Economy car is a term mostly used in the United States for cars designed for low-cost purchase and operation. Typical economy cars are small ( compact or subcompact ), lightweight, and inexpensive to both produce and purchase. Stringent design constraints generally force economy car manufacturers to be inventive. Many innovations in automobile design were originally developed for economy cars, such as the Ford Model T and the Austin Mini .
181-553: Bond Minicar is a series of economical three-wheeled microcars which were manufactured by the British car manufacturer Sharp's Commercials Ltd (the company was renamed Bond Cars Limited in 1964), in Preston, Lancashire , between 1949 and 1966. The basic concept for the minicar was derived from a prototype built by Lawrence "Lawrie" Bond , an engineer from Preston. During the war, Bond had worked as an aeronautical designer for
362-484: A transversely mounted , water-cooled two-cylinder , two-stroke based on a DKW design, driving the front wheels. It had aircraft derived monocoque construction, with an aerodynamic ( drag coefficient ) value of 0.30 – not bettered until the 1980s. It was later developed into the Saab 93 , Saab 95 , and Saab 96 . It was produced until 1980, switching to a V4 four stroke engine in the 1960s. The mechanicals were used in
543-653: A 600 cc inline two-cylinder two-stroke engine. Also, in the 1920s, Ford (with the Model T in Manchester, England), General Motors (who took over Opel in Germany and Vauxhall in Britain), expanded into Europe. Most Ford and GM European cars, especially economy cars, were technologically conservative and all were rear-wheel-drive to a smaller European size, with improvements focused mainly on styling, (apart from
724-400: A Deluxe version was added to the range. This has a Villiers 6E 197 cc (12 cu in) engine, which had an increased output to 8 bhp (6 kW; 8 PS) and a power-to-weight ratio of 51 bhp (38 kW; 52 PS) per ton . There were also a number of modest refinements including a spare wheel and a single wing mirror . The manually operated windscreen wiper fitted on
905-418: A European rather than American scale. These featured a variety of innovative in-house designed engines of less than one litre capacity. They were popular in the 1940s due to their high fuel economy during fuel rationing because of the war. There were a wide variety of two-door body styles; Sedan, Convertible Sedan, Coupe, Convertible Coupe, Covered Wagon, and Station Wagon. Also, there was a successful sports car,
1086-576: A Tourer) were the first cars to drive along Britain's first motorway , the Preston By-pass when it opened on the morning of 5 December 1958. The Sales Department thought it would be a good idea for Bonds to be the first in the line-up when the TV cameras recorded the opening (The Bonds were actually not the first to arrive as an Austin Healey Sprite had already beaten them to it. However, after
1267-619: A bit of negotiating and no doubt some financial recompense, the Sprite owner obligingly moved over and the Bonds lined up as planned). The idea was for the first and third cars fitted with only 197 cc engines (driven by Doug Ferriera in LRN 963 and Alan Pounder in car 3) to hold up the traffic by blocking both lanes (the Preston By-pass was only a dual carriageway when it was first opened) whilst
1448-553: A built-in reversing solenoid switch. After stopping the engine and operating this switch the Dynastart, and consequently the engine, would rotate in the opposite direction. The car proved popular in the UK market, where its three-wheel configuration meant that it qualified for a lower rate of purchase tax , lower vehicle excise duty and cheaper insurance than comparable four-wheel cars. The three-wheel configuration, low weight and lack of
1629-449: A car that is designed to be small and lightweight to offer low-cost operation. In any given decade globally, there has generally been some rough consensus on what constituted the minimum necessary requirements for a highway-worthy car, constituting the most economical car possible . However, whether that consensus could be a commercial success in any given country depended on local culture. Thus in any given decade, every country has had
1810-445: A central steel backbone girder, a cross member between the rear wheels and further triangular bracing. The single seat was located centrally as was the steering wheel. Steering was by worm and sector , and flared side panels allowed the single front wheel to turn a full 180°, making the vehicle extremely manoeuvrable. The entire engine, drive-train and steering unit could be removed by undoing four bolts to allow for easy servicing. Unlike
1991-465: A common combustion chamber - a doubled-up version of what would later be called the " split-single " engine. The pistons in each pair drove the crankshaft together as they were coupled to it by a V-shaped connecting rod . For this arrangement to work, it is necessary for the connecting rod to flex slightly, which goes completely against normal practice. The claim was that each engine had only seven moving parts, four pistons , two connecting rods and
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#17327907150682172-542: A consultant engineer to Adler in December 1930. In the first months of 1931, Ganz constructed a lightweight economy car or peoples car, prototype at Adler with a tubular chassis, a mid-mounted engine, and swing axle independent rear suspension . After completion in May 1931, Ganz nicknamed his new prototype Maikäfer (German for cockchafer ) which is a species of beetle. In July 1931 he was also consultant engineer to BMW on
2353-403: A crankshaft. This was connected to a two-speed epicyclic gearbox , to simplify gear changing, and a chain to the rear wheels. Solid tyres were used, even though these were antiquated for car use, to prevent punctures and very long springs used to give some comfort. Before production could start war broke out and from 1914 to 1918, the company made tools and gauges for the war effort. In 1914 Ford
2534-467: A design point of view." The history of the automobile after many experimental models dating back at least a hundred years, started with the first production car – the 1886 Benz Tricycle . This began a period that was later known as the Brass era which is considered to be from 1890 to 1918 in the U.S. In the UK this is split into the pre-1905 Veteran era and Edwardian era to 1918. The U.S. Veteran era
2715-612: A detachable fibreglass hardtop. Similar aftermarket hardtops had been introduced earlier in the year for every type of Minicar from the Mark A to the Mark C Family by the Sharples Engineering Company, who were also based in Preston. The revised engine was reported to give the Mark D notably better acceleration, better climbing ability and lower fuel consumption in direct comparison with its predecessor. Reverse via
2896-503: A folding hood with a roll-up flap at the back of the car to assist loading. The Sharp's Minivan, was introduced alongside the Minitruck. It had the same load capacity and also shared the same extended length of the pick-up, but had an enclosed aluminium compartment behind the driver's seat with a side hinged rear door. A short fabric roof covered the gap between the van compartment and the windscreen. A further final development based on
3077-513: A half hours, to just an hour and thirty-three minutes per car. Black was the only colour available because it was the only paint that would dry in the required production time. The continuous improvement of production methods, and economies of scale from larger and larger scale production, allowed Henry Ford to progressively lower the price of the Model T throughout its production run. It was far less expensive, smaller, and more austere than its hand-built pre-first world war contemporaries. The size of
3258-617: A halt before serious production had started because of World War II. The KdF, was the Nazi state propaganda organisation to promote holiday and leisure activities of the population, approved of, and monitored by, the state. The 'price' of the free or subsidised activities was extensive Nazi ideological indoctrination. When the German car industry was unable to meet Hitler's demand that the Volkswagen be sold at 1,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁ or less,
3439-462: A huge cost which was partly met by raiding the DAF's accumulated assets and misappropriating the dues paid by DAF members. The Volkswagen was sold to German workers on an installment plan where buyers of the car made payments and posted stamps in a stamp-savings book, which when full, would be redeemed for the car. Due to the shift of wartime production, no consumer ever received a "Kdf-Wagen" (although after
3620-648: A low priced car, and along with the Chevrolet 6, showed how the U.S. was diverging from the rest of the world in its ideas about what constituted a basic economy car. In 1928 Morris launched the first Morris Minor (1928) in Britain to compete with the Austin Seven. Also that year German motorcycle manufacturer DKW launched their first car, the P15, a rear-wheel-drive, wood-and-fabric bodied monocoque car, powered by
3801-404: A mere 150 cc (100 cc for two-strokes) in 1949, dimensions and engine size limitations were gradually increased (in 1950, 1951, and 1955) to tempt more manufacturers to produce kei cars. It wasn't until the 1955 change to 360 cc as the upper limit for two-strokes as well as four-strokes that the class really began taking off, with cars from Suzuki Suzulight (front-wheel drive based on
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#17327907150683982-454: A much more notable change to the shape of the front grille from the familiar oval to a more angular design (designated Type II). In May 1956, the Mark C was discontinued and the Mark D introduced. The changes between the last Mark Cs and the Mark D are, like those between the final Mark As and the Mark B, almost entirely hidden from view and the cars are externally identical. Beneath the Mark D bonnet however, Villiers had substantially upgraded
