What is the car in this 1959 Pathe clip about DIY catamarans?

British reg, but LHD.
The back suggests some sort of golf buggy/utility vehicle?
not exactly mainstream!
 
It's an early version of the Fuldamobil Bambi Sporty, possibly a prototype, based on the Fuldamobil S-6, which was built in the mid-50s, see pic...

article-2270185-173B7C87000005DC-675_634x370.jpg


The Bambi Sporty was built in Argentina under licence in the early 60s, and was based on the later Fuldamobil S-7. Apparently only 20 were made. It bears a strong resemblance to the car in the Pathe clip, see pic...

View attachment 62523
 
lw395 said:
British reg, but LHD.
The back suggests some sort of golf buggy/utility vehicle?
not exactly mainstream!
Click to expand...

I think that there were a few manufacturers making 3 wheelers in those days. I think there was a tax advantage and remember a friend who had something with a huge long bonnet, almost empty with a single wheel and motorcycle engine. Pretty unstable with a single wheel at the front.

This one isn't a Morgan but is similar to a Meadows Frisky in some respects but don't think it is one.

EDIT: Beaten to it by PVB who hit the mark. Odd that the Bambi had 4 wheels with rear ones very close together. Looks like someone was trying to avoid the tax advantage of a 3 wheeler but keep the disadvantages. :D:D
 
Last edited:
Mistroma said:
I think that there were a few manufacturers making 3 wheelers in those days. I think there was a tax advantage and remember a friend who had something with a huge long bonnet, almost empty with a single wheel and motorcycle engine. Pretty unstable with a single wheel at the front.
Click to expand...

Not sure about the tax advantages, but I do know a 3 wheeler could be driven on a motorcycle licence, rather than a full car driving licence.
 
Some Isetta bubble cars had very similar twin rear wheels.
most of the ones I saw in the BMW museum some years ago.
AIUI, if the wheels were close enough together, they counted as one!
May not be a UK 'factoid', I only recall actual three wheel Isettas here. ?
Isettas are 'quite interesting' on lanes with gravel down the middle!
 
Mistroma said:
Odd that the Bambi had 4 wheels with rear ones very close together.
Click to expand...

That was quite common: some BMW/Isettas, Heinkels and Messerschmitts, among others, had dual rear wheels. I think there was a maximum centreline spacing under which they counted as three-wheelers.

Heinkel:
2851282387_8b42f4ab93.jpg


Isetta:
Isetta_rear_wheels_1.jpg


Messerschmitt:
BCB5365_800.jpg


Minchsailor said:
Not sure about the tax advantages, but I do know a 3 wheeler could be driven on a motorcycle licence, rather than a full car driving licence.
Click to expand...

Yes indeed. Originally the regulations were very restrictive: small engine, lightweight and no reverse gear , which traditionally caused fun when the proud owners drove their new Isetta home and right up to the back of the garage. Later on things were more relaxed, and it was basically a just a weight restriction at something like 1000lbs empty. Reliant three-wheelers (Regal, Robin, Rialto) came under that rule. I had a Rialto for a while, which had 40bhp and weighed nothing, making it one of the most entertaining cars to drive I have ever had. Breaking and steering hard at the same time was character forming.
 
The Fuldamobil vehicles were originally 3-wheelers, and changed to twin rear wheels after 1955 when the Germans dropped the previous tax advantage for 3-wheelers.

The Fuldamobil Bambi Sporty had a 10hp 2-stroke engine with 4 forward gears. Unusually, reverse was available by stopping the engine, reversing the connection to the Dynastart, then re-starting the engine in the reverse direction, which meant it could theoretically go as fast in reverse as in forward!
 
If I remember rightly three wheelers were popular because they attracted the same road tax as a motor-cycle and side-car. They could also be driven with a motor bike licence.
 
Sybarite said:
Nobel 200cc Vicky built in N. Ireland.

https://www.google.fr/search?q=Nobe...SAhXBUBQKHasCDs0QsAQIIw#imgrc=I2hHFEAXRehggM:

http://www.rumcars.org/forum/index.php?topic=3376.0

I had the "saloon" car version as my first in 1962.
Click to expand...

Ah, intriguing, and more likely to turn up in UK than something built in Argentina. Your link contains the comment "The last picture is a Fuldamobil. However, it was the prototype fulda/nobel pickup sent to Peter York Noble to copy for the Nobels." So it looks like the Nobel was indeed a copy of the Fuldamobil.
 
Zen Zero said:
Thanks Sybarite!
Click to expand...

You're welcome. Mine was a 4 wheel version the two rear wheels being close together. The steering was predictive - ie as it weaved down the road you had to make sure that you turned on the right oscillation.

As far as reverse was concerned you had to turn off the engine, push the key in and turn it on again. You then had 4 reverse gears...

It must have been the most dangerous road vehicle ever.
 
Sybarite said:
You're welcome. Mine was a 4 wheel version the two rear wheels being close together. The steering was predictive - ie as it weaved down the road you had to make sure that you turned on the right oscillation.

As far as reverse was concerned you had to turn off the engine, push the key in and turn it on again. You then had 4 reverse gears...

It must have been the most dangerous road vehicle ever.
Click to expand...

I found a couple of forum posts about it. It seems the engine had two sets of points for running in either direction!
 
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