MICROCAR NEWS Online

photo by Mike Harrell

Mike Harrell’s 1980-era KV won the coveted WORST OF SHOW at this year’s first ConcoursD’Lemons in Montery CA.

The Concours D’Lemons celebrates “The Oddball, Mundane and truly Awful of the Automotive World”

Mike had no idea what “class” was going to be registered in originally, but when he signed up the car he was eligible for:

• Umitigated Gaul, 1970-current
• Oil Burners
• Ass-Engine Sled, Non-Hessian

“I could only dream of winning such special awards as “Most Dangerous” or the doubtless highly coveted “WTF??? Award“ said Mike before the show, “I had a shot at “Most Effluent” but the local emissions facilities will only examine vehicles which are required to be tested under state law and the KV is exempt. Just as well, I suppose.”

What put Mike’s car over the top is its drive system which is “unique” to say the least.

click for larger image

The wheels are free-rolling but driven by a pair of stone cylinders pressing against them. Working much like the capstans in a cassette player, the stone capstan drive looks bizarre and even more bizarre is that it works!

The KV Mini was built in France by the same company that turned out the Rolux and the Solyto, but the market for this car was elderly people who were unable to deal with the formalities of a driver’s test. Power to the rear wheels comes from a mighty 125cc single cylinder 2-stroke motor. Top speed is an alledged 34 mph.

“It’s just an awfully, awful, awful French two-stroke car,” said Alan Galbraith, organizer of the show.

Congratulations Mike!

Jim Rostis hosted the 30th Anniversary Reunion for HMV Freeway Enthusiasts in Plainfield IL.

The Freeway is an American-made Microcar built in Minnesota from 1979 to about 1981.
16 cars showed up from all over, the furthest coming from California and one came from Canada.
more photos HERE

Front Page News!

This years GPNW Microcar Extravaganza was huge fun. It is hard to believe two weeks have passed since the big event. The weather held out for the better, and 48 Micro-Mini cars attended. I want to personally thank everyone for coming and making it happen. This years multi-day event held at the McMenimans Grand Lodge hotel provided an elegant back drop for all the unique little cars, and great fun for the guests who stayed.

The Forest Grove News-Times did an article: Click Here

All the dramatic pictures can be found in the album Here

posted by your Host: Mark Hatten

Micros In Madison 2009 and The National Meet of The Vintage Microcar Club is over.

A bit o’rain did not seem to make any difference, when it rained, people just went under numerous canopies or in the barn and continued until it stopped. The only thing dampened by the rain were the late night campfires.

415 people Registered
96 Microcars Registered (that showed up)
25 smarts of all variety Registered (that showed up)

Winners of People’s Choice awards include:
“smartest”: Sue Shelton of GA
“smartest guy in the room”: Leonard Ingle for his 2002 smart “glider
3rd place Microcar: Kerry & Linda Erendson’s 1965 Scootacar MK II
2nd place Microcar: Burt Richmond’s 1956 Fiat Abarth Zagato Double Bubble coupe
1st place Microcar: Wayne Parrish’s 1956 King Midget III Prototype
Best of Show: Buster Tankersly’s 1949 Bantam

"smartest" (voted 1st place smart class)

3rd Place Microcar Class

2nd place Microcar class

1st Place Microcar class

Best Of Show

Some people have uploaded photos, you can see Flickr sets from Cecil Clontz and TL Spangler
as well as a set from Arnie & Lena Press

a more detailed report in the next print issue of MICROCAR NEWS magazine!

click for larger image

The New York Daily News decided that Vintage Microcars warranted an “above the fold” teaser on the Saturday Edition. A full “story” appeared inside on Page 7.

After this issue hit the newstands people came in through the front door of the Javits Center and went RIGHT to the Peel P50,
usually with kids towing their parents and pointing “There it is! There it is! The World’s Smallest Car!”

click to see larger version

Dennis Gage and his film crew were at MICROSOUTH 2008 last year to film an entire episode.

That show is finally on the air on Speed Channel or SpeedTV.

You can see an excerpt from the show HERE.

Otherwise, look for it on Speed Channel. (the entire episode is not available for download at this time and the DVD for 2009 season probably will not come out until the 2010 season starts.)

Also- dates for MicroSouth 2010 are not yet available, so if that is what you are looking for, please check the MEETS page at Microcar.org for updates and information as it becomes available.

27 Vintage Microcars from the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum are on display in a 9000 square foot area of the Atlanta Auto Show at the World Congress Center.
(also present are new cars from Toyota, Mercedes etc….meh, who cares about those?)

The Club was there this weekend to chat up Microcars with people, look! they put us right next to Mercedes!

Most often repeated question: “Are these things street legal”?

Best comment so far: “Are these the first cars ever made?”

