Freeway 3 Wheeler

[Dusty921]

Had a Citicar back in the day. Not much range, a pain to work on and you had to make your own parts.
Even visited the "Plant" on the old Sebring Airport to try to get parts and a schematic, there was one guy there
and I think I still have the "Manual" he dug out from under a pile of papers on the only desk. Car is long gone.

 

[AriLea]

Thanks for letting me know it was a fashion. I always interpreted it as companies getting cheap and not spending money to make things look good with complex curves.

Oh don't get me wrong, kit cars and new start ups did indeed develop that style because it was cheap and easy to produce. The X10, Lancia, Brickland, DeLorien being indicative of the trend. It was also influence by race cars of the time.

Modern tooling, software and processes has pretty well eliminated much of the advantage of flat-panel design and fabrication.

I intentionally made my Atlantric roundish and organic with all this in mind.

These style trends do come in cycles, people get tired of what is just gone before. The 'classics' truly show what has staying power. That's how they got to be classic. If it's still loved 30years later, it's a classic.

 

[Joshua Caldwell]

I don't like the 70's/80's flat panel designs and I didn't like the soap bubble designs of the 90's. I've liked most of the designs since the turn of the century though.

 

[AriLea]

LOL, amm, after 2000 or 1900? :-) Before 1900 we only had 'wagon' inspired design, ( but you knew that, behind your comment )
On your 'Bel Air', I did like the 50's aerodynamic look most times, even the 'slab-sided' Hutsons and the Kaiser.
People owned a Bel-Air next door in the late60's - early70's. Iiked the color style better than the heavy chrome on that one.

 

[Music Man]

Had a Citicar back in the day. Not much range, a pain to work on and you had to make your own parts.
Even visited the "Plant" on the old Sebring Airport to try to get parts and a schematic, there was one guy there
and I think I still have the "Manual" he dug out from under a pile of papers on the only desk. Car is long gone.

WOW! That post sure turned a light on in my attic..

Makes me think that maybe the very BEST "option" that I want with my new Elio, when it comes. . . . . . Is a copy of the the parts "schematic," and an up to date "Manual."

 

[Dusty921]

WOW! That post sure turned a light on in my attic..

Makes me think that maybe the very BEST "option" that I want with my new Elio, when it comes. . . . . . Is a copy of the the parts "schematic," and an up to date "Manual."

I wrote the post and it didn't dawn on me, thanks for the jolt back to reality.
As George Carlin said to Bette Midler in "Outrageous Fortune "Boy the sixties were good to you, weren't they"

 

[Music Man]

I wrote the post and it didn't dawn on me, thanks for the jolt back to reality.
As George Carlin said to Bette Midler in "Outrageous Fortune "Boy the sixties were good to you, weren't they"

Thanks, Dusty. . . . .but the credit goes to you, my friend!

 

[EZ]

from 1979-1981, the High Milage Vehicle Co. in MN made the FREEWAY.
This is an example of an American-made Microcar. It can reach speeds of 65mph. This is what a 100 mpg vehicle looked like in 1980.
Centrifugal clutch
18 HP Tecumseh Engine (cast iron sleeves)
app 750 were produced !

(I still have two of these I purchased in the 90's ..)

THIS WAS DURING THE FUEL EMBARGO !

embargo ended
here comes the SUV's !!

 

[JEBar]

how well did the vehicle live up to its billing ?

Jim

 

[EZ]

it did EXACTLY what it was suppose to !
deathtrap on three wheels !
got 100 MPG !
weighs maybe 200# ??
really fun but not a highway vehicle ..
they even made a diesel and an ELECTRIC VERSION !