Author Topic: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?  (Read 8010 times)

Rob Dobie

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Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« on: May 26, 2016, 08:49:37 AM »
40 years ago, 1976. Not many collecters of microcars. Were you one of them? All I remember was Otto in Germany and Tony Marshall. Oh and me, just for a short year!

Ain't got nuffink now except memories.

Big Al

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Re: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2016, 09:20:12 AM »
Got my first cars, 3 Isettas, in 1977. From that time I have only been microcarless for about 6 months. But I was not a collector, as such, till probably about 1982, when I had more cars than could be put to the road. I also was into kit cars in a big way and have had quite a number of differing options. I am amazed I ever found the time to get all this rubbish going now. Oh to be young and energetic!
Messerschmitt set, Goggo Darts, Heinkel 175, Fiat Jolly, Autobianchi, Fairthorpe Electron Minor, Borgward, Isuzu Trooper
Citroen BX 17TZD & GTI 16v
Held - MG Magnette ZB & 4/44
For sale - Vellam Isetta, Bamby, AC Type 70, Velorex, Church Pod, Reliant Mk5, KR200,  Saab 96, Bellemy Trials, Citroen BXs

steven mandell

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Re: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2016, 11:28:20 AM »
I bought my first NSU Sport Prinze for $50 in 1968 from a local junkyard with an unknown blown engine.
I towed it home with a rope tied to the bumper of my Mom's station wagon, and had only limited success with it untill I became infatuated with my first early Lotus Europa in 1970.
  I then only sought mid engined exotics untill I moved to Toronto for a year in 1980.
I then brought a half dozen 1000 cc Canadian Mini Coopers across the border for selling in  the US while using a 1980 version in very good shape as my daily driver for a few years.

Living in the US, where micro cars were generally unseen, I literally did not know that anything else smaller than an NSU, Mini Cooper, or Fiat 500 ever even existed untill looking through a book of World Cars published in the late 50's in 1992.
I bought an HMV Freeway that I happened upon locally almost immediately thereafter, and then unsuccessfully  attempted to get a Scootacar Mark one via  correspondence with Stephen Boyd, and a Zundapp Janus from Germany where I had exported a few Fiero GTs.
I also tried to buy a Scootacar Mark one, FF3 and a Hienkel engined tractor from Alan's Unusual Microcars, after becoming  intoxicated by a plethora of pictures that he had sent me.
But the complexity of Al's migratory patterns, always going to Manheim or such, my own lack of familiarity with affordable and reliable international phone and email service nixed all that for me untill the current century.
Having bought my still current driver, a 2000 Honda Insight in that same year, I travelled to Bruce Weiner's fabulous annual, then semi annual gatherings, and started searching and buying, first intracontinentally, and then intercontinentally by internet untill arriving at my presently  pleasantly demented state of importing 8 Sans Permis cars stuffed into a 40 foot container last December.
An enthusiastic, but later bloomer due to ignorance incurred through circumstance of my residence.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2016, 11:52:01 AM by steven mandell »

Jean

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Re: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2016, 12:35:28 PM »
The Hammond Collection started with a Heinkel Ireland bought in April 1976 to restore for Andrew as his first car, after which Edwin never looked back until he died in May 1998.

Also at that time Malcolm Goldsworthy was also collecting Peels amongst other things.   Jean
Jean
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AndyL

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Re: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2016, 02:55:01 PM »
I was collecting matchbox cars back then, as i was only four years old. I guess they're kind of micro!
1959 LHD 3-wheel Isetta.

Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)

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Re: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2016, 03:51:05 PM »
I've still got my notebook for the book I was planning to write about bubble cars "one day" back when I left school, but I didn't come across the term 'micro cars' untll sometime in the eighties. Never had quite the right set of circumstances to own one till recently, but I still have my Spot On Isetta, Frisky and a selection of Corgi Heinkels somewhere in the attic.
Malcolm
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Jim Janecek

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Re: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2016, 04:03:55 PM »
I present to you the cover of BUBBLE NOTES #1 from 1976
Note this is Volume 6 as the first issue was published in 1970!

Rob Dobie

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Re: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2016, 04:29:22 PM »
Oh Jean, how could I have forgotten Malcolm Goldsworthy? He bought a large part of my collection in '76 including the two Peel P50s.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2016, 09:01:51 PM by Rob Dobie »
Ain't got nuffink now except memories.

super-se7en (Malc Dudley)

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Re: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2016, 04:53:43 PM »
My first Frisky was in 1965 followed by two more in the early eighties. Both burnt to a crisp in a factory fire in 1987. By the end of the 80's I had two bonds (B & D), two Berkeleys (foresome & T60) a messerschmitt , a Trojan and a mark 2 Frisky family 3.
All sold to the Bubblecar museum in the 90's, they then selling them for a massive profit ( but that is another story.)
Now down to two Frisky Sports and a Caterham 7.

steven mandell

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Re: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2016, 11:09:41 AM »
I don't know about any massive profits being made by a museum on bubble cars in the 1990's, but it does sound like an interesting associated story.
Are you sure that Al wasn't involved this some how? ;D

scorpius

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Re: Who was collecting microcars in 1976?
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2016, 07:10:08 PM »
I was collecting back then , picked up a sliding window Isetta and a KR200