@@EdsAutoReviews Yo, Ed, a quick tip. I got 'rona 3 months ago, it's super important that you try to use your sense of smell. Many of my fiends had super long recovery time when it comes to smell. I on the other hand tried to smell things like soap, dish soap or perfume few times a day. That kind of practice allowed me to recover my sense of smell in a week or so.
Iso was originally a refrigerator manufacturer, which lends a lot of perspective to how they came up with the design for the Isetta. They also made some really cool and attractive grand tourers with Chevy Small Block V8s and design by Giotto Bizzarrini
Mr. Ed (I mean that respectfully-- I'm not calling you a horse), I've watched a few of your vids, and I'm endlessly amused and impressed with your ever-changing presentation techniques (dude, seriously, that "film noire" version for the downfall of Packard absolutely had my eyes glued to the screen and a constant stream of chuckling and other audible expressions emitted from my other facial parts). Pure GOLD! I intend to binge-watch the videos I haven't yet found in my feed, and in the meantime I have subscribed and clicked the bell. --Enthusiastic Newbie
@@jmi5969 Aixam makes one with a 600cc engine that can reach 93kmh officially but a friend of mine managed to get his to ~100. You can't drive on highways though
@@Fred_the_1996 There is an Aixam craze in France.Pretty annoying.These things are slow and noisy and often stinky like the GDR's Trabants.That's what socialism leads to.
@@Fred_the_1996 As far as I know, Aixams are regarded as the worst of the modern microcars while Ligier gets all the love for having a hand in motorsport back in the day.
The challenge with modern microcars is how to accommodate Government safety requirements that mandate size and weight. Compare a new BMW Mini with a Rover Mini or a new Golf with a 1975 Mk1 Golf and you(ll see how these small cars have ballooned in size. Minis are still small on the inside. The larger dimensions are due to crash protection, pedestrian protection and safety systems. You can still build a fairly small car like a Smart ForTwo. But they seem to have limited appeal, even in Europe.
One of the worst cars in that respect is the current Mercedes A180. Looks big on the outside but on the inside it’s really really tight and cramped. The sills are like 8” thick. Two adults barely fit on the back seat, and if you are long prepare to fold yourself in and out.
@Ed's Auto Reviews In Italy, things were a bit different: since we were (like the rest of Europe) completely and utterly incapable of doing anything before reconstructing what the war had damaged, we found ourselves in a dire need for transportation means and severe fuel rationing. This meant that if you had a Topolino or a Balilla from before the war you either had to convert it to a really cheap fuel called "Gasogeno", which was essentially the Ersatz-processed-coal fuel that was used by the Nazis during the war and was way less efficient than normal fuel, or you couldn't run it at all. If you didn't have a car before the war, or it got destroyed /requisitioned by the State, you were pretty much fucked: you were forced to go on foot until bicycle manufacturers could get on their feet again. But in '46 the Vespa and Lambretta revolution came about: if you had a bit of cash but not so much to buy a car, well... you'd buy a Vespa or a Lambretta. If you didn't even have that, you'd buy a bike (only for it to get stolen because it was more valuable for parts than whole). The FIAT Topolino C, while affordable, was still out of the workers' wages by a bit, and nobody wanted to indebt itself for something that could easily be nicked. It took the FIAT 500 to change all that.
Your voice was just fine as was the video, well done. In the US micro cars are good for urban drivers but America is SO spread out that on the interstate freeways they are not all that safe. I once had a "Smart For Two" and drove from California to Texas--"bad idea" Thanks for your fun and very enjoyable videos........ After that drive I got a full sized pickup truck.
Way too narrow. The narrowest car I have sat into in the last 10 years was a 2012 Kia Rio, and me and my wife were rubbing elbows on the center armrest. That car was 67.7 inches wide. A modern Kei car cannot be wider than 58.3 inches. That's like taking 10 inches out the width of a Kia Rio. Either me or my wife has to rotate our body to sit a little bit sideways to fit that car. To drive like that will be incredibly unsafe :)
I think the Biro already showed that microcars have been making a comeback over the last couple of years. In cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam they are already quite plentiful, although mostly owned by the more wealthy residents. It's kind of a trendy accessory for them as well I think. Also, I hope you get well soon!
Ed, if you ever come to the States, make sure to visit Nashville in Tennessee. Not only is it a great tourist town with tons of music and things to do, it's also the home of the Lane Motor Museum which is one of the quirkiest auto museums around. In addition to having one of the largest rear engine Tatra collections outside of Europe, it also has one of the largest collections of microcars anywhere. And best of all, they drive all of these cars from time to time, just to get them some exercise.
