Felber Autoroller
Encyclopedia
The Felber Autoroller T 400 was a three-wheeled microcar
with a rear-mounted 398 cc Rotax two cylinder, two stroke engine. The cars had an unusual seating arrangement, with a small child-sized seat behind the driver on the left and a conventional passenger seat diagonally behind and to the right.
A. Felber & Co were a well known manufacturer of motorcycle sidecar
s, based in Vienna
, Austria
. The Autoroller was designed by Ernst Marold. From 1952 to 1953, about 400 units were built in two versions, all of which were painted light green using a standard paint then used for machinery which was cheaper than car paint. Early models had cycle-type mudguards that swivelled with the front wheels, later models had fixed wings
.
The owners had a very active club; The Austrian Autoroller Club, whose newsletter can be found in the Austrian National Library. In 1954, at the wedding of Mr. Marold, a remarkable corso of Felbers accompanied the wedding limousine in front of the Karlskirche
in the Viennese City centre.
After the liberalisation of car imports into Austria in 1954, car manufacture proved uncompetitive and the company began the manufacture of industrial washing machines instead. The company also moved into the sale and distribution of cars from Heinkel
, Trojan
, Spatz
and Reliant
.
About twelve rolling chassis were delivered to specialist coachbuilding
company Hofmann & Moldrich in Vienna who built upon them a Fuldamobil
, egg shape body out of 0.8mm aluminium plate called Möve
. The only known remaining car is in the car museum in Aspang in Lower-Austria.
Two surviving Felbers are to be seen in the RRR scooter and microcar museum in Eggenburg
, Austria
. A third one is under restoration in Serbia near to the Hungarian border and one in Bavaria.
Microcar
A microcar is the smallest automobile classification usually applied to standard small car . Such small cars were generally referred to as cyclecars until the 1940s. More recent models are also called bubblecars due to their egg-shaped appearance.-Definition:The definition of a microcar has varied...
with a rear-mounted 398 cc Rotax two cylinder, two stroke engine. The cars had an unusual seating arrangement, with a small child-sized seat behind the driver on the left and a conventional passenger seat diagonally behind and to the right.
A. Felber & Co were a well known manufacturer of motorcycle sidecar
Sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, producing a three-wheeled vehicle.-History:A sidecar appeared in a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7, 1903, issue of the British newspaper Motor Cycling. Three weeks later, a provisional patent was...
s, based in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The Autoroller was designed by Ernst Marold. From 1952 to 1953, about 400 units were built in two versions, all of which were painted light green using a standard paint then used for machinery which was cheaper than car paint. Early models had cycle-type mudguards that swivelled with the front wheels, later models had fixed wings
Fender (vehicle)
Fender is the US English term for the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well . Its primary purpose is to prevent sand, mud, rocks, liquids, and other road spray from being thrown into the air by the rotating tire. Fenders are typically rigid and can be...
.
The owners had a very active club; The Austrian Autoroller Club, whose newsletter can be found in the Austrian National Library. In 1954, at the wedding of Mr. Marold, a remarkable corso of Felbers accompanied the wedding limousine in front of the Karlskirche
Karlskirche
The St. Charles's Church is a church situated on the south side of Karlsplatz, Vienna. It is located on the edge of the 1st district, 200 metres outside the Ringstraße...
in the Viennese City centre.
After the liberalisation of car imports into Austria in 1954, car manufacture proved uncompetitive and the company began the manufacture of industrial washing machines instead. The company also moved into the sale and distribution of cars from Heinkel
Heinkel Kabine
The Heinkel Kabine was a microcar designed by Heinkel Flugzeugwerke and built by them from 1956 to 1958. Production was transferred under licence to Dundalk Engineering Company in Ireland in 1958 but the licence was withdrawn shortly afterward due to poor quality control Production restarted in...
, Trojan
Trojan (automobile)
Trojan was a British automobile manufacturer. Cars with the Trojan marque were made from 1914 and 1974.-Early history:The company was founded by Leslie Hayward Hounsfield who went into business as a general engineer in a small workshop called the Polygon Engineering Works in Clapham, South London...
, Spatz
Spatz Kabinenroller
The Spatz later renamed the Victoria 250 is a four-wheeled microcar that was built between 1956 and 1958The car was originally conceived by Egon Brütsch as the Brütsch 200 "Spatz" a Fiberglass three-wheeler with the suspension of the front wheels and the rear wheel attached directly to the body...
and Reliant
Reliant
Reliant was a British car manufacturer. The company was traditionally based at Tamworth in Staffordshire, England, but in 2001 it moved to nearby Cannock. It ceased manufacturing cars shortly afterwards.-History:...
.
About twelve rolling chassis were delivered to specialist coachbuilding
Coachbuilder
A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles.The trade dates back several centuries. Rippon was active in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Barker founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Anne's Guards, Brewster a relative newcomer , formed in 1810. Others in Britain included...
company Hofmann & Moldrich in Vienna who built upon them a Fuldamobil
Fuldamobil
Fuldamobil is the name of a series of small cars produced by Elektromaschinenbau Fulda GmbH of Fulda, Germany, and Nordwestdeutscher Fahrzeugbau of Wilhelmshaven between 1950 and 1969. Though numbers produced were relatively small, the cars attracted sufficient attention to see licensed...
, egg shape body out of 0.8mm aluminium plate called Möve
Möve
right|thumb|1954 Felber MöveThe Möve 101 was a microcar with egg-shaped coupé bodywork based on a Felber Autoroller chassis. Ten cars were built in Vienna by a specialist coachbuilding company Hofmann & Moldrich in 1953....
. The only known remaining car is in the car museum in Aspang in Lower-Austria.
Two surviving Felbers are to be seen in the RRR scooter and microcar museum in Eggenburg
Eggenburg
Eggenburg is a municipality in the district of Horn in Lower Austria, Austria....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. A third one is under restoration in Serbia near to the Hungarian border and one in Bavaria.
External links
- Finnish Micro-car Association, Photographs of the two Felber Autoroller at the Nordkapp rally in 1999
- RRRollipop schauen, Photograph of the museums display of Felber Autorollers