Exploring the Fascinating World of Microcars with Nigel Owen
In this episode of the Backseat Driver Podcast, we dive into the fascinating world of microcars with Nigel Owen, a key member of the Micromaniacs Club. We explore the historical context of these compact vehicles, tracing their origins to the post-World War II era when they emerged as economical solutions, typically featuring engines under 800cc. From the iconic Isetta, with its distinctive front-hinged door, to the Heinkel and other notable models, we examine what makes these tiny cars so unique.
Our discussion also touches on the modern resurgence of microcars, including electric variants like the Citroën Ami and the Microlina, which offer practical yet whimsical urban mobility. Beyond their efficiency, microcars continue to captivate enthusiasts through their charm and sense of community, blending nostalgia with contemporary automotive innovation.
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Mentioned in this episode:
SAS Autos
For over 20 years, Specialised Automotive Services has provided high-quality, affordable automotive maintenance and repairs. Featured in Lancashire Life and a recipient of their Auto Services Award, the company specialises in vintage and classic car restoration, auto electrical work, and general repairs. https://sas-autos.co.uk
Transcript
I'd like to welcome to backseat driver Nigel Owen, one of the micromaniacs.
Speaker A:Nigel, welcome to the Backseat Driver.
Speaker B:Thank you very much indeed.
Speaker A:Microcars.
Speaker A:What is a microcar?
Speaker B:There's no definitive definition of a microcar.
Speaker B:Generally speaking, we would normally say less than about 800cc's and it doesn't necessarily need to be an old car, it can be a more modern car as well.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because, I mean, with the current crop of electric cars, we have things like the little Citroen me, which is.
Speaker A:Well, that's actually not a car that's.
Speaker A:That's classed as a.
Speaker A:Like a quadricycle.
Speaker A:It's classed as a motorbike because it's so tiny and doesn't do the 30 miles an hour.
Speaker A:But I mean, there's all sorts of them and the reason they came into being was to get people mobile after the war.
Speaker B:Well, it's basically one step up from having a motorbike.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:In that you could keep yourself, wife, family dry at minimal cost.
Speaker B:Really.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I mean, it was one step up in many ways from a motorbike and sidecar.
Speaker A:Although in many respects, probably the motorbike would have a bigger engine, perhaps.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Although many of the microcars of the era did use motorbike engines.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Now, when I were a lad, a long while ago, bubble cars, as they were referred to, were quite a commonplace thing.
Speaker A:But as you look into them, there's more than one bubble car.
Speaker A:You have.
Speaker A:You've got I Setter, Trojan, BMW, of course.
Speaker A:I mean, how many of them are there?
Speaker B:I think it's difficult to know how many are out on the roads nowadays because there's no absolute register of them.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:The various owners clubs try and keep track of things.
Speaker B:I mean, I have an Izetta.
Speaker B:Unfortunately, the records from Izetta uk, who built the Izetta's, under license from BMW here in the uk, there's no records left, so it's a bit hard to say.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So, I mean, who designed them?
Speaker A:Who came up with the bubble car or the Trojan or the Heinkel or the Isetta?
Speaker B:Well, the Isetta was originally manufactured by an Italian company called ISO.
Speaker B:Yeah, Isetta, meaning small ISO.
Speaker B:If you look.
Speaker A:Of course, ISO is like.
Speaker A:I mean, most people referred ISO as the ISO Griffo and the bits are.
Speaker A:So it was a complete.
Speaker A:I mean, it was opposite.
Speaker A:Complete.
Speaker A:Opposite ends of the scale for.
Speaker B:Yeah, well, ISO, if you look them up now, they.
Speaker B:They're still in business.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:And they make fridges and for Italian ice creams.
Speaker B:Oh.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:But ISO originally developed the Izetta using their own rather peculiar two stroke engine.
Speaker B:And then after the war, BMW bought the rights to produce it and they remanufactured it into a BMW Izetta using BMW engine and gearbox.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So where did the Heinkel bit come from?
Speaker B:Well, Heinkel again, another aircraft manufacturer during the war, is with German industry, which was on its knees.
Speaker B:It was thought of a way back to get the industry performing again, both with BMW Zeta Heinkel and Messerschmitt.
