Aero Minor- 1950

The original Czechoslovakian Aero’s company history dates to 1929. Between then and World War II, the company produced automobiles and aircraft, and the company was owned by a Dr. Kabes in Prague-Vysocany. After the war (October 1945), the company was nationalized and the communist government decreed that no more automobiles would be built by the company. The government also owned the company name and because of the good reputation of Aero, decided to apply the name to autos designed by Jawa. The cars were designed secretly by Jawa engineers while Czechoslovakia was under German occupation. As such, the Aero Minor II has no real lineage to the original Aeros other than its name.
Introduced in 1946, the Aero Minor II effectively succeeded Jawa’s Minor I. The Minor II had a two-cylinder, two-stroke engine with 616cc displacement and front-wheel drive. The car reached speeds of up to 90 km/h (56 mph). The engine produced 20bhp. It carried both two-door saloon (sedan) and station wagon bodies. The engine sits at the very front of the car and the radiator is behind it, about halfway back in the under-hood area.
Of the total 14,178 Minor II models built, it is estimated that about 50% of those were shipped to 23 different countries, mostly in Europe and South America. The Aero was not sold in the United States. Produced from 1946 to 1951, the Minor II was intended to be replaced by the Minor III. A prototype was built, but Aero production was abruptly halted in 1951 and the production Minor II never materialized.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Manufacturer:  Aero

Country of Origin:  Czechoslovakian

Drivetrain Configuration:  Front-engine, front-wheel drive

Engine: two-cylinder, two-stroke engine with 616cc

Top Speed:  90 km/h (56 mph)

Years of Production:  1946 to 1951

Number Produced:  14,178 Minor II models built

Original Cost: Unknown