They were the first: 11 subcompact cars of the early 20th century

Subcompact cars appeared already at the dawn of the formation of the automotive industry. In those distant years, when cars only began to appear on the market, they produced really very small cars. In our review there are 11 small cars of the first half of the XX century.

Double Whitwood. London, 1934

The Whitwood car was created in the UK in the 20s of the last century. The length of this crumb was only 2.3 meters, but the speed reached 150 km / h. The Whitwood was presented in several modifications — for one and several passengers.

Rytecraft subcompact. London, 1939

The Rytecraft car was also made in the UK in the 30s of the last century. This car was slightly larger than Whitwood and in the basic configuration it could easily accommodate a driver and a passenger.

Barnard Formula Six. 1968

At the international Toy Fair in 1968, a subcompact "toy" Barnard Formula Six racing car was presented. The car was intended for drivers from 6 to 60 years old. The speed of the Barnard Formula Six was, however, not childish — 50-60 km / h.

German subcompact car Hanomag Kommissbrot. 1928

The German subcompact car Hanomag Kommissbrot was introduced in 1928. The car consumed very little fuel due to its size and weight, and due to the unusual shape of the body at that time, it was called a "loaf of bread".

50cc Mopetta subcompact.

The 50cc Mopetta subcompact first appeared in Stuttgart. The car was created in 1958 and became one of the first "trivillers". The speed of this monster of minimalism was only 33 km / h.

Custer is the smallest American car.

Americans like to create "the most high-tech", "the most expensive" and "the most complex". But once they created something "the smallest". They became the Custer car. The car was created in 1920. An adult could barely fit into her salon.

The midget Rytecraft Scootercars, developed by JW Shillan in 1934, were famous primarily for the fact that their engine had a power of only one horsepower. For all the time, only two such cars were produced.

Created in 1939, the Velocar was not just a car, it was a symbol and a call! As it is easy to guess from the name, in fact, Velocar is not a car. He worked on a pedal pull.

Tiny Velocar on the way to Hyde Park.

The car was created as an alternative to vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine. For what? Gasoline is a valuable resource in war. 

Grinders Glade, 1925

And here is another British subcompact Grinders Glade, created in 1925. In terms of dimensions, this car was larger than all the small British cars created in the first half of the XX century.

The so-called Midget tank was actively used in the Second World War by engineering and motorized rifle units of the Wehrmacht. Such tanks were used to transport cargo and the wounded, and explosives were also installed on them to undermine enemy fortifications.

The Ford Comutas car was created in 1967. Its peculiarity is that it became one of the first, then still experimental, electric vehicles. The Ford Comutas was powered by a 12-volt lead battery.