Generally meeting monthly at Greenacre’s Arena Sports Club, they will next month (April 20) catch up at Carnarvon Golf Club while a film shoot takes place at Arena.
Micro Motoring magazine editor, John Renshaw, has been involved with the club for 25 years, joining so he could get some advice from like-minded enthusiasts about his NSU Prinz which were manufactured in West Germany from 1958-73.
He also owns two other plucky little roadsters, but not microcars – a Morris Cooper S and an MGB.
John says the club was founded by Eric Vargas, aged just 19, who owned a Messerschmitt, a classic, three-wheeled bubble car.
“After a trip to the UK in 1983, he decided to organise a Sydney branch,” he said.
Microcars are fairly rare in Australia, unlike the UK, Europe, Japan or the USA, where most were manufactured during the austere post WW2 years.
John said their attraction was low cost, excellent economy and tiny size.
“Disadvantages, especially now in 2023, is performance in traffic (braking and acceleration) and the difficulty in finding mechanics capable of diagnosis and repair,” he said.
“Popular micros which reached here in the 50s and 60s were mainly Messerschmitts, Isettas, Goggomobils, Heinkels, Trojans, Lloyds, NSUs, Subarus, Citroens, Fiats and Suzukis.
“An adorable little sports car, the Goggomobil Dart, was Australian-designed by Bill Buckle, 96, who is still an active member, and built on a German-made chassis.”
John says he happily drives his microcar to the Hunter Valley and never fails to get attention.
“Kids really love them too,” he said.
To find out more: microcarandscooterclub.org.
