1965 Scootacar MKII

The Scootacar was introduced in 1957. It was a 3-wheel vehicle built in Leeds, England by Scootacars Ltd., a division of the railway locomotive builder Hunslet Engine Company. Allegedly, the Scootacar was built because the wife of one of the directors wanted something easier to park than her Jaguar. Henry Brown designed the shape of the body. He accomplished this by sitting atop a Villiers engine, then had an assistant draw an outline around him.

The Scootacar, with its tandem style seating, could seat 2 1/2 comfortably. Power came from a Villiers 9E 197cc single-cylinder 2-stroke engine coupled to a four-speed motorcycle-type gearbox and chain drive to a single rear wheel. Steering is by handlebars. Access to the car is gained through the full-size single door.

IN 1960, Scootacars Ltd introduced the Deluxe or Mark 2 model, with a lower redesigned body, more room, and seating for three. It had a top speed of 49.1 mph and sold for 365 British pounds. Production ceased in 1965 after a total of about 1500 Scootacars were made. Approximately 130 Mark 2's were made with 40 surviving. 4 or 5 are in the United States.

The Microcar became very popular in Post War Europe where a need arose for inexpensive transportation that was rugged, durable, had adequate seating, and could be sold to the masses. Motorcycles and mopeds filled part of the demand, while microcars picked up where they left off, adding a bit more comfort, convenience, and safety, especially during the winter months.

Hunslet Engine Works had built a successful company as a locomotive builder. The legend has it that the wife of the owner wanted a car that was easy to park. Henry Brown was tasked with creating the design. He had expertise in this area, as he had worked on the small Rodley car. The design began with a Villiers engine and a body was created around it.

The first iteration of the car was known as the Mark I. It had three wheels and seating for two. The driver and passenger straddled a bench in a similar fashion to a scooter. The body was formed from fiberglass and had a large door on the left side. It had a very unorthodox shape and a height that measured five feet.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2008