1956 Avolette Record Deluxe: The Cyclops Microcar That Hit 68 mph

1956 Avolette Record Deluxe hit 68 mph with just 14 hp—and could drive in four reverse gears. Born from Egon Brütsch’s ultralight concept and refined by Jean Avot’s Paris team, this 250cc “Cyclops” microcar used twin-rear wheels for stability, a Maico scooter engine, and a featherweight 452 lb body that made every horsepower count. In 1956–57 only a handful were built; one restored example later fetched $74,750 at RM Sotheby’s. In this episode, we uncover how a hangar-built voiturette bent French rules, why the Bowden-cable steering wasn’t as scary as it sounds, and how the Avolette sparred with Messerschmitt, Isetta, and Heinkel on style and speed. Stay to the end for dimensions, real-world economy, and the strange reason it has four reverse ratios. If this bubble-car bravery makes you grin, tap 👍 and subscribe 🔔 for more rare microcar legends. LINKS ──────────────────────────────── • 1956 Avolette Record Deluxe — RM Sotheby’s: https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/bw13/... Image Sources ──────────────────────────────── This video contains historical and archival photographs from: – Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain, CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA) – Flickr (licensed for commercial use / no known copyright restrictions) – Unsplash / museums / archives (CC0 or equivalent licenses) All images are used under their respective free licenses. 👉 Full credits with authors & links are available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16... ──────────────────────────────── #ClassicCars, #CarHistory, #VintageCars, #Microcars, #AutoDesign, #Avolette, #RecordDeluxe, #Brutsch, #Maico250, #BruceWeiner