The world was first introduced to the Inter Autoscooter, a French three-wheeled microcar, at the 1953 Paris Salon. It was conceived by les Ateliers Electromagnetiques de la Seine and produced by aircraft manufacturer Ste. Nationale de Construction Aeronautique du Nord (S.N.C.A.N).

Three body styles were displayed at the 1953 Paris Auto Salon, including a convertible. The Berline model, which had a unique domed roof and skylight, made it into production.

In similar design to the German Messerschmitt, its body resembled an aircraft fuselage, had tandem seating, and had a tilting canopy as means of egress and ingress. Another similarity was that both the Inter and the Messerschmitt were built by aircraft companies.

The Inter had a single headlamp, a steering handlebar, and a tapered tail.

The Inter had folding front wheels which reduced the width of the car to 36 inches wide. Power was from a single cylinder two-stroke 175cc Ydral engine offering 8 horsepower to the rear wheel. There were two wheels in the front and a single wheel in the back, making this a three-wheeled vehicle. The rear wheel was driven via chain drive and through a three-speed manual gearbox.

The Inter utilized the Westinghouse Gyrostarter, a helicopter-type starter, which engages the engine by pressing a lever.

Produced between 1953 and 1956, it is estimated that around 300 examples were produced with less than 10 percent believed extant today. The design remained similar during production but it is said that no two Inters are identical.

by Dan Vaughan