Your videos get more and more sophisticated, in content and production. Top Rate! I always learn something new from your videos. By liking and commenting I hope you get more traffic. I encourage all your fans to do the same.
I've driven a Twizy a few times, since my father has owned one. It's an experience... Saying that doors were only an option should tell you how basic and bare-bones the car is. I loved driving it, nonetheless. I'm actually planning on buying one myself, one day.
I just wanted to say that Messerschmitt, the microcar company, is exactly the same as Messerschmitt, the aircraft company. After WW2, Messerschmitt was banned from building aircraft for a long time. In order to stay in business, they started building and selling microcars.
@@eduardosantabaya5348 at almost 16 of age, brother took leftover corolla because why not so left is grandpapa's decommissioned chevy van diesel waiting for an unbroken reverse gear
Motorcycles, with their large wheels, handle road bumps and irregularities better than anything with tiny wheels. In your 70s watch for losing your sense of balance though. (I’m 75).
If you're in a race track or in a empty highway, cars are an expression of freedom. But if you're stuck in rush hour traffic, they're just yet another stressful mode of transportation.
You forgot to mention the Morgan and my favourite: The Goggomobile. If my Oldsmobile seats six and has a 7.5L V-8 motor; does that make it a "macro-car"?
i've always seen micro cars being a happy medium between both motorcycles and city cars. some come with motorcycle engines and then have the look of a car just shrunken down. always love microcars
Hi Ed, you mentioned the K cars of Japan in this video, and a suggestion I have is covering all of the Japanese auto market. We in the U.S. only see a very small part of their offerings. They make so, so many cars and trucks. I bought a book years ago showing cars made all over the world, and when it got to Japan it was page after page and many companies that have never exported. Look into it if you would. I bet you would get a number of videos out of it. Keep up the great work.
This channel has been a joyous discovery: good writing, easy to understand (especially for people like me who are not native english speakers), and overall great quality content. Keep it up!
I remember that microcars were considered as motorbikes in some countries and they were made by motorbike manufacturers so i guess they count as a motorbike with an extra wheel?
@@bradlemmond There was a story in Europe about an American who drove his Isetta close to a wall of a ruin in a desert, he could not find the reverse and starved to death.
Great video, as you mention it, "Evolution of the Species: minicars" is a topic not for a video but for a whole library for each branch mobility took to this day. Take good care of you Mr. Ed.
One of the cars he may not have mentioned is that the peel P 50 was brought back into reproduction somewhat recently about a decade ago I want to say. but they also offer a newer electric version and an electric turbo version which goes 50 miles an hour instead of the standard 30. Oh, and don’t worry they still offer a gas version. Along with the trident. Though however, because these cars are so well known for being worlds smallest car they are very expensive and can be as expensive as $18,000 at base price. The cheapest one that they offer at base price is $10,000 and it’s ridiculous “when your knees are the crumple zones.”-Jeremy Clarkson. The company that makes them is called peel engineering and they’re still called the same name to this day, The peel P50. Which is my favorite micro car alongside the family bubble car, the mini Cooper and the Volkswagen beetle. But I don’t think those last two count as micro cars just mini cars but I don’t know.
Behind the Iron Curtain, there was a little car...well, three-wheeler...well, fabric-covered tricycle called Velorex. It famously featured in the comedy Vrchní, prchni! (Waiter, Scarper!, or Run, Waiter, Run!), where a promiscuous book-seller doesn't have much money (since he has to pay alimony to all of his ex-wives) and thus only can afford to buy and run the Velorex. "Hey, neighbour, what do you use to wash your car?" "I just take it to the dry cleaners!"
I've actually seen a Citicar here in town where I live! Not driving around, but parked in a driveway! Aside from the movie "Brazil" there's another short scene in the 1956 movie "Funny Face" where Kay Thompson and Fred Astair are traveling around Paris in a micro car that opens in the front!
What about that bizarre looking microcar that was made by Renault a few years back - Renault Twizy?!! ....then there was that tiny car known as the 'G-wizz'. Both were ridiculously small.
I was a young kid in the 50s in Reno ,Nevada. The micro and very small cars fascinated me. They were a small fad and even in the late 50s and early 60s there was a loyal following. ( Almost all were European.) In the last decade friends (?) have insulted my belief in electric cars claiming electric cars will never have the battery to be useful. ( Already not true) In the U.S. it looks like auto manufacturers are using the electrical systems to increase the upkeep cost of a current car high. One can see that an electrical car would be cheeper .. so I think this scares U.S. makers . So.. I suspect that only a Strong Japanese company's inexpensive importable car will move the U.S. market. .Only then the U.S. makers will not be able to obfuscate electric cars. The auto industry sabotaged public transportation out here in the West. A car is pretty essential . A Micro car is not the most practical for long trips .. But they would be perfect for people who just wanted to travel a few miles every day. .. which is most people. .All cities and towns would benefit from this. Maybe people will want two cars.. one for daily travel and one for longer freeway travel.