Speaker A:I mean, everybody says the Messerschmitt.
Speaker A:It was designed on the Messerschmitt's cockpit.
Speaker A:It looks a bit like one, but it isn't a messy Schmidt's car.
Speaker B:No, I think.
Speaker B:I think that that is just an old wife's help, to be honest.
Speaker A:So how did you get into them?
Speaker A:What suddenly sparked you into thinking, I want to own one of these?
Speaker B:It was just a bit of fun, really, that when I retired, I wanted something to keep myself occupied.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I'd always had a bit of a giggle when you saw them driving by.
Speaker B:And fortunately, in the area that I live, there were some people that were bubble car microcar enthusiasts, got in touch with them and that's where it led from.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So the one you have now, when did you acquire that?
Speaker B:It was through friends that had restored it about 20, 25 years ago.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And then it went into a private collection and the chap that had the private collection was moving, downsizing, moving up to the Dales.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And was getting rid of some of his micro cars and he got back in touch with the, the guy that originally restored it, asking if he knew of anyone that was wanting one.
Speaker B:And that's how I got it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So, I mean, I know you said the history is there.
Speaker A:What is the history of your particular car?
Speaker B:My car was originally sold to somebody in Blackburn.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Not far from where I live.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:And it was there for quite a few years, then moved just a few miles down the road and then ended up in, in West Yorkshire after it had had a bit of a bump and somebody restored it originally and then it.
Speaker B:It's had a.
Speaker B:A subsequent restoration about 15 years ago.
Speaker B:It's always been in the Yorkshire, Lancashire area.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because, I mean, at the moment we're sat near Cleck eat now.
Speaker A:We are indeed now the Micromaniacs, before we come back to the cars, is.
Speaker A:Is known or perceived as a Yorkshire club, is it not?
Speaker B:It originally started off life as the East Yorkshire Micromaniacs Club when A group of like minded individuals got together just for general runs out and then it grew.
Speaker B:We're now the Micromaniacs Club.
Speaker B:It's a national club.
Speaker B:Got about, I guess about 180 members now of which half are along the N62 corridor.
Speaker B:But we have people in Scotland down on the south coast and we have some members overseas in Belgium and even in New Zealand.
Speaker A:Any particular reason why there's, shall we say, a concentration of them in Yorkshire?
Speaker A:I know Yorkshire folk are keen on saving their brass and they are economical to run but any reason why there's the proliferation?
Speaker B:I think you tend to find there are little pockets all over the country and the club just grew up because that's where people happen to be that got to know each other and got on well socially.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean were the dealers for them Ramney?
Speaker B:Yes, yes, yes there were.
Speaker B:You can look up on, you know, on some of the, the Wikipedia, on some of the websites and you'll find that most major towns or cities, definitely, yeah, had a dealership and usually it was a multi car dealership.
Speaker B:So they wouldn't just sell one make, they'd sell two or three different makes.
Speaker B:Yeah, Bubble cars or micro cars.
Speaker B:So you might have a dealership that sold is Ettas Bonds and Heinkels and possibly Mesmit as well.
Speaker B:So it, there were facilities roundabout.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And it was tended to be I think dealerships that GRE or being motorcycle dealerships.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:So it gave, it gave the multicycle owner, shall we say this, the next step up in many ways.
Speaker B:Yeah, there's definitely a continuity there.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean as we were saying, the bubble car as everybody refers to them, you've got the Isetta, you've got the Trojan, you've got the Heinkel.
Speaker A:What's the difference between them?
Speaker B:The Isetta was made by BMW in Germany and also under license by Izetta here in the uk.
Speaker B:The Heinkel again a German company, was made by Heinkel in Germany and also they had a subsidiary in Ireland for a short period of time.
Speaker B:But they were also again made under license here in the UK and they were then called a Trojan just to differentiate them.
Speaker B:Then there's the Messerschmitts which were only ever made by Messerschmitt in Germany, were imported into the uk.
Speaker A:And the other thing is, I mean like you have the Messerschmitt Tiger and I've seen on the bubble cars there were, they're not all three wheelers, some of them were four wheelers but the rear wheels by.
