As its name suggests, the Czechoslovakian firm of Aero had its origins in the aircraft manufacturing industry.

Aero's proprietor was a Dr Kabes, and as well as aircraft and related components the Prague-based company also manufactured motorcycle sidecars and car bodies.

Frantisek Kolanda's ENKA light car was manufactured in Aero's factory during the late 1920s, and it was the ENKA's 500cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine that would power the first Aero.

Introduced in 1929, the latter was a simple unitary construction cyclecar lacking front-wheel brakes and a differential, some 1,500 of which were made.

By 1932 a more highly developed and better equipped 662cc twin-cylinder version had been introduced, which was followed by the 999cc Aero 1000.

Being light in weight and relatively powerful, the little Aeros achieved a number of sporting successes, arguably the most significant of which was Bohumil Turek's 3rd-in-class finish in the 1934 Monte Carlo Rally.

Production of the 500/66...