Micro cars – tiny monuments to bygone era – at Packard Museum

WARREN

There they sit at the National Packard Museum – monuments to a bygone era of car manufacturing.

Some are quite stylish, though rather simple. They exemplify creativity and innovative engineering on the part of those inspired with the vision to design and produce them.

No – not the glorious Packards long acknowledged as luxurious and trendsetting. These are micro cars, a few so small they could probably fit in the interior of some of the Packard behemoths.

“They’re just a great idea,” said Jerry Cramer of Girard as he and his wife Terry studied the comparatively tiny vehicles, many of them manufactured in the 1950s. “The art form and body styles are incredible.”

“Micro Cars: Mini Wonders,” featuring eight of these incredibly small marvels, drew enthusiasts as it began its run Saturday. The 1952 Fiat Topolino (Italian for “little mouse”); the Ford Prefect; the 3-wheeled 1958 BMW Isetta 300 built in England; and the 1955 Messerschmitt KR 200, also, 3-wheeled, and capable of averaging 87 miles per gallon. Ohio’s contribution is the King Midget, manufactured in Athens in the 1950s.

Read more about the exhibit in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.