Berkeleys (and other British cars) Meet on Cleveland's East Side - August 2, 2008

British Car Day XXII will take place on the grounds of Ursuline College -- on Cleveland's East Side.

For Berkeley-ophiles, this meet has become the closest thing to a National for the marquee. It's a not-to-be-missed event. And for others, Brits at Ursuline is the place to be, to see all manner of British Cars -- from MGs to Jags, from Triumphs to Bentleys. Over 250 cars are expected at this year's event, and judging will cover cars from 35 classes.

Details on the event can be found at Brits at Ursuline.

Velorex: Microcar or Cultural Icon?

This certainly shows that the 250cc single-cylinder Jawa two-stroke in this Velorex Oskar has got some get-up-and-go to it.



The Velorex looks like a cross between an airplane and a motorcycle. It has a tubular frame with fabric skin stretched over it (like an airplane), with the rear wheel of a motorcycle sticking out the back. The Velorex, profiled in MINUTIA Issue 15 Number 3, was produced from 1951 to 1971 in what was then Czechoslovakia.

And...based on this music video, it must have been produced in sufficient quantities that it became a sort of a "cultural icon." I don't know if "waszlavik" is a popular group -- I'm not a fan of the music, but I like their choice of cars.

Post-War Austin 7 Club - Winter Trial 2007

And here they are today.

The Pre-War Austin 7 Club (and several other UK-based clubs) continue to run their vintage minicars up some pretty incredible hills. Despite the age of these cars (some are on the high side of 70 years old), these Austins continue to perform. In the words of John Cameron Swayze, "They take a licking, and keep on ticking."

Hagley & District Light Car Club Winter Trial 1948

The English have an interesting way of treating their sports cars. While enthusiasts in the States tend to exhibit their cars in "Park & Shine" events -- held only in the best of weather, the Brits seem to enjoy flogging their little cars -- in the mud.

Trials -- a uniquely English sport -- take place when the weather is "iffy," and on hills that would scare the faint-of-heart. Initiated as reliability trials, these events morphed into muddy hillclimbs, where the object is to make it to the top (through gates) without stopping.

And before you assume that these only took place in the past, keep a look-out for more videos on this site -- and for articles in MINUTIA.

Oh...and the significance to Microcars & Minicars is that the Austin Seven is one of the most popular cars for these events. Light weight, with a high-revving engine, they work well in the mud.

Who Knew That Small Cars Were The Cars Of The Future...Popular Mechanics, That's Who.

The news is full of reports this week about a decline in auto sales, and about a shift in purchasing behavior. The almighty SUV is no longer the vehicle-of-choice. As a matter of fact, you can hardly give the beasts away. According to Bloomberg, U.S. vehicle sales may plunge to their lowest in more than 15 years this month as soaring gasoline prices leave dealers with too many big trucks and a shortage of fuel-efficient small cars, analysts said.

Deutsche Bank analyst Rod Lache stated, "Dealers report they are now suffering from a mismatch between what consumers want to buy (small cars), and what they have in inventory,'' (pickups and sport-utility vehicles).

While Popular Mechanics may not be viewed as a business publication, or as a leading indicator, the magazine noted long ago that when it comes to the American road, bigger isn't always better. Popular Mechanic's April 1954 cover story featured the Metropolitan—what was then the country's smallest car. Manufactured by Nash Motors (later the American Motors Corporation) and produced in Longbridge, England, the Metropolitan was designed to offer American buyers an economical transportation alternative. "It is, at least for this country where cars seem to keep getting bigger and bigger ad infinitum, a new approach to the personal transportation problem," PM wrote. Despite its small size, the Metropolitan passed a vigorous endurance test, running for 24 hours straight (stopping only to refuel and change drivers) on the Raleigh Speedway, averaging 61 mph and 41 mpg. It was perfect for short trips and driving in city traffic, PM noted, as a result of its diminutive size. PM writers never expected the two-seater Metropolitan to be "the family car of tomorrow," but compacts are quickly becoming one of the most important cars today.

The Minicars Turn Out At Guptill's

Guptill's (north of Latham, New York) is the site of a series of summer cruises. While the typical fare is muscle cars and hotrods, the crew at Hemmings attended the June Cruise-In and found several minicars in attendance. (Maybe $4/gallon gas is starting to have an effect on the car show circuit.)

The white 1948 Crosley Station Wagon wears the chrome nose cone and radiator bars that identify it as a late-1948 model. If Crosley's are your kind of car, don't miss the Crosley Nationals, scheduled for July 10-12 in Wauseon, Ohio.

And the two-tone (black & red) Mini sports a "AWHAT" vanity plate.

Subaru 360 Rally Team To Run Liège-Brescia-Liège Historic Rally

Posted recently on Motor Trend Magazine's online site:

Four U.K. Subaru enthusiasts are teaming up to run the Liège-Brescia-Liège historic rally that covers 2000 miles of public European roads including Italy's Stelvio and Gavia Passes. The team will run the rally, celebrating its 50th anniversary, in two examples of a Subaru model also celebrating its 50th anniversary -- the Japanese automaker's original 360cc microcar.
The Liege-Brescia-Liege rally is the only International rally to be open exclusively to sub-500 cc cars and is known to be among the toughest automotive events for both drivers and automobiles. One saving grace of the current iteration of the event is that it will run its course over 10 days with time to rest, rather than the three-day, non-stop format of the initial running 50 years ago. Several countries are traversed in the course of the rally, including Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. The event runs from July 11-20.

The Subaru 360s to be campaigned in the event are 1967 and 1968 models, each of which is equipped with a two-cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke engine. Power, as expected, is modest: just under 20 horses. The newer of the two cars features a four-speed gearbox, while the older version makes due with just three forward gears. Both do without synchos in first gear and feature a "cruising speed" of around 50 mph -- as long as the road is fairly flat. Subaru 360s were in production for a total of 12 years, allowing for a production run of roughly 250,000 cars.
The two competing Subarus were located in Japan (the 360 was never officially sold in Europe) and shipped via container to the U.K. where they were restored and slightly modified for their 2000-mile challenge. Both cars feature modern radial tires, as well as modern shock-absorbers and new brakes.

What is the Subaru's primary competition in this microcar shootout? There are plenty of choices: the BMW Isetta, Citroen 2CV, and numerous Messerschmitts all seem compelling adversaries. But according to driver Craig Lawson, it's the car that onlookers tend to mistake the 360 for the most -- the Fiat 500.

"It only becomes slightly annoying when spectators guess it's a Fiat 500," says Craig. "That car in faster Abarth form won the original 1958 rally and there is a factory team entered for this one, so the Fiat is our key competitor."
Seems old rivalries die hard.