4163-614: A new Triplex windscreen and surround was introduced, the dashboard glove box was removed, a two-roll seat replaced the earlier round top variety and the old gearchange and steering shaft u/j's were eliminated. Steel was sometimes used for rear wings when supplies of aluminium became difficult to obtain. The following October's updates redesigned the braking system, introduced rear bumpers on the Tourer models and front bumpers for all Deluxes. Several more minor changes in October 1955 were marked by
4344-486: A reverse gear also meant that it could be driven on a motor cycle licence. In April 1962 the purchase tax rate of 55 percent, which had been applied to all four-wheeled cars sold in the UK since the war was reduced to 45 per cent. In November 1962, it was reduced by another 20 per centage points to 25 per cent – the same rate as that applied to three-wheelers. This rapid change meant that at the point of sale, some three-wheelers became more expensive than four-wheeled cars like
4525-512: A rough national consensus on what constituted the minimum necessary requirements for the least expensive car that wasn't undesirable, that is, that had some commercially attractive amount of market demand, making it a mainstream economy car. In many countries at various times, mainstream economy and maximum economy have been one and the same. From its inception into the 1920s, the Ford Model T fulfilled both of these roles simultaneously in
4706-463: A single- cylinder two-stroke Villiers engine of 122 cc (7 cu in). In December 1949 this was upgraded to a 197 cc (12 cu in) unit. The engine was further upgraded in 1958, first to a single-cylinder 247 cc (15 cu in) and then to a 247 cc (15 cu in) twin-cylinder Villiers 4T. These air-cooled engines were developed principally as motorcycle units and therefore had no reverse gear. However, this
4887-400: A small car according to his design. The prototype of this new model, which was to be called Standard Superior , was finished in 1932. It featured a tubular chassis, a mid-mounted engine, and independent wheel suspension with swing-axles at the rear. At about the same time from 1931, two years prior to Hitler's accession to power, Ferdinand Porsche founded Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH -
5068-530: A small car for Peugeot . The 1911 Peugeot Bébé Type 19. It had an 850 cc 4-cylinder engine. The Citroën Type A was the first car produced by Citroën from June 1919 to December 1921 in Paris. Citroën had been established to produce the double bevel gears that its logo resembles, but had ended the First World War with large production facilities, from the production of much needed artillery shells for
5249-467: A steady increase in demand for cheap cars to 'motorise the masses'. Emerging technology allowed economy cars to become more sophisticated. Early post-war economy cars like the VW Beetle , Citroën 2CV , Renault 4CV , and Saab 92 looked extremely minimal; however, they were technologically more advanced than most conventional cars of the time. The 4CV was designed covertly by Renault engineers during
5430-402: A steel cradle bolted to a steeply inclined steel tube that pivoted directly behind the engine through an alloy steering head bracket. This bracket, holding the engine and front wheel unit is bolted to a cast alloy bulkhead which forms a major structural component of the car. The engine mounting was said to have been a regular source of failures on both the Mark A and the Mark B, and this new design
5611-415: A steel rod. This rod is bonded inside a rubber tube which runs through and is also bonded to an external steel housing. The housing is bolted to the underside of the car. The units provide about 3 in (76 mm) of vertical movement to each independent rear axle. The engine mounting was substantially different. Instead of being suspended from an alloy cradle as on the Mark A and B, the engine now sat in
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5792-463: A strong emphasis on good packaging and roadholding, with independent front suspension and rack and pinion steering, and American influenced styling. It was produced in different body styles including a 2-door and 4-door saloon, a 2-door convertible, a 'woody' estate car / station wagon, a van with a rear box and a pick-up truck. 1.3 million had been built by the end of production in 1971. It was designed by Alec Issigonis . The 1947 FR layout Toyota SA
5973-476: A top speed of 51 mph (82 km/h). Electrics were upgraded from 6 to 12 volt, allowing more powerful headlights with separate side-lights within the headlamp units. All Deluxe models include the SIBA Dynastart . Other changes which had been gradually introduced onto Mark Cs over the years, were carried over to the Mark D. This included items such as strengthened rear suspension, chrome side flashes on
6154-475: A total of 55,807 had been built. The Anglia was restyled again in 1948 . Including all production, 108,878 were built. When production as an Anglia ceased in October 1953, it continued as the extremely basic Ford Popular entry-level car until 1959. The Ford Prefect was a differently styled and slightly more upmarket version of the Anglia launched in October 1938 and remained in production until 1941, returning to
6335-580: A water-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine driving the rear wheels through a four-speed transmission. It had a similar engine and radiator layout as the Fiat Topolino that was launched at about the same time. To save room and weight a dynastarter was used, which doubled as the axle of the radiator fan. It was regarded as the "Austrian Peoples' Car" and was affectionately referred to as the Steyr "Baby". Professor Porsche had, despite rumors, not been involved in
6516-507: Is considered to be the first true economy car, because the very few previous vehicles at the bottom of the market were 'horseless carriages' rather than practical cars. The major manufacturers at the time had little interest in low-priced models. The first 'real' cars had featured the FR layout first used by the French car maker Panhard and so did the Model T. Henry Ford declared at the launch of
6697-511: Is usually dated pre-1890. In the 1890s and into the first decade of the twentieth century; the motorized vehicle was considered a replacement for the carriages of the rich, or simply a dangerous toy, that annoyed and inconvenienced the general public. For example, the 1908 children's book The Wind in the Willows , pokes fun at early privileged motorists. The automotive industry in France were
6878-543: The Blackburn Aircraft Company before setting up a small engineering business in Blackpool, manufacturing aircraft and vehicle components for the government. After the war he moved his company to Longridge where he built a series of small, innovative racing cars, which raced with a modest amount of success. In the early part of 1948, he revealed the prototype of what was described as a new minicar to
7059-527: The Budd Company , which initially specialized in the manufacture of pressed-steel frames for automobiles. This built on his railroad experience. In 1899 he had taken his knowledge of pressed steel to the railroad industry. He worked with the Pullman Company on a contract for Pennsylvania Railroad , building the first all-steel railcar. In 1913 in the UK, the 1018 cc "Bullnose" Morris Oxford
7240-457: The Formula 1 and McLaren F1 designer, said when designing his new Murray T.25 city car: "I would say that building a car to sell for six thousand pounds and designing that for a high-volume production, where you have all the quality issues under control, is a hundred times more difficult than designing a McLaren F1, or even a racing car. It is certainly the biggest challenge I've ever had from
7421-639: The Highland Park Ford Plant that opened in 1910, after it outgrew the Piquette Avenue Plant . The River Rouge Plant which opened in 1919, was the most technologically advanced in the world, raw materials entered at one end and finished cars emerged from the other. The innovation of the moving assembly line , was inspired by the 'dis-assembly' plants of the Chicago meat packing industry, reduced production time from twelve and
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7602-622: The Honda Beat and Suzuki Cappuccino , and even miniaturised MPVs. Purchase tax The Purchase Tax was a tax levied between 1940 and 1973 on the wholesale value of luxury goods sold in the United Kingdom . Introduced on 21 October 1940, with the stated aim of reducing the wastage of raw materials during World War II , it was initially set at a rate of 33.33%. The tax was subsequently set at differing rates dependent upon individual items' degree of "luxury" as determined by
7783-622: The Mini . In response, Tom Gratrix, head of Sharp's sent a telegram to the Chancellor of the Exchequer warning that unless a similar tax cut were given to the purchase tax rate for three-wheelers, there would be 300 redundancies and possibly the closure of the Sharp's factory. No cut was forthcoming, sales of Minicars declined rapidly from this point and the final Minicar was produced in 1966. At
7964-536: The Opel Laubfrosch (Opel Treefrog), was a small two-seater car introduced by the then family owned auto maker Opel, early in 1924, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the little Torpedo Citroën 5 CV of 1922. On an even smaller scale, European cars, such as the 747 cc Austin Seven , (which made cyclecars obsolete overnight. ) The Austin 7 was considerably smaller than the Ford Model T. The wheelbase
8145-510: The Porsche company to offer motor vehicle development work and consulting. Together with Zündapp they developed the prototype Porsche Type 12 "Auto für Jedermann" ("car for everyone"), which was the first time the name "Volkswagen" was used. Porsche preferred a 4-cylinder flat engine, but Zündapp used a water-cooled 5-cylinder radial engine . In 1932 three prototypes were running but were not put into production. All three cars were lost during
