1964 Biscuter 100 Runabout

After World War II, raw materials were in short supply, and the economy was still struggling to find its footing. Europe was in need of an economical, small car, and one car to answer their demands was the Biscooter. The car originated in France during the late 1940s, where aircraft designer Gabriel Voisin had created the design and named it the Biscooter. The name gave hints that it was a scooter but with four wheels. The design found little interest from consumers or manufacturers, but it did find favor with a Spanish firm named Autonacional S.A. of Barcelona. They worked out an arrangement to produce the car under license. By the time it was introduced in 1953, the car had become known as the Biscuter. The first cars were known as the Series 100, but it would soon become known as the Zapatilla, or little shoe (clog).

The car drew popularity in the country that saw little auto manufacturing after World War II. In total, there were around 12,000 examples built through 1960.

This example is fully restored and comes from the Bruce Weiner Collection. The body is made entirely from aluminum, offset by a red interior. Power is from a 197cc Hispano-Villiers two-stroke single-cylinder engine capable of producing 9 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual gearbox and mechanical brakes on the transmission and rear wheels.

In 2010, this car was offered for sale at the 'Sports & Classics of Monterey' presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $10,000 - $15,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $12,100 inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2010