Speaker A:By design, because of the shapes of the cars.
Speaker A:The rear wheels were quite close together.
Speaker B:Yes and no.
Speaker B:It depends what market they were sold in.
Speaker B:So the Isetta in Britain you could choose to buy one in three wheeler or four wheeler.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:The advantage of being a three wheeler is it was taxed as a motorbike.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Which made a considerable saving in the 50s and 60s.
Speaker B:And to drive one, a three wheeler, you could drive it on a motorbike license in those days.
Speaker B:But in order to do so it had to have three wheels, not four.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And also you had to have the reverse gear blanked off because that was one of the things that differentiated a car from a motorbike was having a reverse gear.
Speaker A:Because just putting in it was the famous thing with the bond three wheel is that had the reverse meshed off but you could open the bonnet and turn the engine round.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:So you could reverse it out.
Speaker B:The, the bonds didn't actually have a reverse gear.
Speaker B:You could almost swing it around in its own axis.
Speaker B:The Mesmits, the later ones, you could start the engine up in reverse.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So you could actually have four forward gears and four rear gears going at.
Speaker B:Going backwards.
Speaker B:A bit dangerous that.
Speaker B:But the three wheelers in the UK obviously two at the front, one of the back.
Speaker B:The four wheelers you could get have spaced out wheels at the back.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:In some markets though, again it's.
Speaker B:It's local definitions of what is a three wheeler and four wheeler.
Speaker B:For example, if you go to the Swiss market, the Izettas had two rear wheels but they were right next to each other.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker B:So they weren't separated.
Speaker A:So in a roundabout where you had one wide wheel.
Speaker B:Yes, yeah, indeed.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's just sort of different countries have different compliance regulations.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And that's why they were made differently.
Speaker A:Apart from the benefits of one being a motorcycle and one not being.
Speaker A:Was there any benefit to the four wheelers?
Speaker B:I can't think of any.
Speaker B:I suppose cuz the three wheelers were just.
Speaker B:Were cheaper.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I suppose having four wheels at the back might be a little bit more stable.
Speaker B:I'm not sure.
Speaker B:They are definitely a lot harder to work on mechanically.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:And I mean we were saying before we went on air, these cars have a competition history.
Speaker A:It might strike people as strange.
Speaker A:But they did the Mia Miglia's.
Speaker A:All the big rallies of the Aix.
Speaker A:Sophie Lier.
Speaker A:All the big rallies they took part in.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:They were in their class.
Speaker A:They were.
Speaker A:Might be in the same event as big Ferraris Mercedes Benz and everything else.
Speaker A:But they weren't competing against those who were competing in their class.
Speaker A:It's not a car you would perceive as a competition vehicle, is it?
Speaker B:That's probably because it's not a competition.
Speaker B:I mean you do see them.
Speaker B:They used to have bubble, bubble car races on racetracks.
Speaker B:You know, I've had friends that have done the Liege, Brescia Liege in a bubble car and from what they were telling me, it was not a pleasant experience.
Speaker B:You know, when you, when you top speeds, 45 miles per hour going downhill with wind, you just can't keep up with one will keep up with, with the people going a lot faster.
Speaker B:Particularly going over the Alps or something like that is, you know, it's good fun and I think people will say, well I've done it once, tick the.
Speaker A:Box, but that I won't be doing it again.
Speaker A:Now, interestingly, unlike a lot of things, I mean they're a four speed gearbox.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And they, they drive like.
Speaker A:Not be funny.
Speaker A:They drive like a car.
Speaker A:When you're in them, it's.
Speaker A:You're driving a car.
Speaker A:No disrespect to the bubble car, but it is to a degree a conventional vehicle to drive.
Speaker B:Oh indeed, it's it.
Speaker B:The asset has got four forward and one reverse gear.
Speaker B:It's got standard lights, indicators, everything just like you would have it, you know, what is perceived as a normal car.
Speaker A:And these got a black book radio.
Speaker B:Well, mine has.
Speaker B:That was a special edition.
Speaker B:You could get them originally but very few of them were fitted in the UK.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And interestingly of course they are a 12 volt, which surprised me to be quite honest, because a lot of micro cars were 6 volt.