The show is open to the public and runs through Sunday March 22.
More info: www.ajcautoshow.com

Here is a short video that just appeared on GOOD DAY ATLANTA:

Vespa 400s at the Paris Auto Show

The 2009 NY Auto Show has invited us to display some Vintage Microcars with the rest of the Automotive World’s offerings from April 10-19

So this announcement is just to see if there is enough interest from enough people to pull this off.

Even though we don’t have to pay them to exhibit, there are some costs involved, some restrictions and some things to be aware of.

So if you are interested in providing a Vintage Microcar for Display or if you are interested in “working the show” by the Display for 1 or more days in NYC, please go HERE

There is an “info” link there that has a bit more background material on what is involved, so please make sure you read that part as well.

NOTE- this is NOT a formal commitment for anything! The NY Auto Show has the final say on everything and they want to know what -if any- cars would be displayed so they can also plan.

They are looking at a minimum of 3 Microcars with the possibility of more.

It is an amazing opportunity to be part of a world class automotive event.

*UPDATE:  See us at the NY Auto Show HERE

*NOTE: This is is NOT the current show listing!  This is from 2009.
Please check the Microcar Meets page for the current info!

The 29th Annual Unique Little Car Show will be held April 3-4 2009 in Commerce CA in the center of the beautiful and popular Citadel Outlets — situated behind an historic Assyrian Castle wall and within walking distance of the Double Tree Hotel.

sponsored by The Metropolitan Club of California.

here is a link to photos of a previous Unique Little Car Show

if you are looking for info for the 2010 Unique Little Car Show, CLICK HERE

The 2008 Hilton Head Island Concours D’elegance featured a MICROCARS specific class this year
In attendance were examples of Messerschmitt Tg500, Messerschmitt KR200, Mochet Velocar, IOTA, Peel P50, Zündapp Janus, FIAT Jolly, Vespa 400, BMW Isetta 250, Berkeley and Scootacar MK2.

There were also a pair of Crosleys in another catagory: Outstanding Orphans.
(This was primarily because the “Microcars” class was featuring European Microcars and the Orphans class was featuring American Orphans, otherwise they would have been in the Microcars class)

David Anspach's Crosey HotShot won an award in another catagory.

Palmetto Awards went to Janice & Larry Newberry’s FIAT Jolly and to Kerry and Linda Erendson’s Scootacar MK 2. Best of Class went to Jim Garbo’s Messerschmitt KR200.

Although NORMALLY exhibitors are required to stay until 4pm for the benefit of those who paid to get in to see the cars, the weather turned to light rain in mid-afternoon and anyone who wanted to leave the grounds around 2pm did not get any resistance from officials. Otherwise it was a gorgeous event.
Because the turnout was so good, it is possible that the Microcars Class will become a regular class at this Concours D’elegance.

More info on this and other Concours events around the country in a future issue of MICROCAR NEWS magazine.

[UPDATE] Hilton Head Island Concours has posted a GALLERY of the winners this year.
Click the MICROCARS section to view the 3 winners, also click the ORPHANS section to see the winning Crosley.

Looking for the 2009 Hilton Head Island Concours winners for Microcars Class? Click Here

Jim Garbo organized a great Microcar Event in downtown Racine Wisconsin for Saturday July 26.
Sponsored by The Downtown Racine Corporation, Microcars were on display for the general public from 10am-3pm. Over 20 Microcars attended the show.
The public was invited to VOTE for Best of Show and the winner was Richard Lombardi with his 1957 Messerschmitt KR201.  The previous owner of the car had WON it on the TV Show: “The Price Is Right”.

Photos are available in the Microcars Photo Gallery , click the event logo to go there.

photo by Jim Janecek

Gould’s 13th Annual Microcar Minicar Classic Event was held July 10,11,12 2008 in Newton MA.

A reporter for The Boston Globe filed a report on the meet (but mostly about Smart Cars) you can read it HERE

more photos of the meet at The Bubbledrome

Vintage Microcars have started becoming a “must have” at Concours d’Elegance events since 1996 when Pebble Beach made a separate catagory for them and invited a number of owners to show their cars that year.

Amelia Island Concours also had a Microcar catagory in 2006 and smaller Concours events around the country appear to have taken a cue from this and decided that “it’s OK” to have Microcars at Concours events. The Milwaukee “MASTERPIECE” has had at least one Microcar in their show for the past few years and will continue to do so in 2008, Hilton Head Concours also featured Microcars in 2007.

This year the Forest Grove Concours in Portland OR had two Microcars; an Isetta owned by Phil Richardson and a Messerschmitt KR200 owned by Mark Hatten. Read more coverage of the event at the NEWS TIMES

more coverage of Mark’s Messerschmitt at the Concours is HERE