Magnificent collection of common motor vehicles from 1920´s to 90´s
BK CAR COLLECTION
It all started with a bubble car. This collection grew during 30 years from one scooter to over 50 vehicles. The charm of such bubble
and micro cars with 175 - 250 cc engines was reason for specializing. A briefing about our vehicles below.
When the economy improved in Europe in the fifties, there became a growing interest for upgrading from two wheels to something
covered. German scooter and motorcycle manufacturers having suitable engines and a faithful clientele where among the first
offering inexpensive solutions. BMW and Heinkel offered bubble cars with 3 or 4 wheels. Goggo known for scooters offered a 4-wheel
GOGGOMOBIL based on their 250 cc engine. VESPA joined in with a 4-wheel micro car manufactured in France. Zundapp and NSU
known for motorcycles and scooters also started manufacturing 4-seater micro cars.
An exception to the motorcycle manufacturing background was the MESSERSCHMITT a 3-wheeler created by the famous airplane
manufacturer. This bubble with 2 wheels in the front and a single wheel in the back seating two 'in a row' was one of the kind. BMW
Isetta is assumingly the best internationally known bubble car. The 3-wheel solutions were mainly aiming at the British market where
these had a tax benefit. There were several British made micro cars as well, all 3-wheelers none of which originating from motorcycle
manufacturers.
France, Great Britain and Italy never really had any larger number of micro cars. They had their own inexpensive small cars seating 4.
Best known would be FIAT TOPOLINO, starting from 1936. RENAULT 4 CV and CITROEN 2 CV from France as well as AUSTIN and MORRIS
from Britain.
The German market, stepping up with the improving economy in the sixties, offering also inexpensive 'real cars' such as OPEL KADETT
and FORD TAUNUS 12 M.
The collection has also in addition to the above a representation from the sixties of the growing Eastern European manufacturing. All
inexpensive low quality vehicles. East Germany with IFA F8 and F9, later followed by ZWICKAU and TRABI. The SOVJET UNION made
MOSKVITSH. Czechoslovakia with SKODA.
ALL THE ABOVE ARE COMMON, INEXPENSIVE CARS NOT USUALLY REPRESENTED IN COLLECTIONS. THIS COLLECTION IS HOUSED IN
HELSINKI, FINLAND.
BK GROUP, HELSINKI
It all started with a bubble car. This collection grew during 30 years from one scooter to over 50 vehicles. The charm of such bubble
and micro cars with 175 - 250 cc engines was reason for specializing. A briefing about our vehicles below.
When the economy improved in Europe in the fifties, there became a growing interest for upgrading from two wheels to something
covered. German scooter and motorcycle manufacturers having suitable engines and a faithful clientele where among the first
offering inexpensive solutions. BMW and Heinkel offered bubble cars with 3 or 4 wheels. Goggo known for scooters offered a 4-wheel
GOGGOMOBIL based on their 250 cc engine. VESPA joined in with a 4-wheel micro car manufactured in France. Zundapp and NSU
known for motorcycles and scooters also started manufacturing 4-seater micro cars.
An exception to the motorcycle manufacturing background was the MESSERSCHMITT a 3-wheeler created by the famous airplane
manufacturer. This bubble with 2 wheels in the front and a single wheel in the back seating two 'in a row' was one of the kind. BMW
Isetta is assumingly the best internationally known bubble car. The 3-wheel solutions were mainly aiming at the British market where
these had a tax benefit. There were several British made micro cars as well, all 3-wheelers none of which originating from motorcycle
manufacturers.
France, Great Britain and Italy never really had any larger number of micro cars. They had their own inexpensive small cars seating 4.
Best known would be FIAT TOPOLINO, starting from 1936. RENAULT 4 CV and CITROEN 2 CV from France as well as AUSTIN and MORRIS
from Britain.
The German market, stepping up with the improving economy in the sixties, offering also inexpensive 'real cars' such as OPEL KADETT
and FORD TAUNUS 12 M.
The collection has also in addition to the above a representation from the sixties of the growing Eastern European manufacturing. All
inexpensive low quality vehicles. East Germany with IFA F8 and F9, later followed by ZWICKAU and TRABI. The SOVJET UNION made
MOSKVITSH. Czechoslovakia with SKODA.
ALL THE ABOVE ARE COMMON, INEXPENSIVE CARS NOT USUALLY REPRESENTED IN COLLECTIONS. THIS COLLECTION IS HOUSED IN
HELSINKI, FINLAND.
BK GROUP, HELSINKI
Photos mainly by Matti Kreivilä. Historical facts and technical details of the vehicles provided by Wikipedia. Movies YouTube.
