RUMCars Forum

General Category => Unusual Microcar Discussion => Topic started by: Jon Hunt on August 30, 2011, 03:41:31 PM

Title: What is a Microcar
Post by: Jon Hunt on August 30, 2011, 03:41:31 PM
Hi all,
        If a Bond Bug  ( nearly all 850cc now )  is a Microcar, why is an early mini not a Microcar?
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: marcus on August 30, 2011, 03:56:14 PM
There is no exact legal definition of a Micro car, it varies between individuals, organisations and countries. RUM has its own guidelines to define what is a micro car, and in fact Bond Bugs, Reliants and Minis are not really classed as micros, even though they are often welcomed at Micro events. Engine size, number of seats, number of wheels etc can all be used as guidelines, and in the case of RUM it is particularly focussed on vehicles for which there is no owner's club.
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: Bob Purton on August 30, 2011, 06:30:10 PM
Good answer Marcus. Both mini's and Bond Bugs have there own owners club but according to Rum rules un-uprated Bugs are microcars Mini's have never been so.
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: marcus on August 30, 2011, 06:43:35 PM
There are all the other vague categories to consider too: Cabin Scooters, Cabin Mopeds, Cycle Cars, Light Cars, Disabled Cars and Mobility Aids, unusual one-offs and home-made vehicles, cargo carriers and light agricultural vehicles, and many of these might also be classed as Micro Cars

Having seen Morgan 3 wheel sports cars and Bond Bugs at RUM Open Days, as well as that large and lovely 1930s Voisin Touring Car I am glad that RUM allows a certain amount of "interlopers" in, as long as the core focus remains on distinctive small vehicles!
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: Jonathan Poll on August 30, 2011, 09:49:31 PM
There are all the other vague categories to consider too: Cabin Scooters, Cabin Mopeds, Cycle Cars, Light Cars, Disabled Cars and Mobility Aids, unusual one-offs and home-made vehicles, cargo carriers and light agricultural vehicles, and many of these might also be classed as Micro Cars

Having seen Morgan 3 wheel sports cars and Bond Bugs at RUM Open Days, as well as that large and lovely 1930s Voisin Touring Car I am glad that RUM allows a certain amount of "interlopers" in, as long as the core focus remains on distinctive small vehicles!

I dont get it though... Dies that mean that my Go Kart is a microcar? Its a 1 cylinder, 4 stroke 400cc enfine, 9hp, 4 wheeler.

Not all micros are road legal!
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: marcus on August 31, 2011, 08:23:45 AM
I reckon a Go Kart fits all RUM's definitions of a micro car, but is not normally accepted as a Micro Car, because it is not designed for normal road use; mind you some of the really small and minimal micros are arguably no more road worthy! To me a micro car has to be theoretically capable of doing the most basic thing expected of a "car", and that is togo 1/2 a mile to the shops and collect a day's shopping. I could do that on my Drum Car and in fact have driven it around some towns, and called in at shops supermarkets and pubs on the way, and there is room for 2 weeks shopping on it! It is registered with RUM, but more on the basis of being "Unusual" rather than a proper "Micro Car".

It all does show how difficult it is to define, and that's all part of the fun!
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: Bob Purton on August 31, 2011, 08:38:45 AM
Marcus, I recon you could drive your drum carriage straight into a supermarket and use it as a trolly, no one would bat an eyelid unless you started playing the drums of course! ;D
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: marcus on August 31, 2011, 09:12:45 AM
In Chippenham I drove into Woolworths with 20 singing and dancing Fezheads, played to staff and customers for 10 minutes, then bought a load of sweets and left. Priceless!
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: Big Al on August 31, 2011, 09:32:59 AM
That was before Chippenham went bust. Or was it Woolworth? Fantastic!
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: Jonathan Poll on August 31, 2011, 12:08:50 PM
I reckon a Go Kart fits all RUM's definitions of a micro car, but is not normally accepted as a Micro Car, because it is not designed for normal road use; mind you some of the really small and minimal micros are arguably no more road worthy! To me a micro car has to be theoretically capable of doing the most basic thing expected of a "car", and that is togo 1/2 a mile to the shops and collect a day's shopping. I could do that on my Drum Car and in fact have driven it around some towns, and called in at shops supermarkets and pubs on the way, and there is room for 2 weeks shopping on it! It is registered with RUM, but more on the basis of being "Unusual" rather than a proper "Micro Car".

It all does show how difficult it is to define, and that's all part of the fun!

Well, if I'm making it myself, surely I can say Im making it to go to the shops (even if its for muddingh around in the fiueld ;) )
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: Bob Purton on August 31, 2011, 12:20:28 PM
Pick & Mix?   Our local Woolies turned into a 99p shop and is brilliant, much better that Woolies ever was!
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: marcus on August 31, 2011, 01:07:05 PM
If you are making it yourself, then it will be unique, and therefore "Unusual" so you might be able to register it with RUM!

Our local Woolies is now a Tesco local. we already have 3 huge Tescos and at least one Tesco local within a mile of us
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: Rob Dobie on August 31, 2011, 02:57:33 PM
What's the rest of the high street like? Full of empty shops, estate agents and charity shops like most of them are now.  ;D
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: marcus on August 31, 2011, 03:45:47 PM
Actually our local shopping area, Southwark Park Road is mostly full of REAL shops! One is a Turkish shop with fantastic in-store bakery and lots of nice stuff.
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: Jonathan Poll on August 31, 2011, 03:55:12 PM
Actually our local shopping area, Southwark Park Road is mostly full of REAL shops! One is a Turkish shop with fantastic in-store bakery and lots of nice stuff.

Name me a shop in England that is not Turkish...
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: marcus on August 31, 2011, 04:06:58 PM
Er,     KFC, McD, CAFE NERD, Starbucks, Subway, PC World, Currys, Apple Store, Asda, Boots, WHSmith, and all the other US companies and former British companies now under foreign ownership !
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: AndrewG on August 31, 2011, 11:36:56 PM
My personal variant of this discussion is that 10 years ago I had a motorcycle (Honda Gold Wing) used for long distance commuting that had 6 cylinders and 1800cc.  It gets right cold in winter 'oop 'ere in the far north, so I had a winter car too - a Daewoo Matiz that had 3 cylinders and 900cc. The perfect symmetry always pleased me.
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: marcus on September 01, 2011, 07:32:11 AM
A family of 5 used to visit our yard on a Goldwing with modified forks and a huge side car. Beautifully customised in metallic wine bottle green paint, but it was about the size of a big executive car!
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: Big Al on September 01, 2011, 07:40:53 AM
If you are making it yourself, then it will be unique, and therefore "Unusual" so you might be able to register it with RUM!

Our local Woolies is now a Tesco local. we already have 3 huge Tescos and at least one Tesco local within a mile of us

They are working on Tesco taking on the Isle of Wight as a huge retail outlet staffed by prisoners maniculed to the gondolas. Tesco continue to extract additional profits to Isreal and the Government stimulates turnover claiming it is profit and 'good for our economy'. I'll go for the pound shop. It claims nothing other than it sells crap. However all this is macro talk, we still have a corner shop, the Microcar of the retail world.
Title: Re: What is a Microcar
Post by: Big Al on September 01, 2011, 07:44:10 AM
Er,     KFC, McD, CAFE NERD, Starbucks, Subway, PC World, Currys, Apple Store, Asda, Boots, WHSmith, and all the other US companies and former British companies now under foreign ownership !

Why isn't Curry's Bangladeshi?