Bamby Cars

Bamby Cars was a small British microcar marque associated with Hull, England, and with designer and builder Alan Evans. The brand emerged in the early 1980s, developing a compact three-wheeled vehicle influenced by the Peel P50, one of the best-known examples of British minimal microcar design. Evans first built a one-off Peel P50 replica, which then served as the prototype and conceptual starting point for the Bamby production cars. The standard Bamby used a lightweight fibreglass body mounted over a compact structural arrangement. Its configuration placed the single wheel at the rear, while the front axle carried two wheels. Early examples were powered by hand-started Minarelli 49 cc two-stroke engines and used cable-operated brakes. The body was characterized by a single headlamp and a left-side gull-wing door, creating a distinctive appearance while keeping the vehicle extremely compact. Like the Peel P50, the Bamby did not have a reverse gear, reinforcing its status as a highly simplified urban microcar rather than a conventional automobile. Development work introduced several technical and cosmetic changes. Later cars adopted an engine of the type used by Yamaha in its Passola moped. The main frame components were used as a subframe for mounting the body, and the braking system was upgraded from cable operation to hydraulic discs. A subsequent facelift brought two headlamps in place of the original single lamp. The gull-wing access arrangement was then replaced by a conventionally front-hinged door. Another later configuration used a Suzuki engine mounted to a full chassis rather than the earlier subframe arrangement. Bamby Cars displayed a revised model at the 1984 Ideal Home Exhibition. The vehicle reportedly attracted broadly favorable public attention, but the company produced only a small number of cars. The final Bamby left the factory within months of the exhibition, and the original production marque did not develop into a volume automotive business. Its limited output, unusual engineering, and resemblance to the Peel P50 have nevertheless made it a notable entry in the history of British microcars. The Bamby name was also associated with Bamby Minimicro, a range of two-thirds-scale replicas of the Messerschmitt Schmitt TG and Schmitt KR. These miniature vehicles used welded steel chassis structures with steel body frameworks supporting fibreglass panels. Their lift-up canopies followed the access concept of the full-size Schmitt designs, while the cabins were upholstered and carpeted and the rear boot area exposed the engine and fuel tank. Power came from a 49 cc two-stroke engine with centrifugal clutch and pull-start operation. The available description places their top speed at approximately 20 mph, or 32 km/h. The available reference material does not establish the production dates, scale of sales, or current corporate status of Bamby Cars or Bamby Minimicro.

Bamby Cars belonged to the small but distinctive British microcar sector. The marque was developed in Hull, England, by Alan Evans during the early 1980s. Its origin was closely connected with Evans's construction of a one-off replica of the Peel P50. Rather than remaining a single recreational or demonstration vehicle, that replica became the prototype for a proposed production microcar under the Bamby name. The Bamby adopted the basic logic of the smallest postwar microcars: reduce the body, engine, weight, and mechanical complexity to the minimum needed for short-distance transportation. It had three wheels, with one wheel positioned at the rear, and a fibreglass body. The earliest form used a 49 cc Minarelli engine that had to be started by hand, cable-operated brakes, and a single headlamp. A left-side gull-wing door provided entry. The car's lack of reverse gear was another feature shared with the Peel P50 and reflected the vehicle's very limited mechanical specification. As development continued, Bamby cars received a series of mechanical revisions. The original engine arrangement was replaced by an engine of the type fitted by Yamaha to the Passola moped. The principal frame members were used as a subframe for attaching the body, and the braking system was improved with hydraulic discs. Styling and access arrangements also changed. A facelift introduced twin headlamps, replacing the original single headlamp, and the gull-wing door was eventually deleted in favor of a front-hinged door. A Suzuki engine was later installed using a full chassis rather than the earlier subframe construction. These changes indicate an effort to make the car more practical and better developed while retaining its very small scale. A new or revised Bamby was shown at the Ideal Home Exhibition in 1984. Contemporary public response was described as generally positive, suggesting that the car had novelty and visual appeal beyond the specialist microcar community. However, favorable attention did not translate into sustained volume production. Only a few examples were made, and the final Bamby left the factory within a matter of months after the exhibition. The available historical material does not identify a precise production total or a formal date of corporate closure, but the original Bamby production activity was short-lived. The Bamby name was additionally used for Bamby Minimicro vehicles. These were two-thirds-scale replicas of the Messerschmitt Schmitt TG and Schmitt KR rather than standard Bamby three-wheelers. Their construction combined a welded steel chassis with a steel framework supporting fibreglass body panels. The canopy lifted in a manner similar to the full-size Schmitt designs, giving access to a fully upholstered and carpeted cabin. A boot opened onto the engine and fuel-tank area. The Minimicro vehicles used 49 cc two-stroke engines with centrifugal clutches and pull-start mechanisms, and their stated maximum speed was about 20 mph, or 32 km/h. Bamby Cars is therefore best understood as a low-volume historical British microcar brand rather than a continuing mainstream automobile manufacturer. Its significance rests on the combination of Peel-inspired design, unusually small three-wheeled vehicles, successive attempts at mechanical refinement, and the later production of miniature replica cars. The supplied sources do not provide evidence of a continuing manufacturer, a modern successor company, current ownership, or present-day sales operations.

• 1984

  Bamby exhibited at the Ideal Home Exhibition

  [1]Bamby Carsen.wikipedia.org

  A revised Bamby model was displayed at the Ideal Home Exhibition. It received broadly favorable public approval, although production remained very limited.

• 1984

  Final Bamby leaves the factory

  [1]Bamby Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Only a few cars were made after the exhibition, and the final Bamby reportedly left the factory within several months.

• Alan Evans develops a Peel P50 replica

  [1]Bamby Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Alan Evans built a one-off replica of the Peel P50. The vehicle served as the prototype and design foundation for the later Bamby microcar.

• Bamby microcars enter limited production

  [1]Bamby Carsen.wikipedia.org

  Small numbers of three-wheeled Bamby microcars were produced in Hull, England, using fibreglass bodies and very small-capacity engines.

An ultra-compact British microcar marque focused on lightweight construction, very small engines, distinctive styling, and low-volume production.

• Three-wheeled microcar

  Bamby

  The core Bamby was a lightweight three-wheeled microcar with a single rear wheel and a fibreglass body. Early versions used hand-started Minarelli 49 cc engines, cable brakes, a single headlamp, and a left-side gull-wing door. Later development introduced a Yamaha Passola-type engine, hydraulic disc brakes, twin headlamps, a front-hinged door, and eventually a Suzuki engine mounted to a full chassis. The car had no reverse gear.

• Scale replica microcar

  Bamby Minimicro Schmitt TG

  A two-thirds-scale replica of the Messerschmitt Schmitt TG. The vehicle used a welded steel chassis and steel body framework covered by fibreglass panels. Its lift-up canopy echoed the access arrangement of the full-size Schmitt, and the cabin was described as upholstered and carpeted. A 49 cc two-stroke engine with centrifugal clutch and pull-start provided power.

• Scale replica microcar

  Bamby Minimicro Schmitt KR

  A two-thirds-scale replica of the Messerschmitt Schmitt KR. Like the TG version, it used a welded steel chassis, a steel body framework, fibreglass panels, a lift-up canopy, and a small two-stroke engine. The available reference describes an approximate top speed of 20 mph, or 32 km/h, but does not provide production figures or dates.

1. 1Bamby Carsen.wikipedia.org