The Big Book of Tiny Cars

Description

Richly illustrated and entertainingly written, The Big Book of Tiny Cars presents lively profiles of the automotive world’s most famous—and infamous—microcars and subcompacts from 1901 to today.

From tiny homes to little lending libraries and even tiny food, people everywhere are resetting the premium they put on size. Fact is, the automotive industry has a “tiny” history going back to the car’s earliest days.

Beginning with the Curved Dash Oldsmobile and continuing through prewar classics such as the Austin Seven and Hanomag Kommissbrot, The Big Book of Tiny Cars is truly international in scope. Witness diminutive cars like the Bond Minicar and the BMWIsetta introduced to fuel-deprived postwar Europe, and continue through the classic 1950s microcars and ’70s subcompacts, right up to today’s tiny cars and electric vehicles (EVs) fromthe likes of Smart and Fiat.

In addition to iconic curiosities like the frog-like Goggomobil Dart, the futuristic Sebring Vanguard Citicar, and the three-wheeled Reliant Robin, you’ll read about more familiar classics like the VW Beetle, MiniCooper, and Crosley Super Sport. Other manufacturers represented include Honda, Datsun, Mitsubishi, Trabant, Heinkel, Renault, and Messerschmitt, to name a few.

• Each car is profiled with an entertaining and informative history and a fact box.
• Imagery includes archival photos, period ads, and modern photography.
• In all, more than 100 cars are included, from the weird to the sublime.

Gas, diesel, or electric…tiny cars have a rich and curious heritage reflective of motorists’ concerns for their pocketbook, the environment, or both. The Big Book of Tiny Cars is your ultimate collection of microcars, minicars, bubble cars, kei cars, subcompacts, and compacts that have been built, sold, and driven all over the globe for 120 years.Russell Hayes divides his time between writing (mostly on classic car and consumer subjects) and TV production (he has worked on Top Gear and Driven). He lives in London, England.Contents
Introduction

Chapter 1        Growing Up, Pre-1939
Curved Dash Oldsmobile 1901
Peugeot Bébé 1913
Rover 8 1920
Austin 7 1922
Hanomag Kommissbrot 1924
Morgan Super Aero 1927
American Bantam 1930
Raleigh Safety Seven 1933
Fiat 500 Topolino 1936
Crosley prewar

Chapter 2        Small Cars That Think Big, 1940s
Peugeot VLV (Voiture Légère de Ville) 1941
Volkswagen Beetle 1945
Renault 4CV 1947
Rovin D2 1947
Citroen 2CV 1948
Morris Minor 1948
Saab 92 194
Crosley postwar
Bond Minicar 1949
King Midget 1949

Chapter 3        The Microcar Bubble, 1950s
Fuldamobil 1950
Austin A30 1952
Reliant Regal 1952
Standard Eight 1953
Isetta 1953 and BMW Isetta 1954
Messerschmitt 1953
Nash Metropolitan 1953
Eshelman Adult Sports Car 1953
Heinkel 1954
Fiat 600 Multipla 1956
Fiat 500 1957
Goggomobil 1955
Zundapp Janus 1956
Autobianchi Bianchina 1957
Frisky 1957
D.A.F. 750 1958
Brütsch Mopetta 1958
NSU Prinz 1958
Subaru 360 1958
Trabant 1958
Vespa 400 1958
Ford Anglia 1959
Triumph Herald 1959

Chapter 4        The Bubble Bursts, 1960s
Austin Seven/Morris Mini-Minor 1959
Mazda R360 1960
Renault 4 1961
ZAZ 965 1960
Simca 1000 1962
Hillman Imp 1963
Peel P50 1963
Lightburn Zeta Runabout 1963
Reliant Rebel 1964
Honda N360 1967
Fiat-Vignale Gamine 1967

Chapter 5        The Supermini Era, 1970s
Bond Bug 1970
Ford Pinto 1970
Datsun Cherry 1970
AMC Gremlin 1970
Fiat 127 1971
Renault 5 1972
Honda Civic 1972
Enfield 8000 1973
Sebring-Vanguard Citicar 1974
Zagato Zele 197
Innocenti Mini 1974
Vauxhall Chevette 1975
Volkswagen Polo 1975
Ford Fiesta 1976
Suzuki Fronte/SC100 1979

Chapter 6        Econoboxes and Hot Hatches, 1980s
Fiat Panda 1980
Austin Metro 1980
Reliant Rialto 1982
Peugeot 205 1983
Seat Ibiza 1984
Sinclair C5 1985
Suzuki SJ 1985
Citroen AX 1987
Nissan Be-1 1987 and Nissan Pao 1989
Mitsubishi Dangan ZZ 1989

Chapter 7        Smaller and Smarter, 1990s
Nissan Figaro 1991
Autozam AZ-1 1992
Suzuki Wagon R 1993
Renault Twingo 1993
Mitsouka Viewt 1993
Ford Ka 1996
Mercedes A-Class 1997
Smart Micro Coupé 1998
Daewoo Matiz 1998
Audi A2 199
Corbin Sparrow 1999

Chapter 8        Retro and Electric, 2000s
Ford TH!NK 2000
BMW Mini 2001
Daihatsu Copen 2002
Citroen C3 Pluriel 2003
Peugeot 1007 2005
Fiat new 500 2007
Tata Nano 2008
Toyota IQ 2008
Mitsubishi i-MiEV 2008
 
Chapter 9        Electric or Else?, 2010s
Renault Twizy 2011
Volkswagen Up! 2011
Renault Zoe 2012
Toyota Yaris Hybrid 2012
BMW i3 2013
Hyundai i10 2014
Google Car 2016
Honda E 2019
Citroen Ami 2020
Micro Systems Microlino 2021

Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Photo Credits
Index
 “As the book beautifully explicates and illustrates, automotive history is literally littered with littleness. This big book covers it all.”
 
 —CarandDriver.com"Whether you are a collector of these Tiny Cars or merely curious, seeking to learn more, this book offers much to enjoy."—Helen V Hutchings, Speedreaders.info

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