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The original design of the Spatz was penned by German automaker Egon Brütsch. He was one of the world’s most prolific microcar engineers and designed eleven different car models between 1952 and 1958, such as the Mopetta—but he hardly sold any. He relied mostly on selling licenses to produce his designs. He built the Brütsch […]

The number of vehicles on our world’s roads are expected to triple by 2050. This will require some new thinking and innovation with a variety of fuels and technology in order to meet the growing demand for mobility, all while limiting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It is a very good thing that the Shell Oil

The Louvet is a three-passenger, one-door, dual-pedaled, 2 x 5-speed car—meaning both driver and front passenger have their own pedal cranks that operate on separate 5-speed selectors. It was discovered in a remarkable set of French photographs from 1935. The reproduction seen here has been skillfully crafted with the same unrivaled attention to detail as

The origins of Germany’s Lloyd go back to 1906. Norddeutsche Automobil und Motoren GmbH (North German Automobile and Engines) was a German automobile manufacturer, created and owned by shipping company, Norddeutsche Lloyd. In 1906 it signed an agreement to build Kriéger-type electric vehicles which were sold under the name Lloyd. In 1908, automobile engineer Joseph

Little is known about French inventor Hippolyte Delimal. But in 1936 he attempted to create the world’s smallest car, which reached a speed of 24 mph and touted fuel economy of 118 mpg. He affectionately named it Le Carabe, or the “Ground Beetle”. His vision and enthusiasm could be seen in a completely intact, hand-written,

Paul Kleinschnittger was a tinkerer who had emigrated to Germany from Russia in the 1930s. His concept for an inexpensive mode of transportation more practical than a motorcycle, yet offering comparable efficiency, was put on hold during the Second World War. Afterward, he set about making a proper prototype, but resources were scarce. He reverted

In the early 1920’s, Gaston Daix, a highly-skilled piano maker with a factory in Pessac, near Bordeaux in the south of France, made this unusual ark-like pedal car with a craftsmanship that embodies the timelessness of an elegant musical instrument. The Daix Manufacturer of Pianos began in 1926 and operated until 1963. Handcrafting a piano

As a lieutenant in the Army Air Forces, Texas native Don Surles had an innovative idea. It stemmed from his thoughts on why someone hadn’t designed a more practical door. He imagined a door, “that would open without hitting the curb or another parked car. A door you could leave open as you backed out