One you could have included, although it wasn't a major hit, but fit in the time period (post WW2) would be the Hoffman. It was probably also considered a micro car, especially considering it was powered by a small motor cycle engine and only had 3 wheels (it was similar in overall operation we'll say as the Isetta (small motor and three wheels) but perhaps less safe and more prone to bad design decisions.
Living in the surburbs or the country, micro-cars are a joke, but In a big city they actually make sense- Parking is a nightmare, many people live on highrise and don't have on-site parking, and the last 15 years (in my city at least) car-sharing companys, and those bike/scooter-rental deals have become insanely popular. I could easily see a company renting tiny, 2-seater cars via an app being successful, for people who only need a car every now and then.
I don't know in the rest of Europe, but in Italy it is full of teens who drive microcars (as a brand and as a type of vehicle) that are registered the same as a 50cc scooter, even though they have 300cc diesel engine. I hope those things all burn to the ground.
I had COVID, didn't like it and I don't recommend it to anyone. The worst part lasted a few days but the residual effects hung on for weeks. Get well soon!
Well, my part of the world although being your part of the world, fortunately was not affected by WWII. Maybe that was a reason why microcars only became popular here in the late 90's
My dad had a Morgan, it was registered in Alberta Canada as a motorcycle because it had less than 4 wheels, I was born in it, in the hospital parking lot, it was fast but not as fast as me :-)
Here in America, if it has four wheels, it's an automobile. If it has two or three, it's a motorcycle. That makes a legal distinction as to safety standards. In most states, the sales tax rates are the same, the registration fees can be quite different, and driving licenses require an additional endorsement for motorcycles.
There was also the „Kleinschnittger“-microcar, it’s founder actually lived in the house next to my parents house, I think this is the only reason I know them :D
1:13 French countryside guy whose driving license has been suspended (most of the time for DUI) : hold my wine glass... there were never any Japanese microcar with 50cc engines, but there were many French _voiturettes_ with this ridiculous displacement piece of motoring. Even today, there is still a dynamic French industry for microcars, even if common sense helped to equip these vehicles with bigger motors. Aixammega, Bellier, Chatenet, Ligier, Microcar (!), Secma... the choice is yours!
I'm a bit surprised you didn't mention the Smart ForTwo (or whatever it's called in Europe), since it seems like that fits your definition. Oh, and I had a Corgi's Minissima model. It's probably still around here somewhere. (And get well soon!)
You once again overlooked Spain in your video, Microcars were a HUGE thing in the 50s in Spain. We had a wide range of brand’s producing them, like Biscuter for example. But all of this came to an end when state-produced SEAT 600 arrived to the market in earlys 60s. Anyway, good video 👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you for showing this video. While I do live in the United States of the V8, I have a huge soft spot for small cars. Part of this is coming of age in the 70s with its gas crises and some of it (I'm told) is being wierd. I have occasionally even pondered the design of cars using 15-30 hp air cooled lawn equipment engines. At first I had wondered how you would treat the Citroen 2CV. It kind of straddles an interesting line, being roomier than a VW Type 1 (the original Beetle) while being significantly lighter and having a much smaller engine. I guess I agree with your conclusion. It is just way too robust and useful to be considered a micro car. Thankyou very much for making this video.
Most if not all the micro cars you showed were European. In the U.S we also had some micro cars. The Crosley made in CIncinnati, Ohio was small, but I'm not sure if it was classified as a micro car. In Athens, Ohio the King Midget had about a decade of success and there are still many found in the U.S. at car shows and the King Midget rally held in Athens.
The BMW Isetta was very common during my childhood. We never used the term "Isetta". We used its nickname: "Canoodle Bubble (Knutschkugel)". I never found out where that came from. I also remember reports of proud owners of new Messerschmitt Kabinenrollers who after driving into their garage found out that they had to enter (and exit) through the canopy, their garage ceiling being too low to open that canopy and also that the the car had no reverse gear. There were even casualties caused by that particular feature of the car. In summary: read your car's manual carefully before you drive!
I owned a Japanese Kei car back in the 1990s, a Daihatsu Centro. It is still the best car I have ever had. Fuel efficient and no matter where I went I always found easy car parking.
You should do a video on what happens to battery packs after their useful life is gone. Also should throw in there the process of making battery packs from where it's mined until it's put into battery packs. May be surprised at what you learn.
