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This fiberglass-bodied, Fiat 500-based microcar was built in San Remo, Italy by Carrozziere (Coachbuilder) G.A.M.C. Baldi. Baldi produced several different Fiat and Renault-based models, but the Frog was by far the most popular. First shown at the 1973 Paris Salon, Baldi’s intent was to produce a practical car with the smallest possible size, as a
Fiat Baldi Frog – 1975 Read More »
Volkswagen and Porsche have a shared history going back to the 1930s, beginning with Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and his design, the VW Beetle; it was the mechanical basis for the company’s first production sports car, the 356. In the late 1960s, Volkswagen was looking to replace the sporty yet aging Karmann Ghia, and Porsche was
Porsche 914 – 1973 Read More »
Buckminster Fuller had a long and productive career. He was a visionary that worked in many fields, from the environment to architecture. The Dymaxion, which is an acronym for DYnamic MAXimum TensION, was his most famous automotive project. In 1933, Fuller convinced socialite and friend Anna Biddle to fund the building of the Dymaxion. Progress
Dymaxion (replica) – 1933 Read More »
MG, or Morris Garages, began automobile production in 1928, but the debut of the T-Series in 1936 firmly established MG as a sports car company. The MG TC hit the market immediately after the war, following on the success of the pre-war MG TA and TB. Outwardly similar to the TB with a folding windshield,
MG TC Midget – 1948 Read More »
The Cushman family began making farm machinery and two-cycle boat motors in Lincoln, Nebraska and founded Cushman Motor Works in 1902. After some success, including the development of the famous single-cylinder four-stroke “Husky” engine (1922) and inevitable down-turns, by 1933 the Cushman family was no longer associated with the company. As it was dissolving, John
Cushman Standard Cast Iron Eagle – 1957 Read More »
In 1940, Marcel Mennesson had a prototype built for a bicycle equipped with a motor on the front wheel. The 38cc engine was outfitted with a roller transmission, carburetor and tank, and mounted on the front 700-millimetre wheel. Due to the events of World War II, however, the Model 45 didn’t debut until 1946. Unlike
Solex VeloSolex 45 – 1951 Read More »
Off-road motorcycling exploded in popularity in the early 1960s, with many riders modifying existing designs into trail-ready bikes known as scramblers. In 1962, Honda introduced their factory-built light duty trail bike, the CT, or Cub Trail series. The recipe was simple: take the Cub’s engine and semi-automatic gearbox (no clutch) and place them in a
Honda CT90 Trail “Suitcase Cycle” – 1970 Read More »
This Honda CB 450 “Black Bomber” is widely considered one of the most important motorcycles ever to come out of Japan. The first of the “big Hondas”, the CB450 was the world’s first production dual-overhead cam bike. Paired with unusual torsion valve springs and other refinements, it was a technological tour de force that the
Honda CB 450 – 1965 Read More »
In the late 1970s, Peugeot was known as a manufacturer of large, relatively luxurious sedans, but the company was floundering in the global market. Their takeover of both Simca-Talbot and Rootes Group in 1978 infused the company with a new vitality and excellent small car platforms upon which to build. The 205 is often heralded
Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 – 1986 Read More »