Cheap transportation Bubble cars originated as bright, cheerful, eminently sensible solutions to the post-war economic crisis that hit Europe. Created by a number of ex-aircraft engineers, these extraordinarily quirky machines used their lightweight bodies and aeronautical know-how to achieve optimum shape and performance, with just enough grunt to help you get around the place more quickly than walking, and only a little higher off the ground. With their small footprint, straightforward mechanical packages and modest running costs, the bubble car really hit its stride when conventional cars were still something only a fortunate few could afford.

What is particularly striking about these vehicles was how inventive they were in squeezing all that room into so little space. Bizarre seating arrangements, motorcycle engines, aircraft cockpit inspired canopies and bizarre ways of getting in and out meant bubble cars had characters all their own, from the record-breaking BMW Isetta to the adorable Peel P50 and surprisingly quick Messerschmitt TG500 Tiger, they all showed how innovative the engineers could be in the realm of minimalist motoring before the advent of superminis.

1. BMW Isetta

The BMW Isetta was the world’s best-selling bubble car, providing economical transport to a recovering Europe following the post-war boom. While the Isetta was originally developed in Italy, BMW adopted the design, reengineered it and then fitted it with one of its time’s most reliable motorcycle engines. The BMW Isetta was built to appeal to motorists seeking lower purchase prices and outstanding fuel economy during a time of economic recovery. Its diminutive size made it especially well-suited for dense city environments where normal-sized cars could feel somewhat over-sized.

What Made The BMW Isetta Unique:

• Italian design adopted by BMW
• Motorcycle engine provided economic performance
• Remarkable front-opening door
• Compact dimensions suited urban driving
• Frugal fuel consumption attracted buyers

The Isetta’s pièce de résistance was its door, which comprised the full nose of the car. Instead of a conventional side door opening out, the whole lot hinged open on a single pin, while the steering column and wheel moved to one side to enable a person to stride directly in. It was a feature that amazed many onlooker, who might otherwise by puzzled by the little machine, which was built under licence in various countries including a plant in Brighton, and which enjoyed a period of popularity in the UK during fuel rations like that during the 1956 Suez Crisis. Its adorably squat shape, short wheelbase, remarkable cost savings and frugal use of fuel meant the miniature Isetta quickly became a highlight of ‘less is more’ motoring.

2. Messerschmitt KR200

The KR200 was a classic cabin scooter produced in post-war Germany by the once aircraft-making Messerschmitt. Struggling to make aircraft after World War II, Messerschmitt’s engineers applied their knowledge of structural and aerodynamic design to low-cost road vehicles. Their solution produced a vehicle that looked way more like a miniature aircraft cockpit than a car, with lightweight construction and a series of unconventional design features that were a product of engineering ingenuity to produce affordable transport in tough economic times.

Key Features of The KR200:

• Developed by former aircraft engineers
• Tandem seating arrangement
• Passenger sat behind driver
• Hinged Perspex canopy provided entry
• Aircraft-style handlebar-controlled steering

Every aspect of the KR200 how it looked and how it was driven was designed to be reminiscent of an aircraft. Instead of front seats for the driver and passenger side-by-side, there was an all-in-one passenger seat directly behind the driver, with an open-hinged perspex canopy replicating a cockpit. A handlebar similar to those used on aircraft was used instead of a steering wheel, whilst the small engine and car’s size and aerodynamics was designed to give a suitably ‘buzzy’ feel to the driving experience. The KR200’s front-mounted aerodynamics and heavily-aviation inspired engineering, meant it was a highly distinctive bubble car that was also an example of how aircraft manufacturers could branch out into more mundane, land-bound production.

3. Heinkel Kabine

Another major effort to enter the microcar market came from a previous aircraft manufacturing concern based in Germany. The Heinkel Kabine was similar to other bubble cars manufactured during the era in that it was a product that was intended to bring lightweight engineering to the transportation sector while also catering to the economic conditions that was part of much of Europe in the decades immediately following war time. The manufacturer sought to produce a vehicle that was designed to bring comfortable transport into a compact form while also being low cost.

Why The Heinkel Kabine Matteredl:

• Developed by former aircraft manufacturer
• Lightweight shell reduced vehicle weight
• Small engine delivered strong economy
• Panoramic windows improved visibility
• Compact footprint suited urban transport

The Kabine quickly gained praise for its design efficiency and its straightforward engineering. The vehicle’s lightweight shell body was built from materials designed to keep weight to a minimum, aiding the small single-cylinder engine powerplant and providing exceptional economy for fiscally-minded city dwellers. Its panoramic windows achieved excellent visibility in spite of the vehicle’s diminutive proportions. With its clever use of interior volume and the minimisation of its total footprint, the Kabine served as a valuable reference point in pioneering compact vehicle engineering standards for space use.

4. Peel P50

The P50 took the concept of microcar miniaturisation to an extreme. Unlike the normal approach of designing a car that would have all the capacity and features of a standard family car, the P50 was conceived as a tiny, affordable, single-passenger commuter that would come with only what the designers thought essential for a car intended to be driven entirely within the enclosure of public roads. A new approach to weight, cost and mechanical complexity was adopted, producing something that was arguably the ultimate example of the microcar concept.