Everyone that is in the topic of EVs knows about recycling and mining. The only clueless are always the gas fanatics who just saw an artickle and are running around and want to tell everyone that they found a drawback of EVs, like a Toddler that wants to tell his parents that he learned that you can fit a cube in the sqare hole. All while they always are completely clueless about the damage their beloved gas cars do. Often resulting in a weird view, where batteries are from hell and fuels comes magically out of the gas station and engines are grown on hills in Italy by family farmers.
@@raychambers3646 Well depends on how much your country sucks, we here have 56% Regenerative Sources in our grid, Coal under 30%. Besides that, you know that Diesel and Gasoline need electricity to be refined right?
@@raychambers3646 And another lie. The grid failed because it was not prepared for the cold. And if failed on all fronts, oil and gas pipelines froze, and gas was actually the main problem. Windmills failed as well but only after gas and oil already died while the demand was over 10% of what the gas grid could handle in perfect times. The reality is, that deregulation and capitalism killed the grid. They weren't forced to winter proof their system, and since capitalism is all about cutting cost and maximizing direct profit, the did not winter proof it on their own. Remember Norway and Sweden use renewable at a much higher degree and have much longer and colder winter. Their grid works well.
Great job on this video very interesting and informative it was my first and definitely won’t be my last. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. As for micro cars here in Australia they are classified as a car and you need a driver’s licence to drive them. Personally I’d love a micro car over an EV any day. They have heaps of character and are just plan practical and quirky.
Take care of yourself funny Dutchman
Your a funny man
we should make a fanpage of funny dutchman!
@@benziearada6707 yes
Thanks! 90% Sure I'm over it. Unfortunately I am left with no sense of taste or smell.. Probably explains my taste in cars as well XD.
@@EdsAutoReviews Yo, Ed, a quick tip. I got 'rona 3 months ago, it's super important that you try to use your sense of smell. Many of my fiends had super long recovery time when it comes to smell. I on the other hand tried to smell things like soap, dish soap or perfume few times a day. That kind of practice allowed me to recover my sense of smell in a week or so.
Iso was originally a refrigerator manufacturer, which lends a lot of perspective to how they came up with the design for the Isetta. They also made some really cool and attractive grand tourers with Chevy Small Block V8s and design by Giotto Bizzarrini
I really dig the Grifo, damn
The Iso Grifo is drop dead gorgeous!
@@EdsAutoReviews I saw an Iso Rivolta set up to run Le Mans, but never did, at a car museum in Sarasota, Florida. Gorgeous car
Refrigerator? There was an Australian washing machine maker called Lightburn, who made a micro car called the Zeta in the early 1960s.
The issetta is a bmw
This channel is a UA-cam hidden gem waiting to blow up. Keep up the good work.
We are not worried about the voice, we are worried about you!
Thanks! 90% Sure I'm over it. Unfortunately I am left with no sense of taste or smell.. Probably explains my taste in cars as well XD.
@@EdsAutoReviews Love your humor, man! Get well soon!
@@EdsAutoReviews lol, good that you’re doing better
@@EdsAutoReviews Also I have a video idea, what if you did a history video on turbine cars, or maybe the evolution of car safety
I'm worried that you have a disease with a 0.0001 chance of death
Great channel! Great video!
I could say the same of your channel , never expected to see you around here, i love your channel and i love this one too.
@@randomshyte9989 Thank you!
oh hey! didnt expect you to be here of all people.
Oh, hey, John! A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
It’s just normal for him to be interested in these kind of “haft as interesting”
Good news, the funny Dutchman is here
Mr. Ed (I mean that respectfully-- I'm not calling you a horse), I've watched a few of your vids, and I'm endlessly amused and impressed with your ever-changing presentation techniques (dude, seriously, that "film noire" version for the downfall of Packard absolutely had my eyes glued to the screen and a constant stream of chuckling and other audible expressions emitted from my other facial parts). Pure GOLD! I intend to binge-watch the videos I haven't yet found in my feed, and in the meantime I have subscribed and clicked the bell.
--Enthusiastic Newbie
Missed opportunity:
Mr. Ed (I mean that respectfully--I'm not calling you a horse *of course* )
@@chapa435ify Damn!
The Citroën Ami is the perfect example of what a microcar has to look like nowadays
Looks, yes. Performance, no. Waiting for a road-legal (i.e. autobahn speed and five-star crash ratings) version.
@@jmi5969 Aixam makes one with a 600cc engine that can reach 93kmh officially but a friend of mine managed to get his to ~100. You can't drive on highways though
@@Fred_the_1996 There is an Aixam craze in France.Pretty annoying.These things are slow and noisy and often stinky like the GDR's Trabants.That's what socialism leads to.
@@Fred_the_1996 As far as I know, Aixams are regarded as the worst of the modern microcars while Ligier gets all the love for having a hand in motorsport back in the day.
