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Shelter (automobile)
Encyclopedia
The Shelter was an experimental city car
of the 1950s and one of the first applications of such a concept.
It was conceived, designed and built by Dutch engineering student Arnold van der Goot starting in 1954. Van der Goot's interest in transportation developed during his postwar employment by Bristol Aeroplane Company
. He hit upon the idea of a small, light and readily available "pool car" specifically for intracity transportation when faced with a university project. Such a car could conceivably be rented almost anywhere in the city, driven within the city limits and dropped off at any of the rental stations. The government of the Netherlands
took an interest in van der Goot's project and helped with financial backing since, even at that time, traffic congestion on the narrow, cobblestoned streets of Amsterdam
was a problem.
The result was a tiny, extremely basic automobile two years in planning and development. The three-wheeled Shelter was almost entirely built by hand from sheet steel shaped as necessary. About the only parts not handmade were the speedometer, the Bing
carburetor, the Bosch
"Dynastart" ignition system, the tires, the windshield and the headlight surrounds, the latter of which were produced by a local cookware manufacturer. The upright, boxy front end was adorned by a vestigial front bumper and "SHELTER" badging while the rear with its single drive wheel was wrapped in curved sheet steel which, in the words of author Adrienne Kessel, gave the car an almost "Dalek
-like appearance." A unique homemade hydroforming
process designed by van der Goot was used to form the roof. Water was forced between the halves of a concrete mold, thereby shaping the roof. Van der Goot even built the 228 cc, 6 kW (8 hp) single-cylinder, two-stroke engine by hand, creating its connecting rod out of curved, spot-welded gas pipe. Its light weight and modular design were such that both the engine and its rudimentary three-speed transmission with centrifugal clutch
could be swapped out in about five minutes with minimal manpower.
Problems with brittle, easily broken axles (especially due to the aforementioned cobblestones) and engine fires caused the Dutch government to pull out of the project. Though van der Goot had amassed enough parts to build twenty cars, only seven were built and at least two examples survive to the present day. One car, a restored example that was the subject of the both the photo and the printed reference credited below is owned by Van der Goot's son, Erik, and the other by collector Sjoerd ter Burg, contributor to the Isetta
Club article linked below.
City car
A city car is a small car intended for use primarily in an urban area.City cars are sold worldwide and most automotive industry manufacturers have one or two in their line-up. In North-America city cars are often referred to simply as "subcompacts" alongside the superminis. These kind of cars...
of the 1950s and one of the first applications of such a concept.
It was conceived, designed and built by Dutch engineering student Arnold van der Goot starting in 1954. Van der Goot's interest in transportation developed during his postwar employment by Bristol Aeroplane Company
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
. He hit upon the idea of a small, light and readily available "pool car" specifically for intracity transportation when faced with a university project. Such a car could conceivably be rented almost anywhere in the city, driven within the city limits and dropped off at any of the rental stations. The government of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
took an interest in van der Goot's project and helped with financial backing since, even at that time, traffic congestion on the narrow, cobblestoned streets of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
was a problem.
The result was a tiny, extremely basic automobile two years in planning and development. The three-wheeled Shelter was almost entirely built by hand from sheet steel shaped as necessary. About the only parts not handmade were the speedometer, the Bing
Bing (company)
Bing or Gebrüder Bing was a German toy company founded in 1863 in Nuremberg, Germany by two brothers, Ignaz and Adolf Bing, originally producing metal kitchen utensils.-History:...
carburetor, the Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
"Dynastart" ignition system, the tires, the windshield and the headlight surrounds, the latter of which were produced by a local cookware manufacturer. The upright, boxy front end was adorned by a vestigial front bumper and "SHELTER" badging while the rear with its single drive wheel was wrapped in curved sheet steel which, in the words of author Adrienne Kessel, gave the car an almost "Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
-like appearance." A unique homemade hydroforming
Hydroforming
Hydroforming is a cost-effective way of shaping malleable metals such as aluminum or brass into lightweight, structurally stiff and strong pieces. One of the largest applications of hydroforming is the automotive industry, which makes use of the complex shapes possible by hydroforming to produce...
process designed by van der Goot was used to form the roof. Water was forced between the halves of a concrete mold, thereby shaping the roof. Van der Goot even built the 228 cc, 6 kW (8 hp) single-cylinder, two-stroke engine by hand, creating its connecting rod out of curved, spot-welded gas pipe. Its light weight and modular design were such that both the engine and its rudimentary three-speed transmission with centrifugal clutch
Centrifugal clutch
A centrifugal clutch is a clutch that uses centrifugal force to connect two concentric shafts, with the driving shaft nested inside the driven shaft....
could be swapped out in about five minutes with minimal manpower.
Problems with brittle, easily broken axles (especially due to the aforementioned cobblestones) and engine fires caused the Dutch government to pull out of the project. Though van der Goot had amassed enough parts to build twenty cars, only seven were built and at least two examples survive to the present day. One car, a restored example that was the subject of the both the photo and the printed reference credited below is owned by Van der Goot's son, Erik, and the other by collector Sjoerd ter Burg, contributor to the Isetta
Isetta
The Isetta is an Italian-designed microcar built in a number of different countries, including Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Produced in the post-World War II years, a time when cheap short-distance transportation was most needed, it became one of the most...
Club article linked below.
External links and references
- Kessel, Adrienne. The World's Strangest Automobiles, Regency House Publishing 2001, pp. 26–35. ISBN 1-58663-213-2
- 1980 article from the Isetta Owner's Club