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2011 New York Auto Show: LeMay Museum's vintage micro cars

New York - The New York International Auto Show celebrated its 111th anniversary this year. To highlight the extraordinary milestone in the small auto show world, the organizers included a historical exhibit presented by the LeMay car museum in Tacoma, Washington.

  • (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)
  • Built in the US, this two-seat three-wheeler features a 737-cc, 4-cylinder, transversally mounted, American Austin rear engine. It generated 30 hp and allowed maximum speeds of 100 km/h. Like the BMW Isetta, it featured a single front door. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)
  • An American automaker founded in 1946, King Midget produced the Model 3, a two-seat convertible, from 1957 to 1969. It was equipped with a 376-cc, single-cylinder, Wisconcin rear engine that deployed 9.2 hp and burned an average of 3.9 litres per 100 km. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)
  • The first car manufactured by Fuji Heavy Industries, maker of Subaru products, this sedan featured suicide doors and could accommodate four people. The two-stroke, twin-cylinder rear engine powered the rear wheels. The air-cooled mill displaced 356 cc and produced 25 hp. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)
  • Bigger than the BMW Isetta 300, the BMW 600 was introduced in 1959 to offer the flexibility of a four-seat cabin (compared to the Isetta's two-seat configuration), with a side door accessing the rear bench. The 600 was motivated by a 582-cc, air-cooled boxer engine generating 26 hp. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)
  • This German micro "sports" car was equipped with a 392-cc, air-cooled, two-stroke, twin-cylinder engine mounted in back. Twenty-two ponies propelled the 2+2, which weighed less than 500 kg. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)
  • The American-built Crosley was produced from 1946 to 1952 by Powell Crosley, Jr., a Cincinnati businessman who made his fortune in home appliances. A miniature version of the great American automobiles of the time, the Crosley was motivated by a 721-cc, 27-hp, four-cylinder mill. The 4-seater weighed in at 524 kg. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)
  • The world's smallest mass-produced car was built on the Isle of Man in 1962, then again in 1965. The quintessential tiny city runabout, the one-seater featured a 49-cc, single-cylinder engine that powered the one rear wheel. The P-50 weighed 59 kg (without its passenger). (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)
  • The Honda AZ600 (also nicknamed Z) was available in the US in 1971 and 1972. The ancestor of the Civic, the hatchback could seat four. The 598-cc, air-cooled twin-cylinder produced 36 hp. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)
  • Based on the original Fiat 500, the Autobianchi was an Italian model available in all shapes and sizes, including a sedan, a convertible and a wagon. The 499-cc, rear-mounted engine produced 18 hp. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)
  • A minimalist model built in Czechoslovakia, the Velorex Oskar was produced between 1953 and 1971 with different types of two-stroke Jawa motorcycle engines. Powered by a 249-cc, 9-hp, single-cylinder, this Oskar 54 could reach speeds of 85 km/h. The tube chassis was covered by a removal tarp made of a supple material called Igelit, similar to vinyl. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com)

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2011 New York Auto Show: LeMay Museum's vintage micro cars

New York - The New York International Auto Show celebrated its 111th anniversary this year. To highlight the extraordinary milestone in the small auto show world, the organizers included a historical exhibit presented by the LeMay car museum in Tacoma, Washington.