@@jmi5969 the microlino 2.0
The challenge with modern microcars is how to accommodate Government safety requirements that mandate size and weight. Compare a new BMW Mini with a Rover Mini or a new Golf with a 1975 Mk1 Golf and you(ll see how these small cars have ballooned in size. Minis are still small on the inside. The larger dimensions are due to crash protection, pedestrian protection and safety systems.
You can still build a fairly small car like a Smart ForTwo. But they seem to have limited appeal, even in Europe.
One of the worst cars in that respect is the current Mercedes A180. Looks big on the outside but on the inside it’s really really tight and cramped. The sills are like 8” thick. Two adults barely fit on the back seat, and if you are long prepare to fold yourself in and out.
@Ed's Auto Reviews
In Italy, things were a bit different: since we were (like the rest of Europe) completely and utterly incapable of doing anything before reconstructing what the war had damaged, we found ourselves in a dire need for transportation means and severe fuel rationing. This meant that if you had a Topolino or a Balilla from before the war you either had to convert it to a really cheap fuel called "Gasogeno", which was essentially the Ersatz-processed-coal fuel that was used by the Nazis during the war and was way less efficient than normal fuel, or you couldn't run it at all. If you didn't have a car before the war, or it got destroyed /requisitioned by the State, you were pretty much fucked: you were forced to go on foot until bicycle manufacturers could get on their feet again. But in '46 the Vespa and Lambretta revolution came about: if you had a bit of cash but not so much to buy a car, well... you'd buy a Vespa or a Lambretta. If you didn't even have that, you'd buy a bike (only for it to get stolen because it was more valuable for parts than whole). The FIAT Topolino C, while affordable, was still out of the workers' wages by a bit, and nobody wanted to indebt itself for something that could easily be nicked. It took the FIAT 500 to change all that.
Get well soon, my friend
Your voice was just fine as was the video, well done. In the US micro cars are good for urban drivers but America is SO spread out that on the interstate freeways they are not all that safe. I once had a "Smart For Two" and drove from California to Texas--"bad idea" Thanks for your fun and very enjoyable videos........ After that drive I got a full sized pickup truck.
You are a natural storyteller - good job 👍🏻
An episode entirely for Kei Cars is all I need in my life, I'm looking forward to it!
Way too narrow. The narrowest car I have sat into in the last 10 years was a 2012 Kia Rio, and me and my wife were rubbing elbows on the center armrest. That car was 67.7 inches wide. A modern Kei car cannot be wider than 58.3 inches. That's like taking 10 inches out the width of a Kia Rio. Either me or my wife has to rotate our body to sit a little bit sideways to fit that car. To drive like that will be incredibly unsafe :)
I really hope the funny dutchman gets better soon.
I think the Biro already showed that microcars have been making a comeback over the last couple of years. In cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam they are already quite plentiful, although mostly owned by the more wealthy residents. It's kind of a trendy accessory for them as well I think.
Also, I hope you get well soon!
Funny in France it s generally the low class that use these vehicles.
Once I saw this video, I clicked right away. I watched all your videos in one day!! You do such a great job!!
Ed, if you ever come to the States, make sure to visit Nashville in Tennessee. Not only is it a great tourist town with tons of music and things to do, it's also the home of the Lane Motor Museum which is one of the quirkiest auto museums around. In addition to having one of the largest rear engine Tatra collections outside of Europe, it also has one of the largest collections of microcars anywhere. And best of all, they drive all of these cars from time to time, just to get them some exercise.
The simson duo from the GDR were literally just two simson schwalbe scooters welded togather
close, it was mostly a schwalbe sawn in halves, a park bench welded inbetween and powerd by a MZ125
I am so sorry about your COVID 19 don’t worry about the voice
Your videos get more and more sophisticated, in content and production.
Top Rate!
I always learn something new from your videos.
By liking and commenting I hope you get more traffic.
I encourage all your fans to do the same.
corona and they just opened the shops here again
I've driven a Twizy a few times, since my father has owned one. It's an experience...
Saying that doors were only an option should tell you how basic and bare-bones the car is.
I loved driving it, nonetheless. I'm actually planning on buying one myself, one day.
I think an episode on steam cars would be an interesting episode...
I just wanted to say that Messerschmitt, the microcar company, is exactly the same as Messerschmitt, the aircraft company. After WW2, Messerschmitt was banned from building aircraft for a long time. In order to stay in business, they started building and selling microcars.
Can you do an episode on the rise and fall of the whitewall tire/ tire design
At 72 years of age, I still feel safer with a motorcycle of at least 1,000 cc displacement.
I should not laugh about the Mitsubishi 'Spacecake', but I did anyway!
