Originating mainly in the ruined economies within Europe after WWII, the pint-sized microcar class took shape as the cheapest way for people to get around. Within these early attempts at economical automobiles, no particular style was set in stone, leading to some shockingly weird vehicle designs coming out during the '50s.
Eventually losing their popularity thanks to more refined cheap "people's cars," and recovering economies, microcars continued to exist elsewhere, with countries like Japan keeping them alive as the diminutive Kei car class. With their small size and strange looks though, microcars can be downright adorable, looking like nothing else on the road. Whether post-WWII or somewhat modern, microcars exist all around the world, and these are 10 of the most adorable-looking.
10 Crosley Hotshot - USA
Arguably America's first sports car, the Crosley Hot Shot was by no means a beautiful or fast car but offered an affordable and fun experience to post-WWII America.
A brand focusing on small cars, Crosley had made several vehicles like a utility wagon and pickup truck using a similar barebones platform to each other. In 1949 though, they decided to turn that platform into something fun and sporty. Weighing around 1,100 lbs, and packing a tiny 26 hp engine, the Crosley Hotshot was a snappy little sports car that had moderate motorsports success and sold around 2,500 units until its discontinuation in 1952.
9 Goggomobil Dart - Australia
A unique and adorable little sports car, the Goggomobil Dart was an Australian-designed fiberglass body built on top of a German-made chassis.
Originating in the '50s as microcars reached their classic peak in Europe, Australian import taxes proved to be a roadblock for bringing the little machines down. Reaching out to the founder of successful German microcar brand Goggomobil, Bill Buckle managed to avoid the worst of the taxes by just importing the chassis and engines, then giving them a body once in Australia. In 1958 though, Buckle decided to make a sports car out of them, designing a unique body for it, and calling it the Dart. Sold until 1961 in Australia only, what the Goggomobil Dart lacked in speed and size, it made up for with go-kart-like handling, and incredible fuel efficiency for the time.
8 Frisky Sport - England
With a hilarious name and looks that are reminiscent of a cartoon car, the Frisky Sport was a British microcar with plenty of character and surprising success.
With their initial concept designed by legendary Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti - who later designed several iconic Ferraris, Meadows-Frisky came about when British businessman Raymond Flower approached Henry Meadows Ltd with an idea for an affordable and economical fun little car. First produced in 1957, the charming Frisky Sport preceded several other Frisky models, including the hilariously named "Frisky Family Three."
7 Brütsch Mopetta - Germany
About as small as a "car" can possibly get, the Brütsch Mopetta was a rather obscure microcar that looks like it came out of some vintage cartoon.
Already a maker of microcars, German brand Brütsch set out to create the most micro of all microcars in 1956, and supposedly created a prototype for it in just one day. Fitted with a 2 hp motor, the fiberglass-bodied Mopetta did accomplish its microscopic goal but didn't enjoy much success, as just 14 were built before the manufacturer decided against producing more in 1958.
6 Avolette Record De Luxe - France
A product with involvement from the previously mentioned Brütsch, the Avolette Record De Luxe was a hilariously weird-looking microcar that despite its designation, was by no means a deluxe vehicle.
Having licensed out most of his designs instead of making them himself, Brütsch sold this design to the French Societe Air Tourist, who also made licensed Cessna airplanes. Disappointed with the chassis design, the Avolette was re-worked by the French manufacturer, dropping the Brütsch name, and debuting it for sale in 1956. Only around 30 were made, and each packed a 14 hp motor, as well as some incredibly weird looks.
5 Kapi Chiqui - Spain
About as basic as cars can get, Kapi was a Spanish brand dedicated to building tiny, affordable cars like this little egg-shaped thing called the Chiqui.
Founded by Federico Saldana a former infantry captain who served during WWII, Kapi's first prototype was made in 1950, and in 1951 introduced the Kapiscooter microcar which saw decent success. Also producing Jeep-inspired microcars, the adorable Chiqui debuted in 1955 as a similarly affordable tiny car. Sadly though, Kapi as a brand would shut down just a year later.
4 Piaggio Ape - Italy
An iconic and prolific pint-sized hauler, the Piaggio Ape (meaning "bee" in Italian) is a simple Vespa scooter-based vehicle that's enjoyed over 70 years of success, being used in many applications as pickup trucks, commercial vans, mobile coffee shops, and even a race car among many others.
A rather simple concept, Piaggio was, and still is the manufacturer of the iconic Vespa scooter, and created the Ape in 1948 by attaching a new rear end and pickup bed, as well as an enclosed cabin around it starting in the '50s. Still built in a similar way, the Ape is a tiny but capable vehicle that can be seen across Italy to this day.
3 SAIL Badal - India
If you're familiar with the infamous small 3-wheeler known as the Reliant Robin, then the SAIL Badal will make some sense, as it essentially is one, but made in India with its own host of strange quirks.
Founded in Bangalore in 1974, Sunrise Automotive Industries Ltd (SAIL - later renamed to Sipani) reached out to Reliant, obtaining the 3-wheel Robin chassis to make their own car on top of it. The similarities to the Robin end there though, as the Badal used a 12 hp Italian engine mounted in the back and a uniquely strange fiberglass body. Not a success in India, the Badal did get its 15 minutes of fame while starring in a Bollywood movie.
2 Subaru Vivio Super KK - Japan
With the Kei car class being a popular one in Japan, there are tons of quirky micro machines to choose from. A popular model in the class though, the Subaru Vivio is nothing all that special, but reached an extreme as the Super KK—a legitimate rally car driven in competition by none other than legendary Scotsman Colin McRae.
As ridiculous as it sounds, Kei cars had been used in rally competition before, and the Subaru Vivio RX-R was among them. Supercharged, 4WD, and super tiny, the Vivio RX-R became the Super KK for the WRC Group A competition. However, it would only see the WRC circuit for one rally, with 3 of them being entered into the 1993 Safari Rally. The one pictured above was driven by future rally legend Colin McRae, but didn't see any real success and was promptly shelved.
1 Mazda Autozam AZ-1 - Japan
One of the most memorable Japanese Kei cars of all time, the Autozam AZ-1 was a pint-sized sports car from the '90s that is an absolute JDM legend despite how hilariously small it is.
Sold under Mazda's Autozam brand, the AZ-1 came about in 1992 as a minuscule sports car under the Kei car class. Packing 63 hp, exotic gullwing doors, negligible weight, amazing handling, and shrunken-down supercar looks, the Autozam AZ-1 is one of the most unique and adorable Kei cars ever made.