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Mikrus (pronounced Meekroos, meaning: “little tyke” or “midget”) is a Microcar built in Poland between 1958 and 1960.  The design brief titled “4 x 4” called for a 4-wheeled car,able to carry 4 people (2 adults and 2 children) while achieving 4 liters/100kilometers (59 mpg) and weighing 400 kilograms (882 lbs).  The initiative to build […]

The idea of an all-new MG sports car to replace the MG B was kicking around the halls of the Austin Rover Group as far back as 1985. A front-wheel drive, front-engined two-seater convertible dubbed the F16 was developed as a prototype, but ARG’s financial issues forced the new sports car concept to the back

MG started as a group of retail outlets owned by Morris Garages (MG). Their first cars were re-bodied Morris Crowley cars, and were not even called MG. Cecil Kimber was the brain power behind this operation. The 14/28 Tourer was MG’s first real production car, and came out in 1925. The M Type shown here

Maurice Pezous was a French aeronautics engineer, a racing fan, and a Citroën enthusiast. In 1952, he began designing cars based on Citroën drivetrains, and in 1965 he began designing one-seater race cars. A good performance at the 24 Hours of le Mans in 1966 caught the attention of Citroën and, in 1968, with 20

James V. Martin was a prolific inventor who spent years designing cars that he hoped someone would be willing to produce.  The Stationette in front of you is his last attempt.  Produced by Commonwealth Research Corp. in New York City, NY, this car is an all-wooden monocoque construction.  It features no axles, shock absorbers, or

  At the 1932 National Automobile Show in New York, James V. Martin displayed two experimental rear-engined cars of his own design–the four-wheeled Martin and the three-wheeled Martinette. While they incorporated numerous airplane design features, they were also streamlined along jaray principles. This vehicle includes a wooden frame, aluminum body, and independent wheel suspension by

  In 1952 the Manom Company started on the prototype Manocar.  The car was to have large curved body shapes that gave it a larger appearance.  Also, with a high seating position and no doors, the Manocar was easy to step in and out of.  While many microcars were small and cramped, the Manocar seemed

Lotus Cars, founded by the late Colin Chapman, was a racing car manufacturer that also built road cars, such as the Elan and Elite. Chapman was the engineer, and a group of committed staff made his ideas come to life. Names like Costin and Duckworth (who later joined forces as Cosworth) worked at Lotus during

  The Lotus Elise premiered in Frankfurt in 1995 as a roadster with go-kart handling.  It is perfectly suited to Lotus’ heritage:  small, light, fast, advanced, race-tuned, and classically styled.  It has no fixed roof, no power steering, no power brakes, no radio – nothing that is not necessary for driving – and driving is