8326-549: The Saab Sonett sports cars. Also in the immediate postwar period, the monocoque FR layout Morris Minor was launched in 1948. To reduce costs it initially reused the pre-war side-valve 918 cubic centimetres (56.0 cu in) Morris 8 engine instead of an intended flat-four. Later, after the 1952 formation of British Motor Corporation it had the Austin designed 948cc and later 1098cc OHV BMC A-Series engine . It had
8507-570: The World War II German occupation of France , when under strict orders to design and produce only commercial and military vehicles. Between 1941 and 1944, Renault was under the Technical Directorship of a francophile German installed former Daimler Benz engineer called Wilhelm von Urach who turned a blind eye to the small, economy car project suitable for the period of post war austerity. The design team went against
8688-436: The sliding pillar type, a block carrying the stub axle rode up and down on two guide pillars mounted on a solid casting bolted to the side of the body. The block's vertical movement was controlled by coil springs. The front suspension was upgraded with a hydraulic shock absorber Externally, the differences between the Mark A and Mark B Minicar were very subtle. The rear mudguards were slightly smaller but wider to accommodate
8869-478: The 1920s reflected increasing competition from newer designs for the relatively unchanged and increasingly obsolescent Model T. In 1923 Chevrolet developed a new car to compete with the Model T, the Chevrolet Series M 'Copper-Cooled', air-cooled car, designed by General Motors engineer at AC Delco Charles Kettering , (who invented the points/condenser ignition system that was in use until the 1980s). It
9050-443: The 1920s. It spawned a whole industry of 'specials' builders. Swallow Sidecars switched to making cars based on Austin Seven chassis during the 1920s, then made their own complete cars in the 1930s as SS. With the advent of Nazi Germany the company changed its name to Jaguar . The Seven continued to be produced until the late 1930s along with an updated and restyled closed body, known as the "Big Seven" until World War II, but still on
9231-480: The 1930s before this technology was generally applied to economy cars. The cyclecar was an attempt in the period before 1922 in the post-First World War austerity period, as a form of "four-wheeled motorcycle ", with all the benefits of a motorcycle and side-car, in a more stable package. In 1920 Trojan in Britain made its first series of six cars from a works in Croydon and the final revised production version
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#17327907150689412-715: The 1932-34 BMW 3/20 successor to the BMW 3/15 model. It featured transverse leaf independent front and rear suspension and an updated overhead-valve cylinder head version of the Austin 7 based engine. After a demonstration of the Adler Maikäfer by Ganz, the German Standard Fahrzeugfabrik company (unrelated to the British 'Standard' company), then purchased a license from Ganz to develop and build
9593-423: The 197 cc (12 cu in) engine, which now became the Mark 9E. The main changes were a 4-plate clutch, a heavier final drive chain with simplified adjustment and a higher top-gear ratio. The 9E was said to produce a 12½ per cent increase in power over the 8E, providing a claimed 8.4 bhp (6 kW; 9 PS) at 4,000 rpm. This increased the cruising speed to around 45 mph (72 km/h), with
9774-569: The Crosley Hotshot. The styling of 1951 Crosley Super Sport is very similar to the 1958 Frogeye/Bugeye Austin-Healey Sprite . Production peaked at 24,871 cars in 1948. Sales began to slip in 1949, as the post war American economy took off, and even adding the Crosley Hotshot and a combination farm tractor-Jeep-like vehicle called the Farm-O-Road in 1950, could not stop the decline. In 1952, only 1522 Crosley vehicles were sold. Production
9955-602: The Dynastart unit became an option from October 1956 on the Deluxe models. With the introduction of the Mark E in December 1957, the two/three seater Mark Ds were dropped from the range as were the hardtops and the Standard version of the Family Safety. The Deluxe Family Safety continued in production alongside the Mark E and by August 1958 still accounted for about 25 per cent of production. A four-speed gearbox replaced
10136-450: The First World War, and by the time Ford made his 10 millionth car, half of all cars in the world were Fords. It was so successful that Ford did not purchase any advertising between 1917 and 1923; more than 15 million Model Ts were manufactured, reaching a rate of 9,000 to 10,000 cars a day in 1925, or 2 million annually, more than any other model of its day, at a price of just $ 240. The need for constant reductions in price through
10317-504: The Ford and a much more modern design than the ageing Austin Seven, which meant it became the UK's bestselling car by 1939. U.S. Industrialist Powel Crosley Jr. with a long track record in diverse car products and other consumer products such as phonograph cabinets, radios, and home appliances with his company Crosley , started production of cars from 1939 (switching to war production in 1942-45) until 1952. They produced small economy cars of
10498-585: The French army. Andre Citroën was a keen adopter of U.S. car manufacturing ideas and technology in the 1920s and 1930s. Andre Citroën re-equipped his factory as a scaled down version of the Ford River Rouge Plant, that he had visited in Detroit Michigan . It was advertised as "Europe's first mass production car." The Type A reached a production number of 24,093 vehicles. The Opel 4 PS, Germany's first 'peoples car', popularly known as
10679-532: The German Lloyd with a DKW type engine) and then Subaru 360 , finally able to fill people's need for basic transportation without being too severely compromised. Early generation keicars on the market were mostly rear-engined, rear drive RR layout cars. From the end of the 1960s Keicars switched to front-engined, front-wheel-drive FF layout . This market has thrived ever since, with the cars increasing in size and engine capacity, including sports cars such as
10860-689: The Gestapo in June 1944, and deported to Buchenwald concentration camp. The Gestapo transferred him to Metz for interrogation, but the city was deserted because of the advancing allied front, the Germans abandoned their prisoner. In November 1945 the French government invited Ferdinand Porsche to France looking to relocate the Volkswagen project as part of war reparations. On 15 December 1945, Porsche
11041-709: The Joneses." Later in 1937, the Art and Color Section was renamed the Styling Section, and a few years afterward became one of the GM technical staff operations as the Styling Staff. It was funded by high-interest/low-regular-payments consumer credit, as was the 1920s boom in other consumer durable products. It marked the beginning of mass market consumerism , that had been enabled by the efficiency of mass production and
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#173279071506811222-496: The Mark B Tourer, but included an extension of the bodywork behind the rear wheel. It also replaced the Tourer's bench seat with a single seat for the driver although unlike the centrally mounted one in the Commercial 3 Cwt, this was conventionally placed on the right. The extended goods compartment and space alongside the driver provided a claimed load capacity of 3 cwt and 24 cu ft (0.68 m). The open-top vehicle had
11403-603: The Mark B, but added mock front wings , a passenger side door and a valance beneath its oval-shaped grille. By the time of the Earl's Court Cycle and Motor Cycle Show in November 1951, three pre-production Mark C's were on show. On these the front wings had become longer and less triangular in profile than the ESC, the grille was also lower and more rounded and the front valance was now a more defined bumper shape. The new Minicar design
11584-415: The Mark C had utilised the same sliding pillar suspension on the rear as the Mark B, but by September 1952, this had been changed for Flexitor suspension units produced by George Spencer Moulton & Co. Ltd. The Flexitor units were a type of lever arm shock absorber which used bonded rubber in torsion as the shock absorber. On these units a stub axle is mounted upon a trailing-arm with the pivot point being
11765-475: The Mark D ended in November 1958, although the Family Tourer remained listed as "available" until the 1960 range was announced. Announced on 31 October 1956 as a late addition to the 1957 range, the Mark E was radically different in design from any previous Minicar. A deliberate attempt to introduce "modern car lines", the Mark E introduced semi-monocoque construction, both to improve the resilience of
11946-421: The Mark E was notably different from its prototype with a shorter wheelbase and wider track to correct the stability issues. Rather than widen the entire car to retain the flat sides of the prototype, the extra track width was accommodated by making the bottom part of the rear wings flare outwards. The rear wheels were also moved forward by approximately 12 in (305 mm). Inside the car, there were changes to
12127-466: The Minicar was gradually developed by Sharp's through several different iterations. The majority of cars were convertibles , though later, hardtop models were offered, along with van and estate versions. Minicars were generally available either in standard or deluxe form, though the distinction between the two was largely one of mechanical detail rather than luxury. The cars were powered initially by