Speaker A:Yeah, it like the 2cv from the.
Speaker B:Start it was 12 volt and I think that's probably because the, the motorbikes from BMW were 12 volt as well.
Speaker B:So it's, it's, you know, at least you get, you know, decent headlights and you can see where you're going.
Speaker A:The engine, what is the engine?
Speaker B: , late: Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:That has just been tweaked with every now and again.
Speaker B:The engine was also used in Germany for water pumps and.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Other industrial applications with a bit of beefing up here and there.
Speaker B:But to all intents and purposes it's a BMW motorbike engine for single cylinder, four stroke mated to a BMW gearbox.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So the gearbox, was the gearbox unique to the car or did the adapt a motorbike gearbox?
Speaker B:No, I don't think it's a motorbike gearbox.
Speaker B:I think it is.
Speaker B:I think it was specifically made for.
Speaker B:For the Azeta.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Now, I mean, what do you get up to with that little thing?
Speaker B:Well, I use it most days just to go and do the shopping, providing that the.
Speaker B:The weather's nice and there hasn't been any salt on the road.
Speaker B:But with the.
Speaker B:The club that I'm in, the Micromaniacs Club, we have rallies each summer and also sort of informal get togethers when mates meet and go at the pub.
Speaker B:We attend other local rallies nearby in the area and it's a very social scene as well.
Speaker B:And also people that are in the club.
Speaker B:The nice thing is that everybody's available to help if you have any problems.
Speaker A:So how do you go on maintaining it and running it?
Speaker B:It's pretty straightforward.
Speaker B:Parts are relatively easy to come by and thanks.
Speaker B:That's really thanks to the good work of the Izetta Owners Club here in the uk.
Speaker B:They have a specialist parts department and it's very rare that you can't get something that you would need.
Speaker B:Or failing that, nowadays, at least with printing, you can get.
Speaker A:Get 3D printing.
Speaker B:3D printing, you can.
Speaker B:You can get something.
Speaker B:Something done.
Speaker B:The only difficulty is if you needed like a large body part.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Then that is where you would run into trouble.
Speaker B:Although something like a new floor is available from a couple of manufacturers, one just down the road from here in Tewsbury.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Because, I mean, one of the major parts of the vehicle is its door.
Speaker A:It's front door, which is the front of it.
Speaker A:The door, in its own respect is.
Speaker A:Is many things.
Speaker A:It's not just a door, is it?
Speaker B:No, it's.
Speaker B:Well, it's your in and out.
Speaker B:It's the only way of getting in and out of the car.
Speaker B:If that does get damaged or bashed, then you've got to take it to someone that's a specialist.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:That can do that or perhaps have a new bit of metal welded in.
Speaker B:But it is all doable.
Speaker B:It's amazing when you see photos of friends that have had.
Speaker B:That have restored their cars from what they started off with.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:An absolute wreck up to now.
Speaker B:But it's something in pristine condition.
Speaker B:So if you have got the wheel, there is a way to do it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Now, I mean, the other interesting thing, we've just been talking about the door very much like the original Fiat 500 that had a sunroof, not as a free Luxury item but as a method of saving on metal.
Speaker A:The Isetters etc have a sunroof.
Speaker A:But it's not.
Speaker A:Wasn't a metal saving idea.
Speaker B:No, it wasn't.
Speaker B:And because you've only got one door on a lot of all of the bubble cars like the Isetta and the Heinkel, if you're in a front end bump and you can't get out the door, then the only way out is through the sunroof.
Speaker B:So it's probably, I would say the only safety feature that the car has.
Speaker A:Got because I'm not being funny, they aren't particularly robust in construction, are they?
Speaker A:Even though it does have two rather nice big chrome overriders on the front.
Speaker B:Mine's got a couple of bull bars which again depended on the model that you got.
Speaker B:It wasn't a standard feature.
Speaker A:All right, so that's a luxury item.
Speaker B:It is.
Speaker B:That's because mine, my car is what's called an Isetta Super Plus.
Speaker B:Oh, if you had a Super, you had bull bars.
Speaker B:If you had a plus, you had a heater as well.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker B:So no, I wouldn't want to be in a serious accident with, with, with it because the safety features are non existent.
