In the austere years following the end of WW2, the demand for cheap motorised transport was met in large measure by micro-cars and motor scooters.

Petrol was in short supply, and remained rationed in Britain well into the 1950s, which placed a premium on economy, thus making such modest vehicles an even more attractive proposition.

One of the first to attract the popular 'bubble car' sobriquet was Iso's Isetta, which was also produced by BMW, under license, from 1955.

Before long the BMW Isetta had a home-market rival: the Heinkel Kabine Cruiser.

Perhaps the biggest mystery concerning Ernest Heinkel's Kabine Cruiser is how its creator got away with producing a design outwardly so similar to the Isetta.

Launched in 1956, the Heinkel used a 175cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine originally developed for a motor scooter and, while closely resembling the Isetta, was both lighter and roomier, even providing children's seats in the rear.

A four-speed gearbox made the Heinkel nippy ...