A micro car (also microcar) is said to be the smallest of all sizes of an automobile, with three or four wheels and likely an engine smaller than 43 cubic inches (700cc). And sometimes they’re afforded separate regulations pertaining to registration and licensing. Whether this definition is strictly adhered to, we don’t know – but the seller has amassed six of them and they’re located in West Palm Beach, Florida. They’re available here on craigslist for “best offer” without mention of any bundling requirements. Barn Finder T.J. continues to be hard at it bringing cool tips like this our way!
How or why these little cars came to live under one roof (or more), we don’t know. The oldest one was built in 1956 and the newest in 1970. Probably the weirdest of the bunch is to Messerschmitt RK 200, although none of them are likely to be found in large quantities anywhere in the U.S. and certainly not in what appears to be restored condition for several of them.
1956 BMW Isetta 300
The cool little bubble car with a single front door that opens from the front. Not the most practical (or safest) form of transportation, but it looks like a beauty.
1956 Isetta Limousine 600
This is essentially a stretched version of the BMW Isetta with room for more passengers and equipped with a larger engine to help it get around.
1959 Messerschmitt RK 200
The Messerschmitt KR200 (aka Kabinenroller for cabin scooter) was another 3-wheel bubble car, produced by the German aircraft manufacturer from 1955 to 1964.
1960 Fiat Multipla 600
Possibly the most likely of these little cars to be found at a gathering of collectors. Along with the Isetta “Limo,” it was designed to carry more than two people.
1969 Subaru 360 Microbus
This was one of Subaru’s earliest attempts at getting a foothold in the U.S. market. It took them longer than Honda and Toyota to make a dent with U.S. buyers.
1970 Cushman Truckster
The Cushman Truckster may have been more scooter than a pickup and looks to have a lot in common with the Ape marketed by Piaggio (Vespa).
Fiat Multipla..not Multiple (at least so called in Europe)
Mike Wolfes ex-wifes blowout sale,,,
Lol the first thing I thought of was Mike and frank!
I will take the Multipla. What a cool collection and where else can you fit a 6 car collection in a 2 car garage!
Well, careful what you wish for. I actually had the DISpleasure of riding in one. In the mid 70s, I had a friend that was a Fiat salesman, and they took one in on a trade. He took me, his wife and my GF at the time, for a ride. It was a cute little thing, now none of us were overweight, but it became clear early, it was horribly underpowered. Fact is, he never did get it into 4th gear. It seemed well built, doors stayed closed on bumps, but certainly, not for our roads, as is.
Not at all. My mechanic friend owned one he restored. He used to bring it to work on nice days and several of us would climb in and go to lunch. The stares you would get and the smiles and thumbs up. Priceless.
The Multipla was best suited to city work, and in its’ day was used extensively as a taxi in Rome.
I’d take the Cushman. Could be a great delivery vehicle for Door Dash or auto parts. At least that’s what I would use it for.
I used to have a Subaru 360 van. There does not seem to be a photo of it in the ad though. “Underpowered” doesn’t even begin to describe the thing!
When I was a kid (17-19) I worked summers on a golf course, and our standard gofer vehicle was a Cushman pickup. Not unlike this one, only without a roof, and with stepside fenders on it.
It was a hoot. We (the shop mechanic and more-inventive guys) jiggered the governor to where it would go about 35 – with the little fat tires it had, for golf-course operations, that was all to be reasonably expected of it. But with no windshield, and only a seat-cushion to sit on, it was plenty fast enough. Much faster than the Harley golf-carts we had.
We’d take it down three miles to the front office, off the course (municipal owned course) when needed…it was fun. In this age of unaffordable cars, new and used, and ridiculous gasoline prices, that would almost seem an option as a sort of city car (city-truck).
All things being equal, the Messerschmitt is likely the most valuable. The Mini the most practical. And I wouldn’t really call the Mini a microcar anyway.
When I was living in Germany as an indentured servant of the US Army in the early 1970s, it was well known around the local community that I liked old cars, so I was offered quite a few microcars, and they were often really, really cheap because German citizens at that time wanted nothing to do with old things, especially microcars.
I had to turn down [due to lack of a place to store & work on them] running and driving Kabinrollers, Tigers, and Isettas of all types, and the typical prices were around 100 to 300 German Marks [about $35 to $100]. The other reason I didn’t buy them and ship them back to the USA, was the shipping costs. For a car of this size it was still about $500-$700 to ship it to Bremerhaven and put on a RO-RO ship to Baltimore. [No way I was going to try to drive one from Heidelberg to Bremerhaven, a 600km drive!]
Is this a package deal? Can i waste your time?
Don’t remember how I got it, but I acquired a Fiat like this one that somebody had previously butchered. The top was gone and both doors were missing. My buddy and I would use it in a field down the street from our house. He almost slit his throat on the exposed windshield when we jumped a large pile of dirt. Just saw him at our 50th school reunion and he brought that up when we were comparing scars and sharing old times. Still questioning how we’ve made it so long…
Nice keyword spamming.
Insane even for CL!
wish all hada pic.
Some were on the st.s round here as a kid in/near Boston (mid/late 60s) The shidt, issettas (never the 4 wheel), metropolitan, no 3wheel morgan tho. We need more today – googlemobile, whatever the henry J mini, etc. Fit etc have no ‘style’. Figaro (more modern) was the best (not micro) from those shores~
I will take the BMW 600… With the exception of the Fiat, I have owned at least one example of everything in this collection at one time or another. I will make up for not having owned a Fiat by admitting I once owned a Vespa 400. :-)
The two cars I wish I could say I have owned are a Doretti (I had a chance and didn’t take it) and a BMW 1600GT (although I have owned numerous Glas 1700/1300 GTs).
This post on BarnFinds made my day.
Am I the only viewer who noticed the front seat on the BMW 600? It appears BMW wanted this car to provide a special level of “home comfort”, because it’s a rocking chair!