12308-414: The Minicar, there were brakes on all three wheels and there was a wooden-slatted floor behind the driver. Though the Sharp's Commercial never entered production, it served as a forerunner to van and pickup versions of the Mark B which appeared in 1952. The Sharp's Minitruck, (initially, they were referred to as Utility in the production records) was the pickup version, which outwardly was very similar to
12489-567: The Minivan was the Bond Family "Safety Saloon". Additional side windows were fitted to the rear compartment of the van and two small hammock type seats were added either side of the rear door facing inwards. With the bench seat of the tourer replacing the single front seat of the van and pickup, this gave enough room for two children and two adults. The number of "Safety Saloons" produced is unknown, as factory records do not distinguish between
12670-595: The Model T was arrived at, by making its track to the width of the ruts in the unsurfaced rural American roads of the time, ruts made by horse-drawn vehicles. It was specifically designed with a large degree of axle articulation, and a high ground clearance, to deal with these conditions effectively. It had an under stressed 177 cu in (2.9 L) engine. It set the template for American vehicles being larger than comparable vehicles in other countries, which would later on have economy cars scaled to their narrower roads with smaller engines. In 1912 Edward G. Budd founded
12851-415: The New York Motor Show in January 1915, William C. Durant the head of Chevrolet (and founder of GM), launched the Chevrolet Four-Ninety , a stripped-down version of the Series-H, to compete with Henry Ford's Model T, and went into production in June. To aim directly at Ford, Durant said the new car would be priced at US$ 490 (the source of its name), the same as the Model T touring. Its introductory price
13032-520: The Panhard type manual gearbox , which in a developed form is still in common use today. The innovations involved in making it a successful design were in its production and materials technology; particularly the use of new vanadium steel alloys. Model T production was a leading example of the Taylorism school of scientific management (also known as Fordism ) and its production techniques evolved at
13213-553: The SA and the later Publica and Corolla . In the post war austerity of the late 1940s, when most of the Japanese population could not afford a car, but could afford a motorcycle , the Japanese codified a legal standard for extremely economical small cars, known as the keicar . The aim was to promote the growth of the car industry, as well as to offer an alternative delivery method to small business and shop owners. Originally limited to
13394-463: The Saloon and the Minivan. Total production for the Mark B was 1,414 vehicles including 240 Minitrucks / Utilities and 84 Minivans (and "Safety Saloons"). Around the same time as the Mark B was launched, work had begun on what was referred to subsequently as a "streamlined version" of the Minicar. Badged as the 'ESC' (England's Smallest Car), this prototype utilised the main body and rear suspension of
13575-412: The Sharp's Bear Cub. However it appears it made little impact and the arrangement was short-lived. As with previous Minicars, the Mark C was improved and developed over time with numerous minor changes. Most notably, Villiers replaced the 6E engine with the 8E version in June 1953. This had the same overall capacity, but slightly increased performance, now 9 bhp (7 kW; 9 PS). In October 1953
13756-720: The Standard Superior was introduced at the IAMA (Internationale Automobil- und Motorradausstellung). It had a 396 cc 2-cylinder 2-stroke engine. Because of some criticism of the body design, not in the least by Josef Ganz in Motor-Kritik , it was followed in April 1933 by a slightly altered model. In November 1933, the Standard Fahrzeugfabrik introduced yet another new and improved model for 1934, which
13937-715: The Standard Tourer or the Deluxe Tourer with a single bench seat, seating two or three people. The Deluxe version included an electric starter along with rear bumpers. The range was expanded in March 1954, when the Standard Family Safety and Deluxe Family Safety versions were added. On these models the bodywork was extended behind the front seat and, like the earlier Bond Family Safety Saloon, two child-size inward facing hammock-style seats were added in
14118-644: The Steyr 55 and went on sale in 1940. A total of 13,000 Steyr "Babies" were sold. The production of Steyr cars was discontinued during World War II , after bombing of the factory. After the war, the factory was rebuilt and specialized in Austrian versions of the Fiat 500 and Fiat 1500. Today the Steyr factory produces the BMW X models for Europe. The pre-war European car market was not one market. Trade barriers fragmented it into national markets, apart from luxury cars where
14299-469: The Trojan Utility Car went onto the market at £230, reducing to £125 in 1925, the same as a Model T Ford . Nothing was conventional. Rather than a chassis the car had a punt shaped tray which housed the engine and transmission below the seats. This is a similar idea to the chassis-less design of the contemporary 1922 Italian Lancia Lambda luxury car. The transmission used a chain to drive
14480-517: The U.S. It had two seats, but was less versatile than the vehicle that inspired it. It was produced after a fire at the Oldsmobile plant, when the prototype was saved by a nightwatchman named Stebbins (who later became the Mayor of Detroit ) and was the only product available to the company to produce. Although cars were becoming more affordable before it was launched, the 1908–1927 Ford Model T
14661-579: The U.S. and in many markets around the world. In Europe and Japan in the 1920s and 1930s, this was achieved by the much smaller Austin 7 and its competitors and derivatives. From the 1940s and into the 1960s, the Volkswagen Beetle played both roles throughout much of the world, particularly in Germany and Latin America – due to high fuel consumption, British, French, Italian, and Japanese models, all with better fuel economy, were able to capture
14842-571: The U.S., and have gone on to be successful around the world. Since the 1990s, the automotive industry has become extensively globalized , with all major manufacturers being multinational corporations who use globally sourced raw materials and components, with most moving assembly to the lowest labour cost countries. Today, a majority of major manufacturer offers economy cars, including at least one truly small car that may fall into subclassifications such as subcompact car , supermini , B-segment; city car ; microcar ; and others. Gordon Murray ,
15023-479: The Villiers 6E engine and Triplex safety glass windscreens. At the motorcycle show in November 1951, Sharp's announced what they described as "a revolutionary design in the field of commercial vehicles ". The Sharp's Commercial 3 Cwt took the concept of the Minicar's light, three-wheeled, utilitarian design, and adapted it as the basis for an open-top lightweight industrial vehicle. The yellow and black prototype at
15204-579: The Western Allies. In 1948 Hirst recruited Heinrich Nordhoff to run Volkswagen GmbH and in 1949 ownership was handed over to the West German government. The Volkswagen Type 1 'Beetle' was to become the most popular single design in history. Its production surpassed The Ford Model T on February 17, 1972. It was withdrawn from the European market in 1978. The Volkswagen Beetle was an icon of
15385-509: The ability to cruise on the autobahn for long periods reliably. This cruising ability and engine durability was gained by high top gearing, and by restricting the engine breathing and performance to well below its maximum capability. Production was restarted after the war by the British Army Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers , under Major Ivan Hirst after it was dismissed as valueless for war reparations by
15566-477: The anticipated post Second World War U.S. car market recession hadn't materialised. The MacPherson strut , probably the world's most common form of independent suspension, evolved in the GM Cadet project by combining long tubular shock absorbers with external coil springs, and locating them in tall towers that directed the vertical travel of the wheels and also formed the "king pin" or "swivel pin axis" around which
15747-513: The automotive industry, at the instigation of those that he had ferociously criticized. He was eventually released, but his career was systematically destroyed and his life endangered. He fled Germany in June 1934 – the same month Adolf Hitler gave Ferdinand Porsche the brief for designing a mass-producible car for a consumer price of 1,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁. Production of the Standard Superior ended in 1935. The Standard company
15928-474: The blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces. The Ford Model T was a large scale mass-produced car; that very innovation, along with the attributes it required a simple inexpensive design, that allowed it to be the first car to exemplify the ideals of the economy car. Although it followed the Panhard mechanical layout, it used an epicyclic gearbox more like later automatic gearboxes , rather than
16109-441: The body on stub axles with suspension provided by low pressure "balloon" type tyres. Starting was achieved by using a pull handle mounted under the dash panel and connected by cable to a modified kick-start lever on the engine. The steering comprised a system of pulleys and a cable usually referred to as "bobbin and cable", connecting a conventional steering wheel to the front steering unit. The bobbin and cable steering arrangement
16290-403: The bodywork panels were flat or fairly simple curves whilst the compound curves of the bonnet and rear mudguard arches were pressed out as separate panels. The windscreen was made from Perspex . The car was alleged to weigh only 308 pounds (140 kg) "all-in" or 285 pounds (129 kg) dry and its light weight was regularly demonstrated by one person lifting the entire rear end of the car off