Speaker A:Now it's like I was saying, you've got the tiny little Citron me, but there's the Microlina.
Speaker A:I mean which is somebody has taken the, the shape or the basic shape and turn one into an electric car.
Speaker A:I mean what's the, what's the bubble car fraternity reaction to this?
Speaker B:Well, I haven't seen any here in the UK yet.
Speaker B:They've earned.
Speaker B:It's been a long and torturous time in them bringing it to market.
Speaker B:Swiss company and they've had problem after problem but they are just being released now.
Speaker B:In fact I've got friends in Belgium that have got one on order.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I think one of the maze major difficulties that they have in the design was making it compliant with current crash regulations.
Speaker B:Obviously it's electric vehicle as well, it's not with an engine and so it makes it itself to be the ideal city car.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Now most listeners know that I am not a major fan of electric cars but such as the Citroen, me and the Microlina to my mind, to get more people interested in them or to have them as a second vehicle, they need to be.
Speaker A:To make them appeal, they need to be fun.
Speaker A:I think the little Citron though, it's a very strange looking little thing, is a fun thing.
Speaker A:And the Microlina and if you look at them, your Bubble car.
Speaker A:Inherently they were, besides being a practical device, they were a fun vehicle, weren't they?
Speaker B:Well, definitely.
Speaker B:I think that, you know, when you're out on the road, people always smile and wave at you.
Speaker B:You know, it's, it's got that cheeky sort of smile with the headlights and the door and they, they, they tend to bring back hopefully happy memories for people that either had them or their dad had one or the granddad had one.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Or grandmother for that matter.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean, I mean one of them there was a red one in Heartbeat driven by the barmaid.
Speaker A:Did they tend to be more of a female vehicle or these days, are they a female, predominantly a female vehicle, or do they appeal more to women?
Speaker B:I, I think it's sort of both.
Speaker B:It was interestingly, with Gina in Heartbeat driving that car.
Speaker A:Was it one of your members car?
Speaker B:Actually it was, it was one of our, our members club's cars and it was my mate Jim Jameson Dr.
Speaker B:Car with a wig on.
Speaker B:So no, you will see that car roundabout at other rallies.
Speaker B:It's known by somebody else.
Speaker B:But no, it's, I was, it is.
Speaker A:Not that difficult to drive on.
Speaker B:No, I, I was in York a couple of weeks ago with watching Prul the Chef or the, the TV inhoit one woman show.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And we.
Speaker B:When she first started off doing business in London, she delivered to her clients in her BMW is better.
Speaker B:So, you know, ladies did drive them.
Speaker A:Yeah, Well, I suppose it's a bit like you look at the Citroenh van, they become very popular as coffee boys.
Speaker B:Very much, very much so.
Speaker B:And I think also they've got a certain, like the H fan has got certain style about it as well.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:That is, you know, quite retro and is not amiss today.
Speaker A:And I mean retro is very much in.
Speaker A:Besides the Microlina.
Speaker A:Do you, do you perceive them as making a comeback?
Speaker B:I think it's going to be a niche market because any new, new microcar now is going to need to be electric.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Which means cost.
Speaker A:Well, that's the one thing people talk about electric cars, it's the cost of them.
Speaker A:They are expensive things and you need.
Speaker B:You know, you got to pay for the charging to be hooked up at home.
Speaker B:You know, I have a proper charging unit as well.
Speaker B:So, you know, by definition they're going to be quite niche.
Speaker B:But I think that they are ideal if you're just, you know, running around town, going to the shops, taking the kids to school, then you know, perfect for that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I mean besides the eye set, as we've spoken about the bubble cars etc.
Speaker A:I mean there was the Peel from the Isle of Man.
Speaker A:As I said, we've spoken about measurements.
Speaker A:What other makes and models were there?
Speaker A:Because there were some very unusual little things, weren't they, to which the Germans seemed to be prolific at churning out.
Speaker B:Yeah, the Germans had several different mates but there are other makes in the UK as well.
Speaker B:Perhaps the other, the biggest German make is the Go Gomobile.
Speaker B:They did little coupes, very stylish coupes.
Speaker A:They look like little spacecraft.