@Jurgen Raven still driving a 2cv with a 602cc engine in 2021
@@eduardosantabaya5348 at almost 16 of age, brother took leftover corolla because why not so left is grandpapa's decommissioned chevy van diesel waiting for an unbroken reverse gear
Surprised how small the seats are in a big van and it has a weird engine placement
Motorcycles, with their large wheels, handle road bumps and irregularities better than anything with tiny wheels.
In your 70s watch for losing your sense of balance though. (I’m 75).
get better dude!
"Cars are just another mode of transportation."
I officially part ways with my generation here.
If you're in a race track or in a empty highway, cars are an expression of freedom.
But if you're stuck in rush hour traffic, they're just yet another stressful mode of transportation.
Awesome content as ever. In fact in Brazil the first cars produced in the country were Isettas and they enjoyed a short term success here.
You forgot to mention the Morgan and my favourite: The Goggomobile. If my Oldsmobile seats six and has a 7.5L V-8 motor; does that make it a "macro-car"?
Why you don’t have 150K subs I don’t know. This is an underrated channel, expect to blow up soon 🔜
Great episode. Your channel is way underrated. You deserve at least 200k subscribers, not 20k!
What about the Velorex? The Czechoslovak fake leather covered machine powered by a Jawa bike engine.
i've always seen micro cars being a happy medium between both motorcycles and city cars. some come with motorcycle engines and then have the look of a car just shrunken down. always love microcars
You hit 20K! Congrats man, love your channel.
Hi Ed, you mentioned the K cars of Japan in this video, and a suggestion I have is covering all of the Japanese auto market. We in the U.S. only see a very small part of their offerings. They make so, so many cars and trucks. I bought a book years ago showing cars made all over the world, and when it got to Japan it was page after page and many companies that have never exported. Look into it if you would. I bet you would get a number of videos out of it. Keep up the great work.
Hope your doing good. Dont let corona get you down. If you need or want to take a break from videos. We all under stand. Keep trucking.
Great comment. Do not push yourself too hard. We will patiently wait for new videos when you get better. GET WELL, ED!
This channel has been a joyous discovery: good writing, easy to understand (especially for people like me who are not native english speakers), and overall great quality content. Keep it up!
get well soon and have some rest, my favorite dutchman!
I remember that microcars were considered as motorbikes in some countries and they were made by motorbike manufacturers so i guess they count as a motorbike with an extra wheel?
It's a wonderful little blurred legal line. Where does a bike stop being a trike and start becoming a car?
"the small, wonderful world of micro...."
Oof is that what she told you Ed?
i'm sorry you have coronavirus, heal soon!
Why not show the Velorex and other "invalidka" contraptions.
Invalidka, Invacar, and others could make another episode.
@@bradlemmond There was a story in Europe about an American who drove his Isetta close to a wall of a ruin in a desert, he could not find the reverse and starved to death.
Great video, as you mention it, "Evolution of the Species: minicars" is a topic not for a video but for a whole library for each branch mobility took to this day.
Take good care of you Mr. Ed.
Ohhhhh youth definitely see it as a mode of freedom. Where did you get that from?
Hope you're alright! The tagline for 2071, I salute to you!
I turn my ads on for you. I find your content very entertaining. Keep it up!
I had a 1971 Honda 600 sedan in 1973, just in time for the oil embargo.
One of the cars he may not have mentioned is that the peel P 50 was brought back into reproduction somewhat recently about a decade ago I want to say. but they also offer a newer electric version and an electric turbo version which goes 50 miles an hour instead of the standard 30. Oh, and don’t worry they still offer a gas version. Along with the trident. Though however, because these cars are so well known for being worlds smallest car they are very expensive and can be as expensive as $18,000 at base price. The cheapest one that they offer at base price is $10,000 and it’s ridiculous “when your knees are the crumple zones.”-Jeremy Clarkson. The company that makes them is called peel engineering and they’re still called the same name to this day, The peel P50. Which is my favorite micro car alongside the family bubble car, the mini Cooper and the Volkswagen beetle. But I don’t think those last two count as micro cars just mini cars but I don’t know.
Hi, I have sent you an email regarding another microcar, the Smyk, in which I provide detailed info on it. I'd appreciate if you checked it out
Behind the Iron Curtain, there was a little car...well, three-wheeler...well, fabric-covered tricycle called Velorex. It famously featured in the comedy Vrchní, prchni! (Waiter, Scarper!, or Run, Waiter, Run!), where a promiscuous book-seller doesn't have much money (since he has to pay alimony to all of his ex-wives) and thus only can afford to buy and run the Velorex.
"Hey, neighbour, what do you use to wash your car?"
"I just take it to the dry cleaners!"