16471-409: The boot. Lighting was improved with larger headlamps, flashing indicators and rear number plate light. The fuel tank was increased in size to 3.25 imp gal (15 L), but the car retained the Villiers 9E/3 engine with three-speed gearbox. Deliveries of the new car were expected to begin in May 1957. As things turned out, demand for the Mark D Minicar was such that a decision was made to delay
16652-419: The bottom edge of the door aperture. By January 1953, some cars were being fitted with fibreglass rear wings. Bonnets in fibreglass followed soon after, but these were not used on production vehicles until December 1954. The production cost of the fibreglass parts was about the same as those of aluminium, but the parts were said to be both lighter and stronger. Initially, the Mark C was available only as either
16833-406: The car and to allow full-height doors to be fitted on both sides. As announced, the prototype car was completely flat-sided and as with previous models used light alloy for all exterior panels. Beneath the skin, there were two main steel frames, one which made up the principal support for the floor, rear suspension and doors and a second which carried the steering assembly and engine. This second frame
17014-517: The car as the Bond Minicar (Mark B) in July 1951. Much of the design work for the Mark B, in particular the rear suspension, was carried out by the engineer Granville Bradshaw . Bradshaw had become involved with the Minicar at the invitation of his brother Ewart Bradshaw, the chairman of Loxhams and Bradshaws Group of which Sharp's Commercials was a subsidiary . The rear suspension system was of
17195-454: The car in the new democratic West Germany , where it would be a success. From 1936 to 1955, Fiat in Italy produced the advanced and very compact FR layout Fiat 500 "Topolino" or "little mouse", the precursor of the 1950s Fiat 500 , it was designed by Dante Giacosa . The inline four cylinder 569 cc 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 hp engine was placed right at the front of the chassis with
17376-417: The car's stability and made it liable to overturn. Weather protection was more sophisticated, the hood now including a front section that could be rolled back as a sunroof while the detachable side screens incorporate sliding windows. The seat was still a single bench, but the backrest was now split, one third allowing for adjustment to suit driver comfort, whilst the remainder hinged forward to allow access to
17557-542: The cars were in very short supply for the next year or so. On the 4CV's launch, it was nicknamed " La motte de beurre " (the lump of butter); this was due to the combination of its shape and the use of surplus paint from the German Army vehicles of Rommel's Afrika Korps , which were a sand-yellow color. The VW featured a 1.1-litre, rear engined air-cooled 'boxer' flat four with rear-wheel drive, all round fully independent suspension, semi monocoque construction and
17738-504: The design of the Renault 4CV, and Porsche cautiously went on record saying that the car would be ready for large scale production in a year. Lefaucheux was a man with contacts, as soon as the 4CV project meetings had taken place, Porsche was arrested in connection with war crimes allegations involving the use of forced labour including French in the Volkswagen plant in Germany. Ferdinand Porsche , despite never facing any sort of trial, spent
17919-403: The design or production of the 50. Moreover, the little Steyr offered better seating and luggage space than Porsche's Volkswagen with shorter overall length, a large sheet metal sliding roof and was available with hydraulic brakes (instead of the early Volkswagens' cable-operated ones). In early 1938, the car was revised. It got a more powerful engine and a longer wheelbase. The new model was called
18100-466: The driving seat and allowed the car to be cranked backwards by hand to assist with maneuvering. Progressive development of the Minicar and Minicar Deluxe continued until the more significant introduction of coil sprung independent rear suspension and the much-needed Triplex Safety glass windscreen. (The Triplex windscreen was subsequently offered by Sharp's Commercials as a retro-fit kit for the earlier Minicar.) This provided an ideal opportunity to relaunch
18281-408: The early 1920s running gear, but with a slightly enlarged chassis and widened track. In the late 1920s, General Motors finally overtook Ford, as the U.S. new car market doubled in size, and fragmented into niches on a wave of prosperity, with GM producing a range of cars to match. This included a Chevrolet economy car that was just an entry-level model for the range of cars. It was only a small part of
18462-488: The emerging designer, Dante Giacosa . It was powered by a 1,089 cc four cylinder overhead-valve engine . Drive was to the rear wheels through a four-speed gearbox, and for the period, its comfort, handling, and performance were prodigious, making it "the only people's car that was also a driver's car". The Steyr 50 streamlined small car was introduced in 1936 by the Austrian manufacturer Steyr-Puch . The car had
18643-456: The end of production 24,482 had been made. Sold as the Bond Minicar (the Mark A suffix being added only after the Mark B was introduced), the car was advertised as the world's most economical car. It was austere and simple in design, without luxuries. Production began in January 1949, although 90 per cent of the initial production was said to have been allocated to the overseas market. As with
18824-579: The evening news only showed the second and third Bonds amongst the traffic on the opening day. Now part of the M6, this event was recreated for the motorway's 50th anniversary by the BBC's Inside Out programme in 2008. Economy car The precise definition of what constitutes an economy car has varied with time and place, based on the conditions prevailing at the time, such as fuel prices, disposable income of buyers, and cultural mores. It typically refers to
19005-604: The extra cost of tariffs could actually make cars more exclusive and desirable. The only way for a car maker to enter another national market of a major European car making country, (and their colonial markets of the time), was to open factories there. For example, Citroën and Renault opened factories in England in this period. This situation only changed with the post-war growth of the EEC ( European Community ) and EFTA . The British RAC (Royal Automobile Club) horsepower taxation system had
19186-422: The first Oxford. The post– First World War Oxford was a deluxe version of that, now made plainer, 1915-1919 Cowley. They were larger cars with 50% bigger engines than the 1913 Oxford. By 1925 Cowleys and Oxfords were 41 per cent of British private car production and limousine and landaulet bodies for 14/28 Oxfords were supplied ex-factory. Morris then added a commercial vehicle operation and bought Wolseley Motors
19367-528: The first steel-bodied four-seater saloon to sell for £100; previously the only four-wheeled car to sell for that price had been the two-seater tourer model of the Morris Minor. The Model Y was reworked into the more streamlined Ford 7Y for 1938-1939. This was restyled again into the 1939 launched Ford Anglia . Initial sales in Britain actually began in early 1940. Production was suspended in early 1942, and resumed in mid-1945. Production ceased in 1948 after
19548-786: The following year. Cecil Kimber, a Morris employee, founded MG (Morris Garages) aiming to sell more Morrises. After the Second World War Morris Motors, having swept in Riley , merged with the Austin Motor Company together forming the British Motor Corporation . In 1913 the British Trojan company had its prototype ready for production. It had a two-stroke engine with four cylinders arranged in pairs, and each pair shared
19729-403: The front wheels could turn. It was elegantly simple, with just three links holding the wheel in place - the strut itself, the single-piece transverse lower arm, and the anti-roll bar that doubled as a drag link for the wheel hub. MacPherson took his ideas to Ford instead. They were first used in the French 1948 Ford Vedette . Next in the 1950 British Ford Consul and Zephyr (British mid-size cars,
19910-602: The front wings of Deluxe models and larger rear lights with integrated rear reflectors . As well as the slight weight increase, Sharp's also noted that ground clearance on the Mark D was now only 6.5 in (170 mm) compared to the Mark C's 7 in (180 mm). Four versions of the car were offered by the factory: the two/three seater Standard Tourer and Deluxe Tourer and the four seat (two adult front seats and two child-size inward facing hammock-style seats) Standard Family Safety and Deluxe Family Safety. The two/three seater models were also available directly from Sharps with
20091-542: The gap. Factory advertising material resurrected the Safety label as part of this model's name, but it was generally dropped elsewhere. The Sharp’s Minitruck continued in production but now incorporated all the new Mark C styling and mechanical features. The last one was made in March 1956. Attempts were made to penetrate the American market in 1953–54 where the car was marketed by Craven and Hedrick of New York and renamed
20272-617: The government of the day. The 33.33% rate was increased to 66% for cars costing over £1,000 in 1947 and this rate was extended to all cars from 1951. In 1953, it was reduced to 50%. In connection with the accession of the UK to the European Economic Community , the Purchase Tax was abolished on 2 April 1973 and replaced by the Value Added Tax (VAT) , currently 20%. This tax -related article
20453-443: The ground unaided. A test run between Preston and London at an average speed of 22.8 mph (36.7 km/h) gave an average fuel consumption of 97 mpg ‑imp (2.9 L/100 km; 81 mpg ‑US ) for the journey. The car had a single bench seat with a small open compartment behind suitable for luggage. There was also a fold-down hood with detachable sidescreens. The headlights were separate units mounted on
