Comments on: Hail to the King Midget

By: Jack Atherton

Jack Atherton — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:00:38 +0000

I always wanted a midget, never got one. In high school my dad had a ‘51 Chevy pickup. It was painted barn red on the bottom, pink on the top, had a green racing stripe too. It was stenciled: Dolph’s Summit Inn, Beer, Wine, and Whisky. My mother wouldn’t let me drive her to school in it (she was a teacher). I never did figure out why the input manifold had a brass water faucet brazed on it!

By: Tdave

Tdave — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 07:00:37 +0000

I was slightly embarrassed when my mom would drive me to junior high in her ‘74 Dodge Dart Swinger, our only car. For some odd reason, when it became my car it became The Greatest Car There Ever Was And Ever Will Be! A two-tone color scheme, brown and gray. The gray was duct tape over the rust holes (good enough to pass inspection). The brown was supposedly “Iridescent Dark Gold” but only if the car was freshly washed & waxed did it show any “iridescence”.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 03:16:45 +0000

Sid: I’m in South Dakota. Not sure if the licensing laws are more lenient here than elsewhere allowing for the four wheelers on the road or what. All I know is that they are all over the place.

Doc: Love the thought of a Metropolitan Grasshopper with a V8 making it jump. Too cool!

By: MJ

MJ — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 23:34:11 +0000

Two of my daughters were in high school (the prime age for groans of “oh, MOM!”),and one in middle school, when I acquired Zippy – named after Dave Barry’s “emergency backup dog”. Easy on gas, would start on the coldest mornings, and ugly as homemade sin. It was a blue-and-rust (REAL rust) Datsun, with the bottoms of the doors kind of flaking off at every bump in the road…that car ran without fail for YEARS, and I can tell you that I had at least two dughters who never tried to cajole me into frivolous trips here and there – it was essentials only, with a teen in the front seat slumped down so far she was sitting on the middle of her spine.When Zippy finally died of an incurable timing error, I was heartbroken, but they were less than sympathetic….

By: Kyle

Kyle — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:31:03 +0000

I was ten when my father decided to undertake a project that would haunt my dreams for years to come. He thought he would save some money by converting the family Pinto into a pick-up truck. He was so proud of the monstrosity he had created, all the while ignoring the fact that he was permanently scarring his two kids. My brother received the worst ridicule as he was fourteen at the time. Don’t get me started on the bicycle he converted into a “laydown” using a lawnchair!

By: Doc

Doc — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:34:10 +0000

1) Minicars are legal and licensed in European countries, but not as cars – they’re considered 4-wheel motorcycles. US import regulations do not permit them as they do not conform to crash tests as automobiles. Short-sighted to be sure. They would be perfect for crowded urban streets. I can provide web info to those who are interested.

2) I had several minicars as a young man. First one was a ‘59 Rambler Metropolitan. Ugly little beast built on the Austin A40 frame and engine – seriously underpowered. Got tired of kids on bicycles beating me off the light and put a 283 chevy V8 and PowerGlide tranny in it, then beefed the suspension and frame so it wouldn’t twist itself in half when I put my foot in it. There are still legends in Tucson about “The Grasshopper” that would jump off the ground under acceleration.

2nd Mini was a MiniCooper S. The real thing with 10″ tires. Austin Healy 873 cc engine and would do over 100 mph. The new minis only vaguely look like the originals, and for some reason they’ve put 18″ tires on them. Dunno why – guess it’s so the folks with more money than sense can put spinner rims on them.

By: Sid Morrison

Sid Morrison — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:16:10 +0000

Dave – Where are you located? A friend and I were just talking about how many 4-wheelers he saw on the road on a recent tripto Luxembourg and how it’s funny you don’t see that here in NY State. He’s a big time motorcyclist, dirt-biker, 4-wheeler himself, so I’m pretty sure he’d know if it was legal around here. Is it legal in part of the U.S.? Or are you elsewhere?

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:59:36 +0000

The Smart cars are nice, but complex and pricey. What I’d love to see is something like the King Midget that you order in kit form, put together in your garage, and license as a motorcycle. These days you see four-wheelers buzzing all over the place, licensed as motorcycles; what – other than federal bureaucracy — stops manufacturers from creating something like that that also provides some protection from the elements?

I know; I’m dreaming.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:48:21 +0000

Ohhhhh… the smart car! I love those things and if I didn’t live in New Jersey, where I fear for my life every time I hit the road, I would seriously consider getting one. I could park it anywhere! It would fit in my pocket!

Those things were all over London when we went in 2001 and I have coveted one ever since.

By: sd

sd — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:35:10 +0000

My friend lived in Germany & had a smart car – her mpg was RIDICULOUS, something like 60mpg (when converted from metric!) – sure, she payed a lot of Euro per Litre, but a) the mileage was amazing & b) she didn’t have to drive so much considering how accesible Munich’s public transportation is