Inter 175A Autoscooter

I love Messerschmitt microcars, to the point where you can be sure I’d won the lottery if an FMR Tg500 was parked in the driveway. They're little jewels; tiny pieces of history that are artifacts from a more straightforward time. 

Through its entire life, from modified invalid car to full-bodied "Tiger" spec, about 40,000 were made in total — a numbers a popular full-sized truck can put up in one month in the U.S. For a microcar, then: Messerschmitt models are practically commonplace.

What you really want (well, what I really want) is an aircraft-inspired microcar that's more rare than the Bugatti Veyron. 

“Pilot the Inter and you will not want another vehicle.”

^{- Inter sales materials}

With production believed to be between 200-300 examples, the Inter 175a Berline microcar was a French take on the Messerschmitt…and dare I say it, better?

First shown at the 1953 Paris Motor Show, the Inter was a collaboration between A.E.M.S. (Ateliers Electromechaniques de la Seine) and S.N.C.A.N. (Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique du Nord) — A.E.M.S. sent the cheques, and aircraft builders S.N.C.A.N. put them together.

With three wheels, it was positioned on the market between a scooter and a car; frugal and easy to maneuver like a scooter, but capable of elevated speeds and with added weather protection. 

Sadly, the Inter wasn't very fast, somewhat disappointing as the open top version was named — officially — the Torpedo.

I can imagine the huge challenge it must be to get one of these restored. 

It's one thing to go down to your local car parts place and get small block Chevy parts, but asking staff to look up, say, gaskets for the Inter's Ydral 175cc two stroke motor…in either L49 bitube or AJ55 specification.

French builders typically throw in a novel feature or two, and the Inter is no exception.

On Berline models, it had a cloth sunroof opening that was small enough to be covered by a Band Aid. Inters also had a steering yoke attached to the wheels via a bicycle chain.

Like the Messerschmitt, its bubble canopy opened to one side; but unlike its German rivals, the Inter could be folded up to fit in tight spaces.

Only a few Inters had the feature— a nd from what I've read, many Inters had one-off details and parts fitted to just one or two cars. So equipped, drivers could pull a lever and the wheels would move forward and closer together, reducing its width.

A feature common with all Inters is a Westinghouse Gyrostarter. Raise a starter lever, and an electrically-driven flywheel begins to spin faster and faster (making a distinct whirring noise); after 10 seconds the starter lever is dropped, which engages the motor by way of a heavy clutch, transferring the flywheel's rotational energy to the motor.