Yutaka Katayama (“Mr.K”) was a driving force behind such exceptional Nissans like the 510 and the Z. Back in the early ’50’s, he had something more basic in mind: a very light, nimble and cheap car for a market segment that was not yet being served by the main Japanese carmakers. The result was the Flying Feather, which used motorcycle wheels and had a rear-mounted 350cc two-cylinder engine making 12.5 hp. Given the featherweight, that resulted in pretty decent performance for the times.
Unfortunately, the Flying Feather never really got airborne. Politics, as usual…
Here’s the blurb that was put out at the time:
The Suminoye engineering works are turning out what they claim is the smallest cheapest and most economical practical car in the world. Named the Flying Feather the car is a 2 seater and weighs about 800 pounds. The canvas roof can be rolled back in fine weather. 13th April 1954.
Katayama was at Nissan at the time, which was building relatively upscale cars, as the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (“MITI”) wanted the postwar industry to start there before moving down to more affordable cars. But he had a dream of building a lightweight cheap car, and Nissan designer Ryuichi Tomiya set out on their own to design and build the prototype. Nissan wouldn’t touch it, but the body building company Suminoe was willing to take it on. But only some 200 were built, due to the lack of any support from MITI, and then Nissan cancelled a large contract with Suminoe, forcing them into bankruptcy.
Its name is certainly appropriate and evocative; a bit more so than Fairlady (Z).
If you’re in a financially strapped, post war country, this makes sense. It’s like a Czech Velorex, with an additional wheel and a steel body. Fancy by comparison!
I like it. Am too old for a motorcycle and something like this ought to be safer. We need “regulations” that would allow folks who need to shop and get around to simply do so in an affordable way.
In the Netherlands that in fact exists in the form of basic microcars that don’t require a license like the Canta with its single cylinder engine.
They can be parked on the sidewalk and its legal to drive them anywhere, even parks and bicycle lanes.
I used to own this Arola, a fibreglass wedge with suicide doors. It’s a bit cramped but two people can sit in it and there was space in the right front corner for a bag and also behind the bench seat. Directly underneath me was a 160cc Honda engine, it originally came with a 50cc 2 stroke engine but in the later years of production they did install the same 160cc engine. I’m glad that the previous owner did the swap because I can only imagine the horror of a 50cc engine trying to push a car containing two people over a tall bridge. After putting effort into adjusting the valves and carburator it reached 47 kmh. Not bad considering it couldn’t even reach 35 kmh first.
Steering was done with a three spoke 12 inch kart steering wheel and felt very direct and light, but it was hard to guess what the thin 10 inch wheels were up to. Throwing it around corners with the pedal to the floor was lots of fun but also slightly scary. The worst part about the Arola were the brakes. They were very inadequate and I had to look far ahead to be able to stand still on time, doing my best to adjust them didn’t improve it. A woman driving a new Mini didn’t see me and moments later I went right into her fender. My fibreglass body, front window and front suspension were ruined, that was the end for my inner city commuter. Atleast her insurrance paid me twice what the Arola cost me.
The large diameter wheels help, although the front of the car seems “hollow.” Wonder how much an EV version would weigh? My city has many steep hills and some areas where tall vehicles are parked that would be an issue. Don’t like too tall either. The sporty looks on this one are a plus. A scooter shop opened up a few years ago 2 blocks from me. Didn’t last long. Guy should have noticed the many steep hills nearby.
In 1954 Citroën introduced an updated version of the 2CV named AZ. The engine was increased from 375cc / 9 HP to 425cc / 12 HP. The weight was listed at 495 kg (1089 ibs). The engine power is surprisingly close to the Flying Feather. The Citroën also had a fabric rollback roof. It was heavier, but it had 4 doors and a back seat. Top speed was 70 kph.
Interesting and reminds me of the Axolotl. Like it reached adulthood without reaching metamorphosis into a full grown car. The motorcycle wheels and ground clearance would be great for driving on semi urban areas with unimproved roads. Much like the 2CVs original purpose.
I wonder if Issigonis saw this? Or had a hand in it? The main section is mostly Austin 7 (which seeded Nissan in the first place) and the front presages the Mini.
It reminds me of a more refined Velorex.
The politics of MITI and the Japanese car and motorcycle industry deserve a CC article. The forced mergers and specializations reshaped the industry and both removed icons and created them. It’s also responsible for the shared ancestry of the Subaru WRX and Nissan Skyline GT-R.
Donaldo ;
If you live in the U.S.A. there are indeed myriad light electric vehicles designed for Seniors to putter ’round in .
Most have open side or no doors so not my cuppa tea yet…..
-Nate
In answer to Pollstra, Issigonis had nothing to do with the Flying, Feather, or with the Austin Seven, or any other Austin, of the time, for that matter. He was at Morris, then at Alvis. Got hired by BMC (Morris, Wolseley, Austin, Riley, etc) only in 1956 or 1957.