20634-537: The introduction of the 1935 monocoque Opel Olympia , and the Macpherson strut by Ford in the 1950s), until the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1931 the DKW F1 was launched. This was the first successful mass-produced front-wheel drive car in the world. It was priced at 1,700 ℛ︁ℳ︁ . (The British 1928-30 Alvis cars 'FWD' models had handling problems and only 150 were made. The British 1929 BSA
20815-419: The introduction of the Mark E until later. Despite one of the prototypes being used for an extensive European tour in the summer of 1957 by one magazine, it was not until other pre-production cars were tested by the factory immediately prior to full production that issues with the car's handling were revealed. The Mark E Tourer was eventually put on the market in December 1957 alongside the Mark D. In production,
20996-501: The limitations of his existing works as a base for mass production , Bond approached the Managing Director of Sharp's, Lt. Col. Charles Reginald 'Reg' Gray, to ask if he could rent the factory to build his car. Gray refused, but said that instead, Sharp's could manufacture the car for Bond and the two entered into an agreement on this basis. Bond carried out some further development work on the Minicar, but once mass production
21177-438: The manufacturers claimed gave a power-to-weight ratio of 49 bhp (37 kW; 50 PS) per ton unladen. The engine unit sat in an alloy cradle ahead of the front wheel, together forming part of its support. Both front wheel and engine were sprung as part of the trailing link front suspension system, which was fitted with a single coil spring and an Andre Hartford friction damper . The rear wheels were rigidly mounted to
21358-466: The market in 1945. The car was face lifted in 1953 from its original perpendicular or sit-up-and-beg style to a more modern three-box structure. It was sold until 1961. The Anglia, Popular and Prefect sold well for a long time despite their old fashioned technology using transverse leaf springs and beam axles for front and rear suspension, side valve engines and only partly synchromeshed three speed gearboxes. They sold on price because of limited car supply on
21539-485: The marketing strategy - "A car for every purse and purpose" of GM head Alfred P. Sloan . Harley Earl was appointed as head of the newly formed GM "Art and Color Section" in 1927. Harley Earl and Alfred P. Sloan implemented planned obsolescence and the annual model change to emphasise design as an engine for the success of the company's products. This moved cars from being utilitarian items to fashionable status symbols - that needed regular replacement "to keep up with
21720-601: The maximum-economy position in their home countries. By the 1970s the hatchback had become the standard body type for new economy car models. From 1960-1994 the Soviet Union sold the economy car Zaporozhets (and in the 80s, its successors, ZAZ-1102 , and VAZ-1111 ) on the world market. In the mid-1980s, the Yugoslavian Zastava Koral (Yugo), was being sold as the cheapest new car on the U.S. market. South Korea's Hyundai models also sold well in
21901-548: The moving production line. Until this time, manufacturers of consumer goods were concerned, by the possibility that the market would be fulfilled and demand would dry up. The seller's market in new cars in the U.S. was over, as customers wanted choice. The 'one model' policy had nearly bankrupted the Ford Motor Company. By the end of production in 1927 it seemed outdated, and was replaced by the Model A . The Ford Model T
22082-903: The new Autobahns that were to be built. They had been planned under the Weimar Republic , but he stole the credit for them. Many of the design ideas were plagiarised from the work of Hans Ledwinka , the Tatra T97 and Tatra V570 with the Czechoslovakian Tatra (car) company. It was also suspiciously similar in many ways to the Josef Ganz–designed cars, it even looked very similar to the Mercedes-Benz 120H prototype of 1931. The Nazi Kraft durch Freude (German for Strength through Joy , abbreviated KdF) "KdF-Wagen" or "Strength through Joy - Car" project ground to
22263-486: The next twenty months in a Dijon jail. The 760 cc rear-mounted four-cylinder engine, three-speed manual transmission 4CV was launched at the 1946 Paris Motor Show and went on sale a year later. Volume production with the help of Marshall Plan aid money, was said to have commenced at the company's Parisian Boulogne-Billancourt plant a few weeks before the Paris Motor Show of October 1947, although
22444-490: The post-war West German reconstruction known as the Wirtschaftswunder . The 375 cc Citroën 2CV had interconnected all round fully independent suspension, rack and pinion steering, radial tyres and front-wheel drive with an air-cooled flat twin engine and four-speed gearbox. It was some 10 to 15 MPG (Imperial) more fuel efficient than any other economy car of its time – but with restricted performance to match. It
22625-438: The press. Described as a "short radius runabout, for the purpose of shopping and calls within a 20-30-mile radius", the prototype was demonstrated climbing a 25 per cent gradient with driver and passenger on board. It was reported to have a 125 cc (8 cu in) Villiers two-stroke engine with a three-speed gearbox, a dry weight of 195 pounds (88 kg) and a cruising speed of around 30 mph (48 km/h). At
22806-435: The primitive roads in much of the country at the turn of the 20th century. For the same reason, it usually had a wider track than normal automobiles. The first car to be marketed as an 'economy car' was the 1901–1907 Oldsmobile Curved Dash - it was produced by the thousands, with over 19,000 built in all. It was inspired by the buckboard type horse and buggy, (used like a small two-seat pickup truck) popular in rural areas of
22987-559: The project was taken over by the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront, DAF). This was the national labour organization of the Nazi Party , which replaced the various independent trade unions in Germany during the process of Gleichschaltung or Nazification. Now working for the DAF, Porsche built a new Volkswagen factory at Fallersleben, called "Stadt des KdF-Wagens bei Fallersleben" ( Wolfsburg after 1945), at
23168-414: The prototype, a large proportion of the Minicar was made from different aluminium alloys . The main body was a very simple construction of 18 swg sheet with a 14 swg main bulkhead. The integrity of the main stressed skin structure was enhanced by the absence of doors, the bodysides being deemed low enough to be stepped over without major inconvenience (unless you were wearing a skirt ). Most of
23349-449: The radiator behind it. This allowed for a sloping front and good legroom when combined with lowered seating. This also allowed Fiat to lower the roofline. Although nominally a two-seater more were often squeezed in behind the seats. Initially it had quarter elliptic leaf spring rear suspension , but with an axle locating trailing arm , that was upgraded to stronger semi-elliptic to cope with overloading by customers. The front suspension
23530-588: The repetitive and stressful nature of working on the production line, and more radically, to turn his semi-skilled workers into potential customers. The Ford Model T was the first automobile produced in many countries at the same time. It was the first 'World Car', since they were being produced in Canada and in Manchester, England starting in 1911 and were later assembled in Germany , Argentina , France, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, and Japan. At
23711-428: The roof was longer than that on the tourer, this gave the impression that the car was a 2+2 , but internally it was the same size, and simply replaced the convertible's soft top with a full-length fibreglass roof. Though not described as a detachable hardtop , the roof could (with a little patience!) be removed in one piece, if desired. In a publicity stunt for Sharp's, three Bond Minicar Mark Es, (two Saloon Coupes and
23892-470: The same 180° steering lock and worm and sector steering system that was seen in the prototype Commercial and the front wings allowed for ample clearance at full lock. They also addressed a demand from customers for a "greater smoothness of line", and allowed a more robust location for the mounting of the front lights. Other improvements included rod and cable operated brakes on all three wheels, which "appreciably shortens stopping distances." During development,
24073-621: The same size as the Cadet), which owed more to the Cadet than just the MacPherson strut suspension, and caused a sensation when they were launched. In 1953, a miniaturised economy car version, the Anglia 100E was launched in Britain. These early 1950s British Fords used styling elements from the U.S. 1949 Ford 'Shoebox'. As Europe and Japan rebuilt from the war, their growing economies led to
24254-524: The same time period, as a Datsun Type 11 that may have been pirated, at the start of their own automobile industry. It was also produced as a BMW Dixi and BMW 3/15 in Germany, Rosengart in France with French styled bodywork, and by American Austin Car Company with American styling, (later American Bantam) in the U.S. It displaced the motorcycle and sidecar combination that was popular in Europe in
24435-567: The second car, LCK 479 a Tourer driven by John Woods the Production Manager (and fitted with one of the new Villiers 247 cc engines - as available in the new Mark F), would pull out, overtake the first car and speed off into the lead, ready to be photographed by the BBC . The plan backfired, because the Bond beat the camera crew to the bridge where the shot was to take place. Consequently,
