Heinkel Kabinen-Roller

The Heinkel company built its first car in 1956, which closely resembled the Isetta of BMW but they were powered by a single-cylinder engine that Heinkel had developed for their scooters.  With the cars weighing only 245 kg (539 lb) these cars could reach 53 mph (85 kph).  There were two models: the Kabine 175 and 200, with the figures related to the engine capacity.  These four-stroke engines produced 9.3 and 10 bhp at 5,500 rpm but were extremely noisy at full throttle.  The gearbox had four forward speeds plus reverse and there was independent suspension at the front with rubber rings and at the rear with coil springs.  The brakes were hydraulic but only operated on the front wheels, whilst the hand brake operated all wheels.