The power of a Sachs /Jlo 2 stroke engine is strong in this episode 😁
I've actually seen a Citicar here in town where I live! Not driving around, but parked in a driveway! Aside from the movie "Brazil" there's another short scene in the 1956 movie "Funny Face" where Kay Thompson and Fred Astair are traveling around Paris in a micro car that opens in the front!
In the sixties I lived in Paris, and the most popular microcar was the Isetta, designed in Italy but also built in France by Velam.
What about that bizarre looking microcar that was made by Renault a few years back - Renault Twizy?!! ....then there was that tiny car known as the 'G-wizz'. Both were ridiculously small.
I was a young kid in the 50s in Reno ,Nevada. The micro and very small cars fascinated me. They were a small fad and even in the late 50s and early 60s there was a loyal following. ( Almost all were European.) In the last decade friends (?) have insulted my belief in electric cars claiming electric cars will never have the battery to be useful. ( Already not true) In the U.S. it looks like auto manufacturers are using the electrical systems to increase the upkeep cost of a current car high. One can see that an electrical car would be cheeper .. so I think this scares U.S. makers . So.. I suspect that only a Strong Japanese company's inexpensive importable car will move the U.S. market. .Only then the U.S. makers will not be able to obfuscate electric cars. The auto industry sabotaged public transportation out here in the West. A car is pretty essential . A Micro car is not the most practical for long trips .. But they would be perfect for people who just wanted to travel a few miles every day. .. which is most people. .All cities and towns would benefit from this. Maybe people will want two cars.. one for daily travel and one for longer freeway travel.
One you could have included, although it wasn't a major hit, but fit in the time period (post WW2) would be the Hoffman. It was probably also considered a micro car, especially considering it was powered by a small motor cycle engine and only had 3 wheels (it was similar in overall operation we'll say as the Isetta (small motor and three wheels) but perhaps less safe and more prone to bad design decisions.
Very interesting video I love your enthusiasm
Living in the surburbs or the country, micro-cars are a joke, but In a big city they actually make sense- Parking is a nightmare, many people live on highrise and don't have on-site parking, and the last 15 years (in my city at least) car-sharing companys, and those bike/scooter-rental deals have become insanely popular. I could easily see a company renting tiny, 2-seater cars via an app being successful, for people who only need a car every now and then.
I don't know in the rest of Europe, but in Italy it is full of teens who drive microcars (as a brand and as a type of vehicle) that are registered the same as a 50cc scooter, even though they have 300cc diesel engine. I hope those things all burn to the ground.
I had COVID, didn't like it and I don't recommend it to anyone. The worst part lasted a few days but the residual effects hung on for weeks.
Get well soon!
Well, my part of the world although being your part of the world, fortunately was not affected by WWII. Maybe that was a reason why microcars only became popular here in the late 90's
Aw, Sadly you didnt include the Line of the german "Brütsch" Moppettas, The Zwergwagen etc
all the best. get well soon--- and thanks for putting up a video anyway
An original Fiat 500 is not much larger than a go-kart. I wouldn’t consider it on par with regular compacts, or even sub-compacts
Thicc Dutch boy back at it again
My dad had a Morgan, it was registered in Alberta Canada as a motorcycle because it had less than 4 wheels, I was born in it, in the hospital parking lot, it was fast but not as fast as me :-)
A Messerschmitt would be a quirky choice that i would be willing to make if not to expensive.
Fantastic documentary of all things Cars Ed (micro cars) fascinating as always 👍 👌 😀
297cm - 280cm = 17cm, not 10cm!
Get well soon! 🙂
Interesting seeing you here
Love your videos. Give me a 1960's Chrysler Imperial and I'm happy.
Here in America, if it has four wheels, it's an automobile. If it has two or three, it's a motorcycle. That makes a legal distinction as to safety standards. In most states, the sales tax rates are the same, the registration fees can be quite different, and driving licenses require an additional endorsement for motorcycles.
thank you for your work great Ed
There was also the „Kleinschnittger“-microcar, it’s founder actually lived in the house next to my parents house, I think this is the only reason I know them :D
Thanks for another fantastic episode! 😊👍Great job, Ed! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Hope you recover soon, best wishes! 🍀❤️
If you cannot fit two adults and their luggage in the vehicle then it's a microcar!
the video is getting to big, HAH I GET IT, BECAUSE MICRO CAR
4:57
Yo wtf😂
That is so weird
Great video, but you forgot about crosley and king midget.
Thanks so much for all the work and research you do for making your channel so great. Wonderful job!
