Well, maybe this particular car isn’t the next big thing, but I predict that small, relatively inexpensive cars like this will be big in the collector car market in the coming years. This 1959 King Midget, found on eBay, wouldn’t be a big project for someone to restore and the price of $3,500 shouldn’t take too big of a bite out of anyone’s wallet. With a length of less than 10 feet it’ll be easy to squeeze onto your golf cart trailer to bring it to shows once you’re done restoring it.

Midget Motors Manufacturing Co. in Athens, OH started off small (you see where this one is going), selling government surplus items and manufacturing small scooters called the Super-Cycle. They also started offering the “Model I”, a small car in kit form that was available through ads that the founders of the company placed in the back of magazines. Eventually, the Model 1 was offered as a fully-assembled car and these were meant as an inexpensive alternative to other cars of the day. The founders of the company ran Midget Motors on a strictly supply and demand basis, they didn’t build up an inventory and then send out a sales force to get people to buy them. When orders would come in they would manufacture the cars in Athens, Ohio and ship them either in kit form or as completed cars, up until the Model III cars when they were all sold as completed vehicles. Pat Foster wrote the definitive history of the King Midget if anyone has any interest, it’s a great book.

As you can tell from the photos, this wasn’t a fancy car with a high-level of design, at least in the way that we think of design when it comes to cars. These cars had a high-level of engineering and manufacturing design, it wasn’t a sleek or slick car and it wasn’t meant to be. This particular car is a Model III, the last of its type, and it looks like it’s in good condition overall and the body panels and floors looks really solid.

Unfortunately, the original 9.2 hp Wisconsin engine isn’t included as this car now has an OMC engine in the rear where the ‘Sconnie should be. That hurts the value, in my opinion. This one will most likely need a rebuild, according to the seller. But, the whole car needs work so what’s one more thing on your to-do list? The founders of King Midget invented their own style of transmission and as you can see it’s somewhat related to what we know from the snowmobile industry. Or, almost an early version of the CVT, in a way.

There is no power equipment here and you’ll never have to wonder if your “A/C needs charged”! A 12-volt system was added in 1961 but some owners may have changed their earlier models over by now. This one has a radio but it definitely doesn’t look like a factory original one. They also offered an electric wiper and washer in the later cars. The Model I was a single-seater but the Model II and III were two-seaters so you could take one of your friends along for the ride; the slow, conspicuous ride. There’s no hiding or fitting in with your surroundings when you’re driving a King Midget.

It’s hard to believe that this car was designed for actual use on actual roads. In fact, you could still license it and use it as a daily-driver today, but you’d be braver than I am. I would absolutely love to have one of these someday, I think they’re super cool and they are a big part of the history of the US auto industry, on a small scale. Do you have enough room in your garage for a King Midget?