Small, economical cars have satisfied a niche of the auto market for decades. Here’s a small collection of 11 vintage photos of midget cars from between the 1940s and the 1960s.
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| May 1945. Less than 24 hours after the arrival of British airborne troops, the Germ an army of occupation in Denmark was marching back to Germany. German troops on a midget tank retreat through the Town Hall Square in Copenhagen. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) |
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| 22nd August 1946. A London policeman stops the traffic, including a pedal driven model bus. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images) |
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| 1955. A three wheeled “cabin” scooter manufactured by German aircraft engineers Messerschmitt & Co at factories in Regensburg. (Photo by Hans Enzwieser/BIPs/Getty Images) |
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| 1955. A German-made two-seater, three-wheeler car called the “Messerschmitt” or “Kabinenroller” parked on a London street. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images) |
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| 1955. Members of the public midget motor racing in 7ft Bantam racing cars known as “buzz-boxes”. Introduced by Southampton Speedway promoter Charles Knott, the Bantams are powered by a 190cc Villiers engine, and capable of speeds up to 45 mph. (Photo by Harry Kerr/BIPs/Getty Images) |
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| 1956. A fleet of Messerschmitt micro-cars employed to advertise “Gleem” toothpaste. (Photo by Thurston Hopkins/Getty Images) |
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| 1956. A perspective buyer at the wheel of a Messerschmitt Cabin Scooter near Regent’s Park, London. The little car has the fuel consumption of a motor-cycle. (Photo by Derek Berwin/Getty Images) |
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| April 1958. The 50cc Mopetta from the Brutsch stables at Stuttgart is available in London at a cost of £200. The one-seater, three-wheeler has a maximum speed of 21 miles per hour. (Photo by Rosemary Matthews/BIPs/Getty Images |
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| 1967. Two Ford Comutas next to a Cortina at a Ford Research centre in Dunton, Essex. (Photo by Wesley/Keystone/Getty Images) |
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| 7th June 1967. Manager of Ford research Laurence Martland in an electric “Comuta” which is designed to carry two adults and two children. (Photo by Mike McLaren/Central Press/Getty Images) |
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| 1968. At a British Toy Fair held in Brighton, Sussex, eight year old Thomas Barnard of Sittingbourne, Kent drives his 81 inches long Barnard Formula Six half-size single seater racer designed to be driven by anyone from 6 to 60. Its 127cc engine gives a speed of 20mph with a governor or 35 mph without, though alternative engines can raise the maximum to 60mph. (Photo by Reg Speller/Getty Images) |