24616-611: The secondary function of excluding foreign vehicles. It was specifically targeted at the Ford Model T, which the then government feared would wipe out the fledgling indigenous motor industry. It crippled car engine design in Britain in the inter-war period, causing British car makers to produce under-square, low revving, long stroke engines. It was abolished after World War II as part of the British export drive for desperately needed, hard foreign currency, because it made British cars uncompetitive internationally. The technologically conservative 1930s Morris Eight , Ford Eight (Ford Model Y which
24797-439: The shape of the fibreglass dashboard and the engine was upgraded to the Villiers 9E/4S with four-speed gearbox. Externally, the overriders seen on the pre-production vehicles were removed from both front and rear bumpers and the car now included two windscreen wipers. The maximum speed was now around 50 mph (80 km/h). In May 1958, a second version of the Mark E became available, the Mark E Saloon Coupe. Externally, because
24978-405: The show was powered by an Indian Brave 248 cc (15 cu in) four-stroke side valve engine (supplied by Brockhouse Engineering Co., Southport) and mounted in a cradle ahead and above the front wheel. Though described as "constructed on the stressed-skin principle", large cut outs to allow easy access from either side of the vehicle required much additional strengthening to the floor, with
25159-399: The side of the car, though of such low output, they have been described as providing "more of a glimmer than a beam". At the rear there was a tiny, single, centrally-mounted lamp. The air-cooled Villiers 10D 122 cc (7 cu in) engine had a unit construction three-speed manual gearbox without reverse. This had an output of 5 bhp (4 kW; 5 PS) at 4,400 rpm which
25340-427: The solid tyre shod wheels. The 1527-cc engine to the ingenious Hounsfield design was started by pulling a lever on the right of the driver. To prove how economical the car was to run, the company ran the slogan "Can you afford to walk?" and calculated that over 200 miles (320 km) it would cost more in shoes and socks than to cover the distance by Trojan car. The astronomical success of the Model T accelerated after
25521-540: The standard car was upgraded to an electric Lucas type. Although this was found to damage the original perspex windscreen, it was not replaced by a Triplex Safety Glass screen until the introduction of the Mark B in 1951. A Bond Minicar Deluxe tested by The Motor magazine in 1949 and carrying only the driver had a top speed of 43.3 mph (69.7 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-30 mph (48 km/h) in 13.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of 72 mpg ‑imp (3.9 L/100 km; 60 mpg ‑US )
25702-489: The three-speed version in October 1958 and the model was renamed the Family Tourer. A final version of the Mark D, the Family Four Saloon was shown at the 1958 Motorcycle show. This car had a lengthened rear wings and tail section and a built-in hardtop with side windows and wrap around rear screen. This version never entered production, and only one is believed to have been produced. Production of all versions of
25883-585: The time of the report (May 1948), it was stated that production was "expected to start in three months' time". The prototype was built at Bond's premises in Berry Lane, Longridge where it is now commemorated with a blue plaque . Sharp's Commercials was a company contracted by the Ministry of Supply to rebuild military vehicles. Knowing that the Ministry were ending their contract in 1948, and recognising
26064-545: The used car market due to the Second World War, and new car market because of the British government's post war policy of exporting cars. The Morris Eight, introduced in 1935, was a deliberate close copy of the Ford and served as a lower cost, more profitable replacement for the 1928-vintage Morris Minor which had not achieved the hoped-for success. Prices for the Morris started at £112 and it offered more equipment than
26245-408: The vehicle: I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one - and enjoy with his family
26426-466: The war years. But unlike other Japanese car firms Toyota did not partner with Western companies after the war, so it was free to use German designs. Many features of the prototype Beetle were subsequently put into the SA, although the Beetle's rear-mounted air-cooled engine feature was not used. Later on, Toyota revisited the economic principles exemplified by the Beetle when designing the 1950s successors to
26607-508: The war, Volkswagen did give some customers a DM 200 discount for their stamp-books). The project was not commercially viable and only government support was able to keep it afloat. The Beetle factory was primarily converted to produce the Kübelwagen (the German equivalent of the jeep ). The few Beetles that were produced went to the diplomatic corps and military officials. After the war, the Volkswagen company would be founded to produce
26788-635: The war, the last in 1945 in Stuttgart during a bombing raid. In 1932 ASAP-Škoda in Mladá Boleslav Bohemia Czechoslovakia, produced a type Škoda 932 prototype of a streamlined 4-seater two-door car with a rear air-cooled flat-four engine designed by Karel Hrdlička and Vsevold Korolkov. This car's bodywork closely resembled the small car designs yet to come. In Berlin in February 1933, the first production model of
26969-401: The wheel movement whilst the storage area behind the rear seats was also enlarged, increasing the cars overall length slightly and changing its rear profile. Beneath the bodywork, there were improvements to the electrics and to the braking system. The hood was also redesigned to provide more head room inside the car. Only one version of the Mark B Tourer was produced, and all production cars had
27150-532: The wishes of Louis Renault who in 1940 believed that post-war Renault should concentrate on mid-range cars. Only after a row in May 1941 did Louis Renault approve the project. In October 1944 after the liberation, Louis Renault who was imprisoned on charges of collaboration, died in suspicious circumstances. In January 1945, newly nationalised Renault had officially acquired a new boss, the former resistance hero Pierre Lefaucheux , (he had been acting administrator since September 1944). Lefaucheux had been arrested by
27331-594: The world leaders during this period – the Locomotives Act 1865 (the 'Red Flag Act') had obstructed automotive development in the UK until it was mostly repealed by the Locomotives on Highways Act 1896 . The high wheeler was an early car body style virtually unique to the United States. It was typified by large-diameter slender wheels, frequently with solid tires, to provide ample ground clearance on
27512-568: The world. These were fully closed roofed bodies, until this time open tourer bodies were the standard body on the market. Budd envisioned pushing his technology even further, and in 1924 he found another visionary in André Citroën . By 1934, they had developed the Citroën Traction Avant , the first unibody , pressed-steel automobile. Budd also pioneered the use of electric arc welding in automobile manufacturing. It would be
27693-547: Was US$ 550 , however, although it was reduced to US$ 490 later when the electric starter and lights were made a US$ 60 option. Henry Ford responded by reducing the Model T to US$ 440 . In 1916 Edward G. Budd 's first big order for the Budd Company was from the Dodge brothers, who purchased 70,000 bodies, mounting the steel bodies onto conventional chassis frames. During the 1920s Edward G. Budd 's pressed steel bodies were fast replacing traditional coachbuilt bodies all around
27874-516: Was Toyota's first true post war design. Although permission to begin full production of passenger cars in Japan was not granted until 1949, limited numbers of cars were permitted to be built from 1947, and the Toyota SA was one such car. It had a 4-cylinder engine, 4-wheel independent suspension and a smaller, aerodynamic body. The project was driven by Kiichiro Toyoda , but most of the design work
28055-449: Was a minimal inconvenience, because the engine, gearbox and front wheel were mounted as a single unit and could be turned by the steering wheel up to 90 degrees either side of the straight-ahead position, enabling the car to turn within its own length. A method of reversing the car was offered on later models via a reversible Dynastart unit. The Dynastart unit, which doubled as both starter motor and dynamo on these models incorporated
28236-445: Was a rare failure for him, due to uneven cooling of the inline four-cylinder engine. The most development of small economy cars occurred in Europe. There was less emphasis on long-distance automobile travel, a need for vehicles that could navigate narrow streets and alleys in towns and cities (many were unchanged since medieval times), and the narrow and winding roads commonly found in the European countryside. Ettore Bugatti designed
28417-462: Was a three-wheel competitor to Morgan and the motorcycle combination market, the 1931 four-wheeler was very short-lived. The 1929 U.S. Cord L-29 having been seriously flawed, production ended at 4,429. The 1930 U.S. Ruxton made about 500, production lasted for only four months.) The F1 featured a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout using a water-cooled 494 cc or 584 cc transverse two-cylinder two-stroke engine with chain drive. This
28598-472: Was again the work of Granville Bradshaw. The single side door, which had been introduced to around 6½ per cent of Mark B production vehicles after November 1951, became a standard fixture on the Mark C. Because the car's monocoque construction depended principally upon its skin for rigidity, the size of door was severely limited and to overcome the resulting decrease in structural rigidity , vertical steel strengthening brackets were fitted either side and along