1:13 French countryside guy whose driving license has been suspended (most of the time for DUI) : hold my wine glass... there were never any Japanese microcar with 50cc engines, but there were many French _voiturettes_ with this ridiculous displacement piece of motoring. Even today, there is still a dynamic French industry for microcars, even if common sense helped to equip these vehicles with bigger motors. Aixammega, Bellier, Chatenet, Ligier, Microcar (!), Secma... the choice is yours!
Yes the many French ‘sans permi’, also known as the ‘car of shame’…
A German microcar that looks more like a snail than anything the French ever made!
I hope you get through Covid safely! Best wishes from Germany.
I love to see the channel grow!
I'm a bit surprised you didn't mention the Smart ForTwo (or whatever it's called in Europe), since it seems like that fits your definition. Oh, and I had a Corgi's Minissima model. It's probably still around here somewhere. (And get well soon!)
You once again overlooked Spain in your video, Microcars were a HUGE thing in the 50s in Spain. We had a wide range of brand’s producing them, like Biscuter for example. But all of this came to an end when state-produced SEAT 600 arrived to the market in earlys 60s. Anyway, good video 👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you for showing this video. While I do live in the United States of the V8, I have a huge soft spot for small cars. Part of this is coming of age in the 70s with its gas crises and some of it (I'm told) is being wierd. I have occasionally even pondered the design of cars using 15-30 hp air cooled lawn equipment engines.
At first I had wondered how you would treat the Citroen 2CV. It kind of straddles an interesting line, being roomier than a VW Type 1 (the original Beetle) while being significantly lighter and having a much smaller engine. I guess I agree with your conclusion. It is just way too robust and useful to be considered a micro car.
Thankyou very much for making this video.
I was already expecting that micro car pun, but it hit me hard.
Most if not all the micro cars you showed were European. In the U.S we also had some micro cars. The Crosley made in CIncinnati, Ohio was small, but I'm not sure if it was classified as a micro car. In Athens, Ohio the King Midget had about a decade of success and there are still many found in the U.S. at car shows and the King Midget rally held in Athens.
And here I was giving him credit for mentioning the Sebring-Vanguard Citicar.
The BMW Isetta was very common during my childhood. We never used the term "Isetta". We used its nickname: "Canoodle Bubble (Knutschkugel)". I never found out where that came from. I also remember reports of proud owners of new Messerschmitt Kabinenrollers who after driving into their garage found out that they had to enter (and exit) through the canopy, their garage ceiling being too low to open that canopy and also that the the car had no reverse gear. There were even casualties caused by that particular feature of the car. In summary: read your car's manual carefully before you drive!
Why is there a photo of Leonardo DiCaprio at the beginning of this video?
I absolutely love your channel. Thank you for this amazing and consistent content
I owned a Japanese Kei car back in the 1990s, a Daihatsu Centro. It is still the best car I have ever had. Fuel efficient and no matter where I went I always found easy car parking.
You should do a video on what happens to battery packs after their useful life is gone. Also should throw in there the process of making battery packs from where it's mined until it's put into battery packs. May be surprised at what you learn.
Everyone that is in the topic of EVs knows about recycling and mining. The only clueless are always the gas fanatics who just saw an artickle and are running around and want to tell everyone that they found a drawback of EVs, like a Toddler that wants to tell his parents that he learned that you can fit a cube in the sqare hole.
All while they always are completely clueless about the damage their beloved gas cars do. Often resulting in a weird view, where batteries are from hell and fuels comes magically out of the gas station and engines are grown on hills in Italy by family farmers.
A bit like electricity magically coming out of coal fired power station.
@@raychambers3646
Well depends on how much your country sucks, we here have 56% Regenerative Sources in our grid, Coal under 30%.
Besides that, you know that Diesel and Gasoline need electricity to be refined right?
@@Ismalith everything needs electricity to be manufactured, windmills not the best thing as they found out in the US recently.
@@raychambers3646
And another lie.
The grid failed because it was not prepared for the cold.
And if failed on all fronts, oil and gas pipelines froze, and gas was actually the main problem. Windmills failed as well but only after gas and oil already died while the demand was over 10% of what the gas grid could handle in perfect times.
The reality is, that deregulation and capitalism killed the grid. They weren't forced to winter proof their system, and since capitalism is all about cutting cost and maximizing direct profit, the did not winter proof it on their own.
Remember Norway and Sweden use renewable at a much higher degree and have much longer and colder winter. Their grid works well.
That was a super fun episode! Hope you get well soon.
Great job on this video very interesting and informative it was my first and definitely won’t be my last. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. As for micro cars here in Australia they are classified as a car and you need a driver’s licence to drive them. Personally I’d love a micro car over an EV any day. They have heaps of character and are just plan practical and quirky.
interesting video
Just a note, the proper pronunciation of "Kei" is "K" or "Kay" not "Key"
Get well soon sir
great video....do kei cars