HARVEY Towne Shopper-1948

The International Motor Company of San Diego introduced the Towne Shopper to the world in December of 1947. The little car weighed 600lbs and promised to sell for $600. It was claimed to go 50mph and get 50 mpg.

Now ready for production, the newly-renamed Harvey Towne Shopper was to be the postwar housewife’s best friend. It had its motor in back. Up front was a trunk that could hold several packages or shopping bags. There was even a clever peddle latch under the front bumper that allowed a busy shopper to open the trunk without putting down their parcels. The car was marketed as a “The Small Car with a Thousand Uses.”

Promotional photos showed adventurous, independent looking young women, seemingly thrilled at the prospect of doing battle with full sized Chevys in the grocery store parking lot in a pint-sized Towne Shopper. IMC secured stories on the Towne Shopper in the January 3rd issue of Business Week and March 1948 issue of Popular Science. Rival publication, Popular Mechanics, went so far as to put the car on its April 1948 cover.

Specifications:

Manufacturer:  International Motor Corporation

Country of Origin:  United States

Drivetrain Configuration:  Front engine, rear wheel drive

Engine:  Two-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled, 12HP

Transmission:  Centrifugal clutch

Top Speed:  50 mph

Years of Production:  1948 

Number Produced:  Very few

Original Cost:  $600