The Fuldamobil Microcar

The things that make a collectible car valuable include rarity and original price and quality, but another factor is just how unique the car is from a conceptual basis. One car that a lot of people have not heard of that is very unique and quite rare is the Fuldamobil.

The Fuldamobil was conceived by a German fellow named Norbert Stevenson as a three-wheeled microcar that could transport the driver and one passenger. It is interesting to note that Stevenson was not an engineer by trade, though he had taken some courses in mechanical engineering in Berlin before embarking on a career in journalism. Stevenson was eventually able to obtain the funding that he needed to put the car into production, and the Fuldamobil made its debut for the 1950 model year.

When you think about the concept of a three-wheeler you may immediately get the mental picture of two wheels in the back to provide power and one in the front. However, the Fuldamobil had one wheel in the back and two in the front to provide added stability. The base Fuldamobil was powered by a one-cylinder, 198 cc motorcycle engine, but it was offered with other engines as well over the years that it was in production, including a 300 cc Sachs engine.

Many observers contend that the term “bubble car” originated as a description of the Fuldamobil, and when you look at the car you can see why. The Fuldamobil was sold in a number of different countries under different names, including the Noble that was sold in England, the Bambi that was available in Argentina, and the Attica that was offered to Greek consumers.

Though they were produced in small numbers, the Fuldamobil was in production from that initial year of 1950 all the way through the 1969 model year. Today, these cars are hard to find and quite valuable. In fact, there is a 1955 Fuldamobil listed on FossilCars.com right now with an asking price of $50,000.

Contributed by Fossil Cars Staff Writer