Tiniest Car in Germany (Aug, 1949)
Tiniest Car in Germany is this miniature auto equipped with a one-hp engine. Measuring 2-1/2 yards long, it goes 27 mph and costs less than $300. Germans don’t need a license to drive it. Fend-Flitzer, Rosenheim, Germ.
Wow, $300 in 1949 dollars? You could probably build that today for under $300.
Spiff: Yes, and you can buy a bicycle shaped object at WalMart for less that the price of two high quality bike tires, too. But I imagine that Germany had regulations for what was fit for the road, even in 1949, that would drive up the requirements and cost.
Inflation Calculator (http://www.westegg.com/…) says its about $2600 in 2009. Not bad, I wonder what the MPG was. I once read that a mpoed in the 1970s could get 75mpg. Hmm.
A good moped in the ’70s could get 100mpg (Imperial) or 80 mpg (US), but it would pump out 6 ounces of mostly unburnt oil while it was doing it.
http://en.wikipedia.org…
Fritz Fend’s Marvelous Micro-cars
March 1, 2004, by Bill Cawthon
http://www.promotex.ca/…
This looks a lot like a Corbin Sparrow, a more modern electric vehicle (produced 1999-2002). http://www.corbinsparro…
I think this was sort of a feel good story – showing Germany recuperating after WWII, not being very threatening, and looking a bit ridiculous.
Or you could just follow the link provided at #5 which also leads to this link on the vehicle http://en.wikipedia.org… which was designed as an invalid carriage which I can imagine was in high demand in post-war Germany. Not ridiculous at all. In 1949 we were building up West Germany against the Soviet bloc.
It’s amazing how many devices for the disabled are later marketed to the general public. A modern equivalent would be the Snuggee, originally designed for wheelchair users.