When Ernst Heinkel first saw the Isetta in Italy in March 1954, he wanted to build a car to compete with it.
Back in Germany his design engineers designed a car and the first design drawings were shown in May the very same year. The Heinkel Kabine (Heinkel Cabin Cruiser) was designed to have a 200 cc engine and 8“ wheels. It was to have a kerb weight of no more than 175 kg and a maximum speed of 75 km/h.
In August the same year the so far final design drawings were made. It was a three wheeler with a front door.
The production though didn’t start before March 1956 due to many changes that had to be made. And due to engine problems only 54 of the 96 cars produced then were sold.
The production first started with a 175 cc engine which was shortly afterwards upgraded to a 204 cc engine due to tax reasons. But as the result of a tax law change it was reduced to a 198 cc engine again. This car was a four wheeler with narrow rear track. The four wheelers never got to the UK though, because it was much cheaper to drive a three wheeler, they paid not even half as much road tax as the four wheelers.
During the next 1.5 years 11,000 cars were produced the production went up to 700 cars per month.
From 1956 car kits were sent to Ireland for assembly. Tax wise it was cheaper than to send the whole cars. In 1958 the production started in Dundalk, but the engines and axles still came from Germany. Form October 1958 to August 1961 about 5000 cars were build. From 1961 to 1964 6100 cars were manufactured in England at Trojan and from then on were called Heinkel Trojan. From 1957 to 1961 also 2000 cars were produced in Alejo in Argentina. They also got the engines and axles from Germany.
Tags: Bubblecar, car, Heinkel Cabine Cruiser, Heinkel Trojan
