1981 HMV Freeway

Article

The HMV (H-M-Vehicles) Free-Way was built in Burnsville, Minnesota, and produced from 1979 to 1982. It was a small, compact microcar that measured 115 inches in length and was just 51 inches tall. They had a single seat and were powered by either a 12 or 16-horsepower gasoline engine or a four-horsepower electric motor. The company offered the vehicle with a diesel engine but none were ordered with it.

These three-wheeled microcars were economical, with 100 mpg for the 12-horsepower engine when driven at a frightening 40 mph. The 'larger' 16 horsepower version still faired well, achieving around 60 to 70 mpg.

The engine could be found behind the driver and was mated to a snowmobile-style CVT belt drive transmission. The Free-Way powered by gasoline did not have a reverse gear in its transmission, making it a bit awkward when trying to maneuver backward. An electrically powered reverse drive was available as optional equipment but was never made available.

The Free-Way had a welded tubular steel frame with a secondary perimeter frame at bumper height to provide protection from impacts. The suspension was fully-independent and there were two wheels in the front and a single, chain-driven wheel in the back. The fully enclosed body was formed from a two-piece fiberglass material and colour molded into red, yellow, blue, or orange. In the front was a single headlight and - per federal standards - were licensed as motorcycles though some states titled them as cars.

Total production reached about 700 units.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2011