Speaker B:Definitely, definitely.
Speaker B:And little four seater cars.
Speaker B:NSU made the, the prints and things like that in the uk.
Speaker B:Again, quite niche manufacturers that sadly didn't last the course any.
Speaker A:I mean who were they?
Speaker A:The British?
Speaker A:The British was.
Speaker A:I mean do you see them really.
Speaker B:The names that spring to mind are as you say, Peel, but they're very rare and nowad very expensive.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:To which Mr.
Speaker A:Jeremy Clarkson drove one around the BBC, memory serves.
Speaker B:Yes, indeed.
Speaker B:I could tell you a few things about what Jeremy Clarkson says about microcars.
Speaker B:Just don't, don't believe everything that he says, even though he's a good Yorkshireman.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:The Mace, there's things like the Gordon which was a four door one, but it's difficult to think of them because they just don't exist on the road nowadays.
Speaker B:You just, you just don't see them.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So I mean you just come back from Belgium where there's been a big media.
Speaker A:How many cars were there?
Speaker B:I guess that must have been about 30 cars in total.
Speaker B:That.
Speaker B:Yeah, we had on, on that rally which is about standard for a rally that you get.
Speaker B:Apart from there's the, the traditional national microcar rally, the nmcr, which takes place every year and this year it's up near Ripon.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker B:And for those.
Speaker A:So you want our so far to travel?
Speaker B:Not so far for me.
Speaker B:But the NMCR National Microcar Rally is sort of an umbrella organization to which all microcars are welcome to come along.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And you will get, you know, 30 to 40 cars coming to that.
Speaker B:Our own Micromaniacs Annual Rally.
Speaker B:Again you get sort of 20 to 30 cars.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Coming along and various other things around the country.
Speaker B:But not, it's not just the big meetings, it's the smaller ones that are nice as well that people will come along and join in with other classic car events.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Now if somebody wants to get into one of these vehicles, I mean just give us a, an idea of what they're likely to find and how much it's likely to cost them.
Speaker B:Well, My first suggestion is always join one of the microcar groups that are out there.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Be it a single make group or as in our club, the Micromaniacs Club, a multi car group.
Speaker B:Then you get to know cars, you get to know people.
Speaker B:Most cars nowadays, I find, are sold through word of mouth.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Through advertisements.
Speaker B:So that I think is a good thing because then you get to know the history of the car.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:You do see microcars for sale on classic car sites, also on ebay.
Speaker B:But as is always the case, it's a buyer beware.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:What you see might not be what you're going to get.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So if you want something that's fully restored in pretty good condition, that is, you know, you could drive tomorrow, you'd be looking at paying upwards of 15, 16, 17, £18,000.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Things are cheaper, but necessarily they will need things doing to it.
Speaker B:So you need to either have a good grounding in doing things yourself, be it in bodywork or mechanicals engine, or belong to a group where you can get good assistance from guns.
Speaker A:And what are the parts availability for, though?
Speaker A:I know we've just been saying if you have a bump and the door wants doing, but general service parts, are they quite easy to get?
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean, BMW have always had a reputation of producing engines and spare parts for a long, long time.
Speaker B:Well, it's interesting if you go into your local BMW dealership and know the BMW is at a part number.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:It's still on their system but it's not available.
Speaker A:It could be a case of yes, we can get it.
Speaker A:We haven't got it.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:Fortunately we're well served in the uk.
Speaker B:There's the Isetta Earners Club of Great Britain.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And they, as part of the the club, they have an excellent spare service and there's very little that you can't get and put your order through and you'll get it within a week or so.
Speaker B:That's very good.
Speaker B:There's also a couple of other places that you can go to.
Speaker B:Bromley Bubble.
Speaker B:Although I think the guy that runs that is looking to retire.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:In the near future.
Speaker B:But again, most people will have things that you picked up at auto jumbles over the years in the back of the garage.
Speaker B:And so that's why it's always worthwhile joining a club, getting to know people who might have just the part that you're looking for.
Speaker A:And I conclude it's like lots of cars, every now and then one will pop up that nobody knows about.
Speaker B:Indeed.
