The Bubble Car Museum, Byard's Leap
Only the truly hard-hearted can clap eyes on a bubble car without breaking into a smile. These days it's rare enough to see one never mind 70 in a row. So the fact that the National Bubble Car Museum exists at all is cause for celebration. Here it is in Byard's Leap in deepest darkest Lincolnshire, second only to the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum in Dubble Bubble Acres, Madison, GA.
Inside a huge barn there are bubble cars or to use the more accurate term "microcars" everywhere. Their cheery countenances give the impression that they might get up to mischief once the visitors have left for the day. They're safely behind ropes lest they break free and run amok, parping out the Benny Hill theme on their horns. A colourful symbol of the freedom and optimism of the post-war era, they're just made for jolly jaunts with a wicker picnic set and tartan travelling rug, provided there's only two of you and you're not over 5'6".
The Register of Unusual Microcars (yes, there really is one) defines microcars as "economy vehicles with either three or four wheels, powered by petrol engines of no more than 700cc or battery electric propulsion, and manufactured since 1945". So within the world of microcars there are bubble cars - the ones that look particularly bubbly, either in shape or personality. The most iconic are here alright. The Messerschmitt, with its strange hammer-headed bonnet and tall bubble canopy has the air of a distinguished gentleman. It looks like it should be wearing a monocle. The cheeky Isetta, the bubbliest of them all has an unusual front-opening or "suicide" door. Funny how that didn’t catch on. They might look frivolous but they come from a prestigious background. Isettas were manufactured by BMW and Messerschmitts were made by, er, Messerschmitt famous for their WWII bombers. The bubble canopy wouldn’t look out of place on a fighter plane.
The UK also held its own with Bond Cars, famous for the swinging Bond Bug. Their microcars had a bit more panache than their European companions. Some could almost pass for normal cars if you were standing far away enough to lose all sense of scale. The Peel Engineering Company from the Isle of Man made the Peel P50, the smallest car ever to go into production. It’s so small there’s only room for one headlight, bless its little wheels. Later models like the Bamby (all the way from Hull) replaced the organic forms of the 1960s with the clean lines of the 1980s. The Jetsons might have had an Isetta but Buck Rogers would definitely have had a Bamby.
While a lot of these cars are mainly museum pieces now there are plenty of recognisable models. The Robin Regal most familiar as Del Boy’s motor is here, as are Fiat 500s that are still in production. There’s even an early Fiat Multipla if you can imagine a mini-people carrier. But this is one of the few places where a Mini is too big.
After the zenith of miniature transportation in the 1960s, the nadir arrived with the widely-ridiculed Sinclair C5. It doesn’t seem so crazy now in the world of climate change and congestion charges. Indeed, these days there are more and more microcars around – hooray!
Spending an hour or so in this museum is truly a heart-warming experience. You can’t take them home (unless you have really big pockets) but the shop has a particularly fine selection of souvenirs, including Messerschmitt mugs and Bubble Car Bubble Bath. If the fun of it all leaves you a little giddy take the chance to refuel with tea and cakes on the double decker bus outside.
How to get there
The Beeches, Byard's Leap, Cranwell, Lincolnshire, NG34 8EY
The Museum is open from 10am (last admissions 4pm) at weekends and on Bank Holidays from April to November inclusive, and also on Fridays and Mondays in July and August. Entrance fees: adults £2.50, children 75p (if they can see over the counter!)
To find it, follow the A17 and look for a turnoff to the B6403 near Cranwell (before Cranwell if you're travelling west, after if you're going east). When we visited there was a home-made sign before the turn off but only heading west. One you find the turn-off look for a right turn soon afterwards. The museum is along the track past a bungalow.
Comments
Ah, those were the days. In the fifties I was a young swinger and I had a boyfriend who owned a bubble car. They were definitely not designed for hanky-panky.
Posted by: Annie | September 29, 2008 06:31 AM
They should remake the Messerschmitt. I'd definately get one.
Was there a Vespa 400? It was a 4-wheel version of the iconic scooter.
Posted by: Gareth | September 29, 2008 01:19 PM
The Vespa doesn't ring any bells but there really were loads of them and it got a bit overwhelming after a while. I got the impression they have one of everything so it's probably in there somewhere.
Posted by: Anne | September 29, 2008 07:10 PM