to be practical and fun to drive.

Last in our survey of the post-war microcar is the Peel, made between 1963 and 1965. The Peel P50, was made by Peel Engineering, makers of fibre-glass fairings and boats on the Isle of Man. It sold for F199 and had a top speed of 38mph.

It was designed purely as a single seat town car and foreshadowed the more recent crop of microcars using that title. It had no reverse gear, being light enough to park manually using the handle provided at the rear. But if you had to expend a little muscle power to lift the Peel into a parking space, you certainly didn't have to spend much on petrol as lOOmpg was claimed.

The second Peel was the Trident which had two seats and a bubble top, and sold for £l89. About 100 of each were produced and 40 or so survive.

Said Filippo Sapino, Managing Director of Ghia Operations, "in the quest for fuel economy there are weight limits which restrict the design of a four-wheel vehicle. But with three-wheel configuration and single-seat driving position, it it possible not only to reduce weight to improve economy but also to build in some of the precision and sporting flair often associated with motorcycles." And that, as they say, is where we came in.