What Made The Peel P50 Extraordinary:

• Designed for single-person transport
• Extremely compact overall dimensions
• Mechanical reverse gear omitted
• Integrated handle enabled manual movement
• Minimalist engineering reduced complexity

One of the most curious features of the P50 was its lack of a traditional reverse gear. To reverse the car, the driver didn’t select reverse, they could get out and flip a small grab handle on the back of the car to hoist the rear of the vehicle up and flip it around. This simple scheme would be quite expensive to implement in a full-sized car, but in a tiny vehicle like the P50 it kept mechanical complexity to a minimum while keeping the tiny vehicle as light as possible. Peal’s P50 pushed the idea of minimal transportation as far as it was possible to go.

5. Messerschmitt TG500 Tiger

The Messerschmitt TG500 Tiger shattered that belief about post-war microcars being nothing more than transport. Speed and extreme performance had never been part of the bubble car image, but the TG500 Tiger brought a startlingly performance-oriented approach to lightweight motoring. The Tiger was on a different level to the run of the mill three-wheel KR200, thanks to its four-wheeled chassis which was designed to accommodate its vastly increased power output. The Tiger’s character was worlds apart from the smaller economy cars nearby.

Why The TG500 Tiger Was Special:

• Four-wheeled chassis increased capability
• 494cc engine powered the vehicle
• Almost 20 horsepower available
• Performance exceeded conventional microcars
• Became legendary among bubble cars

The Tiger’s heart was a 494cc engine with a remarkable 20hp, and this gave it far more scooter than the average microcar. That extra power catapulted the Tiger into the history books, where it acquired its legendary reputation as a fire-breathing monster in the world of lightweight bubble-cars. Arranged four-square to handle the ambitious mechanical increases, this was a fine example of how the microcar recipe could be stretched well beyond the limits of sensible motoring. The Tiger is still an astonishing variation on the aircraft-inspired theme of road transport, and shows that minimal engineering need not mean modest performance.

6. Bond Three-Wheelers

Each one of the three-wheelers came out of the austerity years that hit Britain after the war, when a cheap form of transport at home was in great demand. British builders met this challenge with three-wheelers built as simple, cheap transport for enclosed travel, but without the purchase price and running costs of a full-sized car. This meant that for an owner who needed to be free of the weather while keeping running costs down, it was a wonderful low-cost choice.

Why Bond Three-Wheelers Appealed:

• Affordable domestic transport solution
• Simple three-wheeled construction
• Enclosed protection from weather
• Lower running expenses
• Practical during post-war austerity

Bonds represented a logical progression from simply going by foot or motorcycle along Britain’s often damp roads. They provided drivers with the chance of being enclosed without incurring the high expense of larger cars. But their utilitarian appearance did not always go down well and many associate the Bond with the less appealing domestic models of the 50s and 60s, unlike the prettier German bubble cars which the model was sometimes compared to when they appeared. As some popular licensed import models began to emerge in Britain, the Bond became more of a reminder of the rather frugal approach Britain took to providing affordable transport.

7. Reliant Three-Wheelers

Reliant added another name to the list of domestic three-wheelers popular in Britain, manufacturing very affordable machines based on the economics of post-war transport. As with Bond, Reliant limited the scope of their design to produce cheap personal transport that didn’t demand the expense of a true car. Their diminutive weight and negligible running costs ensured that throughout the recovery years, Reliant 3-wheelers could be seen all across Britain, straddling the space between walking, motorbikes and normal cars.

Important Things About Reliant:

• Focused on low-cost transportation
• Lightweight three-wheeled construction
• Modest running costs
• Practical enclosed personal mobility
• Familiar across post-war Britain

Reliant three-wheelers met an authentic need for an enclosed alternative to open motorcycles while still keeping transportation costs relatively low. The stripped-down nature of the Reliant reflected the attitudes of the day as well, when low cost and straightforward usability mattered far more to households with limited resources. While Reliants were practical, they also retained the bland, blue-collar reputation common to most of the low-cost domestic British three-wheelers of the period; however, in time the economic betterment and increase availability of the modern small car would decrease Reliants’ cultural relevance.

8. Austin Mini

The release of the Austin Mini in 1959 completely transformed the personal small-car category forever. The Mini, unlike the uber-minimal microcars that have been king of the hill in that previous era, was designed as a true car that happened to be small with smart use of space. It proved that consumers could buy a truly usable small car rather than the concessions of the micro-car era, and marked a decisive turning point as the affluence of the 1960s returned and motorists bought more complete vehicles.

What Made The Austin Mini Revolutionary:

• Launched as proper passenger car
• Offered four proper seats
• Included a proper engine
• Clever spatial design maximised usefulness
• Challenged basic bubble cars

The Mini’s most significant achievement was to offer four real seats and a real engine at a price very similar to that of the cheapest ‘bubble cars’. It offered genuine family transport and much higher mechanical sophistication without unduly forcing drivers into a huge financial leap. As the prosperity of Europe started to lift once again, that was a formula that no-price-minimum microcars would find difficult to counter. The Austin Mini proved what a ‘whole’ car you could buy for the same money as a mid-price bubble; and the battle for the personal transportation market was effectively over: the Mini, and 21st Century equivalents, killed the bubble car boom stone dead, though the concept and spirit of bubble cars will be fondly remembered.