Unusual motor sells for £6,500 despite being off the road for 52 years – here’s why
A BUBBLE car has sold for £6,300 despite being off the road for 52 years.
The blue Heinkel Cabin Cruiser had its last MoT in January 1971 but was snapped up at the Anglia Car Auctions in King’s Lynn, Norfolk on Sunday.
The miniature vehicle had just 21,098 miles on the clock and enough room for only two people inside.
The three-wheeler is also powered by a 197cc petrol engine and was made in 1959.
Furthermore, it came with its 1969 and 1970 MoT certificates and tax discs, as well as 1984 letter from the DVLC to say that the original number plate – 264 KPL – is eligible for registration.
Another bubble car, an Italian Isetta 300, went for £4,700.
It had covered 28,117 miles since being manufactured in 1960, with its last-known MoT having expired in October 1983.
The 295cc engine was running when laid up, according to the vendor, as per the Anglia Auctions website.
The only documentation that came with the Isetta was the old V5, which showed it had two owners since 1978, and an MoT certificate.
Bubble cars got their nickname because they were round with lots of windows – making passengers look like they are in a bubble.
Some of the vehicles are not much longer than a bicycle, which is perhaps why people can drive them with just motorcycle licence.
Nonetheless, their small size makes them easy to park and surprisingly nippy.
The steering wheel and dashboard are attached to the front-door, which opens outwards to make it easy to get into the vehicle.
Unlike more modern three-wheeled motors, a bubble vehicle would often have two wheels at the front and the third at the rear.
Last year, a bubble car restored by the late Sir Stirling Moss was put up for sale.
The F1 racing great taught son Elliot, now 42, to drive in the 1957 BMW Isetta 600, which he rebuilt in the 1990s.
Sir Stirling, who died three years ago aged 90, used to nip around London in the tiny motor.