popular science

1/ 1953 BMW Isetta
The best-known “bubble
car”—post–World War II whips
that were so small that their
windows looked huge—had a
single front door, two seats,
and no meaningful storage.
LENGTH:2.2 metres

2/ 1957 Fiat 500

This two-door sported a more

conventional design, but its

engine sat over its rear wheels.

A station-wagon version

turned the block on its side for

increased storage space.

LENGTH:2.9 metres

3/ 1973 Reliant Robin

Known as the “plastic pig” in

British pop culture, thanks to

its fibreglass body, this

three-wheeled ride had a

single tyre up front, which

made it prone to tipping over.

LENGTH:3.3 metres

5/ 1998 Smart ForTwo

At well under three metres

long, two of these city cars

could fit in one parking spot. A

steel cell surrounded passen-

gers, but the ride lacked

crucial crumple zones.

LENGTH: 2.5 metres

Micro Machines

Abriefandnecessarilyunsatisfyingexploration

oftheculturalreasonsthattinycarsstillexist...

by ANTHONY FORDHAM

WHEN IT COMES TO CAR CULTURE,
Australia is one of the most cosmopolitan
markets... in the world. Our automotive origins
are in the UK, which gives us a tolerance for
mid-sized sedans and diesel hatchbacks, but
we have the wide open spaces and looong road
trips that, last century, justified the larger,
American-style saloon. We have some of the
most demanding off-roading in the world, we
embrace the likewise US-idea of hauling kids
around in an SUV. We’re not even above a van
or two. The only thing we don’t go for in great
numbers is the huge “pickup”. And there are

even a few of those around these days.

That right-hand drive legacy from the UK

gave us something else as well: access to grey

market and personal imports of Japanese

domestic cars. And when it comes to eclectic

taste in cars, Japan might have us all beat.

Take the kei jidōsha or kei class cars (it means

“light automobile”). These tiny rides were built

to give the long-suffering Japanese motorist

a tax break. If he was prepared to have a car

no longer than 3.4 metres, no wider than 1.48

metres, and with an engine no bigger than 660

cc outputting 47kW or less... well then he didn’t

have to pay as much tax, insurance, or assure

the Japanese government repeatedly and in

writing that he had a parking space. This is a big

thing in Japan. Even tiny cars are big in Japan.

That was in the 1950s, and these days Japan

also produces domestic-market luxo vans

with 325kW+ V6 engines for highway cruising,

so you might think the K-car has become little

more than a memory, or at best a collectible.

But apparently this class still accounts for

a third of Japanese domestic vehicle sales.

That’s how much people hate paying tax.

There’s a giant list of JDM kei models, but a

few do get exported. In Australia, the Suzuki

Alto and Jimny aren’t exactly rare, but they

do have larger engines fitted for our market,

presumably out of sympathy. Driving 500km

behind the Jimny’s 1.4L engine is rough

enough. Imagine a 0.6L. Reeee...

Outside Japan, tiny cars do pop up from time

to time in the history of “good” automotive

ideas. In 1957, Fiat’s 500 got a then-poor Italy

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78 POPULAR SCIENCE