Speaker B:There are literally genuine barn finds and Particularly with the, the bubble cars, you know they, they can be well hidden.
Speaker A:But we're going to say the benefit is because they're so tiny they don't take up a lot of room.
Speaker A:You could tuck one up a back end of a garage and it'll hardly alter the capacity.
Speaker B:Indeed, indeed.
Speaker B:And I would say to anybody that if you do come across something like that, no matter how bad condition it is in.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:It is most likely that it will be possible to restore it.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Now if somebody's out there, which are the rarest, which are the ones which is like the holy grail of the micro car world.
Speaker B:I would say a messiah.
Speaker B:Schmidt Tiger.
Speaker B:Which is one of the, the four wheel ones.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Which has got double the size engine and is worth.
Speaker B:I don't know, the last one that sold in Britain went for about 140, 150,000.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:So if you def.
Speaker B:You find one of those in the back of a barn somewhere, grab it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Because besides the Microlium there's somebody actually did start producing very authentic replica measuresmiths.
Speaker B:There was a company over in Blackpool, Tritech who made replica Meshmids and also replica Izettas but with modern engines and they're in business for a few years.
Speaker B:Not anymore.
Speaker B:And you know you do see them about.
Speaker B:We've got a couple in our club.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And you may you say about various engines.
Speaker A:Is it possible besides the BMW engine, did people fit alternative engines to them to maybe make him a little bit live with you?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:A few years back there was quite a famous orange Zeta that had a Hayabusa I think the name Ota in the back.
Speaker B:The trouble is it's fine having that super powered engine but you need the super powered brakes that weren't fitted.
Speaker B:So not recommended the super powered handling.
Speaker B:Indeed, indeed.
Speaker A:Is there an oint to driving them?
Speaker B:Yes, slowly.
Speaker B:You do, you do keep up with modern day traffic.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:The car is quite happy going along at 40, 45 miles an hour.
Speaker B:You hit a hill and you definitely do slow down.
Speaker B:But if you're just going from A to B on normal sort of A and B roads.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:You, you will keep up with traffic.
Speaker B:The, the biggest problem you have is people slowing down behind you to wave and have a look at it.
Speaker A:So you're definitely the center anymore.
Speaker B:Yes, I mean they, they do create a bit of a stir.
Speaker B:But the nice thing is it, as I said earlier, it hopefully brings back happy memories for people.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:As I said there's a.
Speaker A:But I was.
Speaker A:I mean it gives my age away.
Speaker A:But I can remember growing up, you.
Speaker A:They weren't an infrequent sight.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker A:And they used to intrigue, I think even back then because of this one hinge door where the steering wheel and everything else used to hinge along with it.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:That's only the Izetta, though.
Speaker B:The Heinkels didn't hinge.
Speaker B:Oh.
Speaker B:Is one of the few patents that Heinkel couldn't break off BMW.
Speaker B:But no, they, they, they are quite unique and you know, they, they filled a spot a need at the time in the 50s and 60s and because.
Speaker A:They weren't a novelty back then, as.
Speaker B:I say, they were a definite step in between having a motorbike or motorbike and sidecar and having a car.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And it was motoring not necessarily on the cheap because they weren't that cheap.
Speaker B:If you look at how much one cost back in the day.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:Look at the week's wages that it cost to own one to buy one.
Speaker B:Back in the late 50s and 60s, looking at average wages, it was like, you know, 40 weeks wages to buy a bubble car.
Speaker B:Nowadays if you up the what the car costs then to what it would cost now.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's about 14 or 15 weeks wages.
Speaker B:So it just shows how, you know, wages have gone up.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And the relative cost of, of motoring has come down.
Speaker B:You might not think so today when you go and fill up with petrol, but that is actually the case if.
Speaker A:Somebody wants to get involved with the micromaniacs.
Speaker A:Have a look.
Speaker A:What's the website?
Speaker B:It's micromaniacsclub.co.uk just have a look around there.
Speaker B:You can join online or just send us a message and we'd be most welcome you.
Speaker B:Most pleased to welcome you on board.
Speaker A:Nigel Owen, Macromaniac.
Speaker A:Thanks very much for joining me on the backseat driver.
Speaker B:My pleasure.