28779-464: Was available with a slightly reworked Model A engine, marketed until 1933 (in U.S.) as the Model B. In Europe, it remained in the Ford lineup, as the Ford V8 in Britain in the 1930s which was re-styled and relaunched as the post-war Ford Pilot . They were viewed as large cars in Europe. The 1932 Ford V8 (Model 18) coupe became the car of choice for post-war hot rodders . It was the first V8 engine in
28960-435: Was described as "semi-floating" to allow the damping out of engine vibrations and to prevent fractures. Further strength was obtained by separating the bonnet from the front grill, allowing the grill frame to add rigidity to the front of the car. Track and overall width of the car were the same as the Mark D, but the wheelbase was extended by 12 in (300 mm). Though not appreciated at the time, this fundamentally affected
29141-430: Was designed to motorise rural communities where speed was not a requirement. The original design brief had been issued before the Second World War in the mid-1930s. It had been completely redesigned three times, as its market and materials costs had changed drastically during its development period. Engine size increased over time; from 1970 it was a still tiny 602 cc. It was in production until 1990. The Saab 92 had
29322-543: Was developed through the 1930s into the 1938 F8 model and the F9 that was not put into production because World War II started, 250,000 were made. By this time DKW had become the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. Their two-stroke engine technology was to appear in the postwar products of Harley-Davidson , BSA , Trabant , Wartburg , Saab , Subaru , Piaggio , Puch , Kawasaki , Mitsubishi , Mazda , Daihatsu , Honda , and Suzuki . The DKW type of two stroke engine
29503-620: Was done by Kazuo Kumabe . The two-door body was aerodynamic in a style similar to the Volkswagen Beetle . The doors were hinged at the rear (often called suicide doors ). The front window was a single pane of flat glass with a single wiper mounted above the driver. Only right hand drive was offered. Toyota engineers (including Dr Kumabe) had visited Germany before World War II and had studied Porsche and Volkswagen designs (independent suspension, aerodynamic bodies, backbone chassis, rear-mounted air-cooled engines, economical production cost). Many Japanese companies had ties with Germany during
29684-420: Was facelifted with American influenced 'full width styling' of the frontal panels after the war, with headlights integrated into the wings/fenders. The Fiat 1100 was first introduced in 1937 as an updated version of the 508 "Balilla" (its real name was the 508C) with a look similar to the 1936 Fiat 500 "Topolino" and the larger 1500 , with the typical late-thirties heart-shaped front grille, with styling by
29865-407: Was forbidden by the Nazis from using the term 'Volkswagen'. The Volkswagen Beetle would be the longest-lasting icon of this 1930s era. Adolf Hitler admired the ideals exemplified by the Ford Model T , (even though he didn't drive himself), and sought the help of Ferdinand Porsche to create a 'peoples-car' ("volkswagen"), with the same ideals for the people of Germany. This car was to complement
30046-412: Was in charge of development. It had a unibody structure, an over-square over head valve engine, a strut-type front suspension, small-diameter road wheels, a three-speed gearbox, brake and clutch pedals suspended from the bulkhead rather than floor-mounted, and integrated fender/body styling. It was light and technically advanced, but GM's management cancelled it, stating that it was not economically viable -
30227-431: Was independent and was used as the basis of the suspension of the first English Cooper racing cars in the 1940s that became successful in the 1950s. It had a four speed gearbox (when three was common) and all hydraulic brakes. It was a similar size to the Austin Seven but much more advanced. It was exported all over the world and produced at the NSU factory in Germany, Steyr-Puch in Austria and Simca in France. It
30408-441: Was invited to consult with Renault about the Renault 4CV. Lefaucheux was enraged that anyone should think the almost production-ready Renault 4CV was in any way inspired by the German Volkswagen , and that the politicians should presume to send Porsche to advise on it. The government insisted on nine meetings with Porsche which took place in rapid succession. Lefaucheux insisted that the meetings would have absolutely no influence on
30589-442: Was only 1,905 millimetres (6 ft 3 in), and the track only 1,016 millimetres (40 in). Equally it was lighter - less than half the Ford's weight at 360 kilograms (794 lb). The engine required for adequate performance was therefore equally reduced and the 747 cubic centimetres (45.6 cu in) sidevalve was quite capable with a modest 7 kilowatts (10 bhp) output. It would also start to catch on in Japan during
30770-460: Was producing half a million Model Ts a year, with a sale price of less than US$ 500 . This was more than the rest of the U.S. auto industry combined and ten times the total national car production of 1908, the year of the cars launch. Also in that year Ford made headlines by increasing the minimum wage of his workers from $ 2.83 for a nine-hour day to $ 5.00 for an eight-hour day , to combat low workforce morale, and employee turnover problems because of
30951-409: Was recorded. The test car cost £262 including taxes. Towards the end of 1949 (as unveiled and demonstrated in October at the Motor Cycle Show at Earls Court, London) an optional mechanical reversing device became available which comprised a long lever with a ratchet and a hexagonal socket on the end which fitted onto the centre of the driver's side rear wheel hub. This device could then be operated from
31132-443: Was related to the German Ford Köln ), and Standard Eight (Standard, later became Triumph) were named after their RAC horsepower car tax rating. The Ford Model Y had replaced the Model A in Europe in 1932 and ran until 1937. It was a much smaller and lighter car, weighing one third less, with an engine two thirds smaller in capacity than the Model A. The basic Model Y 'Popular' was an important milestone in British economy cars, being
31313-514: Was replaced by a rack and pinion system in October 1950. Brakes were provided on only the rear wheels; they were conventional drum brakes operated by a system of cables and rods. Early on, Sharp's adopted a policy of continual gradual upgrading of the Minicars, either to simplify or reduce maintenance, to redress noted failings or to improve some aspect of performance. Such changes were usually made available as kits to enable existing owners to upgrade their own cars retrospectively. In December 1949,
31494-409: Was replaced with four strokes in western economy cars by the 1960s, but lived on in stagnating and cash strapped Communist East Germany's Trabant and Wartburg and Communist Poland's FSO Syrena until the 1980s. In the late 1920s in Germany , Josef Ganz independent car engineer/inventor and editor of Motor-Kritik magazine had been a fierce opponent of the status quo of car design. He became
31675-423: Was shown at the 1922 London Motor Show . An agreement was reached with Leyland Motors to produce the cars at their Kingston upon Thames factory where work on reconditioning ex RAF wartime trucks was running down. This arrangement would continue until 1928 when Leyland wanted factory space for truck production. During the nearly seven years of the agreement 11,000 cars and 6700 vans were made. The car known as
31856-403: Was shut down and the plant was sold to the General Tire and Rubber Company . In anticipation of a repeat of the post First World War economic recession, GM started the "Chevrolet Cadet" project (a compact car intended to sell for less than US$ 1,000 ), that ran from 1945 to 1947, to extend the Chevrolet range downwards in the U.S. new car market. Chevrolet head of engineering Earle S. MacPherson
32037-427: Was slightly longer with one additional window on each side and had a small seat for children or as luggage space in the back. This car was advertised as the German Volkswagen. During the early 1930s German car manufacturers one by one adopted the progressive ideas published in Motor-Kritik since the 1920s. In the meantime in May 1933, the Jewish Josef Ganz was arrested by the Gestapo on trumped up charges of blackmail of
32218-422: Was the first model launched by Morris Motors . Only 1302 were made. The Oxford was available as a two-seater, or van but the chassis was too short to allow four-seat bodies to be fitted. It made extensive use of bought in components, including many from the U.S. to reduce costs. The 1915-1919 Morris Cowley (about 1400 produced) powered by a new US Continental engine was a bigger stronger better finished version of
32399-408: Was underway, left the project and sold the design and manufacturing rights to Sharp's. The prototype and early cars utilised stressed skin aluminium bodywork, though later models incorporated chassis members of steel. The Minicar was amongst the first British cars to use fibreglass body panels. Though retaining much of Lawrie Bond's original concept of a simple, lightweight, economical vehicle,
32580-409: Was very well received, and was due to go on sale in early 1952. By July however, "owing to supply difficulties" it was still unavailable, and the earliest production cars were not recorded as being built until October 1952. Four of the cars were on display at that year's show along with a Sharp's Minivan. The change in the body style from the Mark B was both functional and aesthetic. The Mark C utilised
32761-427: Was voted Car of the Century on December 18, 1999 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 1929 Chevrolet replaced the 171 cu in (2.8 L) straight-4 engine that dated from 1913, with the 194 cu in (3.2 L) Stovebolt Six engine that was to last until the 1960s as Chevrolet's base engine. A few years later Ford developed the Model 18 with the 221 cu in (3.6 L) flathead V8 . The same car
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