User:Mighty Antar/Sandbox
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| Fuldamobil | |
|---|---|
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| Manufacturer | Elektromaschinenbau Fulda GmbH and Nordwestdeutscher Fahrzeugbau (NWF) |
| Production | 1950-1969 |
| Class | Microcar |
| Body style(s) | 2-door Coupé 2-door Convertible |
| Layout | RMR |
| Designer | Norbert Stevenson |
Fuldamobil is the name of a series of small cars produced by Elektromaschinenbau Fulda GmbH of Fulda, Germany and Nordwestdeutscher Fahrzeugbau (NWF) of Wilhelmshaven between 1950 and 1969.[1] Though numbers produced were relatively small, the cars attracted sufficient attention to see licensed construction on four continents including Europe. In it’s ultimate configuration it is said to have inspired the term Bubble car.[2]
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[edit] Origins
The cars original design was conceived by Norbert Stevenson, a freelance-journalist who had worked for the "Rhein-Zeitung" newspaper who had completed one term of mechanical engineering at the Technischen Hochschule Berlin.[3] His design concept was for a very simple three wheeled car with room for two people inside, it would have two wheels at the front for stability, and be driven by a small engine at the rear.[3] After initial financial support for the project from his former employer had ceased, Stevenson took his concept to several companies and in the summer of 1949, it was accepted by Karl Schmitt, a wealthy engineering graduate.[3]
Schmitt was a Bosch wholesaler in the town of Fulda, Germany, who also ran another small company; Elektromaschinenbau Fulda GmbH, which had proved successful providing maintenance and repair of the emergency power generators in widespread use in Germany after the war.[3]
[edit] Early prototypes and the first production Fuldamobils – 1950-1951
| Fuldamobil | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Elektromaschinenbau Fulda GmbH |
| Production | February 1951 to June 1951 (48 produced) |
| Assembly | Fulda, Germany |
| Successor | Fuldamobil N1 |
| Class | Microcar |
| Body style(s) | 2-door Coupé 2-door Convertible |
| Layout | RMR |
| Engine(s) | Baker & Pölling 247 cc (15.1 cu in) single-cylinder two-stroke engine |
| Transmission(s) | 3-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 1800 mm (70.9 in) |
| Length | 2720 mm (107.1 in) |
| Width | 1400 mm (55.1 in) |
| Height | 1340 mm (52.8 in) |
| Curb weight | 460 kg (1014 lb) |
| Fuel capacity | 17 litres (4 imp gal) |
| Designer | Norbert Stevenson |
The rolling chassis for the initial prototype powered by a 200 cc (12.2 cu in) Zundapp motorcycle engine and weighing 142 kg (313 lb), was completed by December 1949.[3] Bodywork was commissioned from a local company called Leibold who had some experience in caravan construction.[3] The body, constructed from thin-gauge sheet steel, painted black and white and attached to a wooden framework, was completed by February 1950 and the prototype car made its public debut in the Fulda carnival parade in March that year.[3] The prototype had several shortcomings, it broke down during the parade due to inadequate cooling and the Zundapp motor lacked an electric starter or reverse gear.[3] A more practical alternative was sourced in the form of a lightweight 247 cc (15.1 cu in) chainsaw engine from Baker and Pölling, a small company based in Niedernhall, Baden-Württemberg .[3] The Baker and Pölling engine was coupled via chain drive to 3-speed gearbox with reverse gear manufactured by Hurth in Munich .[3]
Work began on a second prototype around Christmas 1950, using the new motor and gearbox combination and bodywork from Leibold in the form of a 2-door convertible.[3] Though this prototype was sold, concerns about production costs and the weight of the metal bodywork forced the company to examine alternatives. The solution was found by building the body from leatherette covered plywood sheets mounted on a wooden framework, a technique copied from Lloyd who used it for their LP300.[3] These new bodies were assembled by an Aircraft construction company from Poppenhausen called Schleicher, and their combined strength and lightness was ably demonstrated when, on the way to make the first delivery, one of the bodies was blown off the back of the delivery truck. It came to rest in a field, where it was collected later complete and intact.[3]
Series production commenced in February 1951, with the car offered as either a 2-seater coupé or convertible.[3] It quickly became apparent that the quality and performance of the Baker and Pölling engines was very inconsistent and that there were problems with windscreen condensation.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Marshall, Tony (2001). More Microcars. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-2668-6.
- ^ Rosellen, Hanns Peter (1983). Deutsche Kleinwagen. Bleicher Verlag. ISBN 3883501530. “Zusätzlich ins Programm nahm Nobel eine offene Version des Fuldamobils, für das er die phantasievolle Bezeichnung "bubble-car" erfand.”
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rosellen, Hanns Peter (1983). Deutsche Kleinwagen. Bleicher Verlag. ISBN 3883501530.
Category:Car manufacturers Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers of Germany Category:Rear wheel drive vehicles Category:Three-wheeled motor vehicles Category:MR layout vehicles
