A V-twin engine, also called a V2 engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders are arranged in a V configuration and share a common crankshaft.
The Isetta is an Italian-designed microcar built under license in a number of different countries, including Argentina, Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Because of its egg shape and bubble-like windows, it became known as a bubble car, a name also given to other similar vehicles.
The Zündapp Janus is a microcar model made by Zündapp in Germany between 1957 and 1958, as the only car ever built by the company.
Berkeley Cars Ltd was a British car manufacturer based in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. The company produced economical sporting microcars with motorcycle-derived engines from 322 cc to 692 cc and front wheel drive between 1956 and 1960. About 4,100 cars had been sold before bankruptcy in 1960.
The Fiat 1100 is a small family car produced from 1953 until 1969 by the Italian manufacturer Fiat. It was an all-new unibody replacement for the Fiat 1100 E, which descended from the pre-war, body-on-frame Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100. The 1100 was changed steadily and gradually until being replaced by the new Fiat 128 in 1969. There were also a series of light commercial versions of the 1100 built, with later models called the Fiat 1100T, which remained in production until 1971. The Fiat 1100 D also found a long life in India, where Premier Automobiles continued to build the car until the end of 2000.
Motobécane was a French manufacturer of bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, and other small vehicles, established in 1923. "Motobécane" is a compound of "moto", short for motorcycle; "bécane" is slang for "bike."
The Messerschmitt Kabinenroller was a series of microcars made by RSM Messerschmitt from 1953 to 1956 and by Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH, Regensburg (FMR) from 1956 to 1964. All the Messerschmitt and FMR production cars used the Kabinenroller's monocoque structure, featuring tandem seating and usually a bubble canopy.
The Spatz, later renamed the Victoria 250, is a four-wheeled microcar that was built between 1956 and 1958.
Goggomobil was a series of microcars produced by Hans Glas in the Bavarian town of Dingolfing between 1955 and 1969.
The FMR Tg500 was a sports car built by Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH, Regensburg (FMR) from 1958 to 1961. Based on the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller monocoque, which otherwise was a platform for three-wheelers, the Tg500 was a four-wheeled car with a two-stroke straight-two engine. FMR had taken over production of the KR200 from Messerschmitt in 1956. While the KR200 still used the Messerschmitt name and logo, the Tg500 was badged as an FMR.
S.E. Opperman Ltd. was an engineering firm in Elstree, Hertfordshire, England. In 1862, the company was known as Opperman Sons & Taskers Ltd., at which time they were specializing in gear cutting and gearboxes. In 1934, they became S.E. Opperman Ltd. and began also manufacturing aircraft components. During WWII, they were a notable part of the war effort, making a number of components for naval vessels and aircraft. Their first foray into vehicle production came in 1942, in the form of a large, 8-wheeled, amphibious scout car called the Scorpion, which was built in hopes of making a production deal with the Department of Tank Design. Though it did well in testing, the design was ultimately rejected in favor of offerings from other companies, so the Scorpion project was abandoned. One of their most well-known products was the Motocart, which was a Monowheel tractor, introduced in 1946. The Motocart was available with either an 872cc JAP with 8 bhp or a 630cc Douglas with 6 bhp, both being single-cylinder, 4-stroke, petrol engines. The Motocart remained in production until 1958, with a notable number of them being exported. In 1956, Opperman debuted their first road car: the Unicar. This was followed by the introduction of their second car, the Stirling, in 1958.
The Rodley was a British microcar designed by Henry Brown and built by the Rodley Automobile Company in Rodley, West Yorkshire between 1954 and 1956. Henry Brown also designed the Scootacar microcar.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to automobiles:
Moretti S.p.A. is a former Italian automobile manufacturer. It was founded in 1925 and ceased automobile production in December 1989. Today, many of its sports car models can still be found at various European auto shows. Moretti Motors produced a variety of models at various times including motorcycles, microcars, and several commercial vehicles.
Egon Brütsch Fahrzeugbau, usually shortened to Brütsch, was a German automotive design and automaker based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg.
Fuldamobil is the name of a series of small cars produced by Elektromaschinenbau Fulda GmbH of Fulda, Germany, and Nordwestdeutscher Fahrzeugbau (NWF) of Wilhelmshaven between 1950 and 1969. Various designated versions of the car were produced, although the vehicles produced under each designation were not always identical and the designations were sometimes misapplied. Though overall numbers produced were relatively small, the cars attracted sufficient attention to see licensed construction on four continents including Europe. In its ultimate configuration it is said to have inspired the term "bubble car". It is acknowledged as the first car in the world to feature a negative scrub radius, now recognised as a major advance in driving safety.
Meadows Frisky is the name of a series of small British cars manufactured at the factory of Henry Meadows Ltd at Fallings Park in Wolverhampton between 1958 and 1961, during which time production was under the control of a number of companies.
The Société Bel Motors was a French microcar (automobile) manufacturer established at Les Sables-d'Olonne in 1976 by Jean Bellier. The cars used the name Véloto which reflected aspects of their light-weight design, notably in respect of the spoked wheels which would not have looked out of place on a bicycle.
Erling Poppe was an Austrian-born English-raised motor vehicle designer who studied engineering in Birmingham, England, and designed Packman & Poppe Motorcycles, Sunbeam motorcycles and Gordon three-wheeler cars.
