The Bruce Weiner Micro Car Museum

It is entirely possible that you really have no idea what a micro car is and even if you did, you'd probably guess "Smart Car" or "Mini" (examples of which may be found in museum) and to be honest, you'd be right. However you would have only scratched the surface on what I've found to be a fantastic history of a little known class of vehicles stretching back through the mid 1940s. This museum hearkens back to that time and place in history when  micro cars almost single-hand-idly saved a continent.

The time was the late 1940s, in Europe in the years following the end of World War II. Europe as a whole was a place of absolute destruction and devastation. Thousands of factories had been destroyed, and hundreds of thousands, if not millions of the continent's otherwise able-bodied workforce were either dead or permanently disabled.

Building materials, and other resources were scarce and even if they were readily available, the economic impact of the war left most of the citizenry destitute. What these  folks needed was something extremely cheap to produce, that would require very little of the already limited resources while remaining cheap enough to be afforded by everyday people. And so the micro-car was born, a concept that simultaneously mobilized the remaining workforce and jump-started the economies of many war-torn European nations.

American industry, of course hadn't been negatively impacted by the war at all so the same period in American history saw car sizes go in the opposite direction. As European and Japanese models grew smaller and more efficient, the Americans were making bigger and bigger gas guzzlers. One would probably notice that this doesn't seem that much different from today, the Americans still love their land yachts and Europeans and Asians still love their small cars.

But Bruce Weiner, an American, developed a fascination with these tiny vehicles and started collecting them as a hobby sometime in 1991. He has since then amassed a collection of more than 200 different models, many of which are the only surviving examples of those specific models left anywhere in the world.  It is also interesting to note that the most highly regarded examples were there ones designed and produced by Messerschmidt  the same firm responsible for the design and manufacture of one of Nazi Germany's most feared weapons, the Messerschmidt Me 109 World War II fighter plane.

Messerschmidt Kabinenrollers. 

Sanctions placed upon the Germans by the allies after the war, prevented Messerschmidt from producing any more weapons of war so the company turned it's engineering prowess to producing the highly prized Kabinenroller series of micros. Even BMW got in on the micro car action.

 It is said that you really don't miss something till you're about to lose it and I have to admit that my time on the premises was bitter sweet. Any sense of wonder over the novelty of it all was tempered by the knowledge that this visit was going to be the last. That within a few weeks, the entire collection of 200 plus examples of world history would be sold off individually to the highest bidder. I had heard of Bruce Weiner before actually, I had even seen the museum featured once on an episode of Georgia Traveler, a favourite series of mine that comes on often on Georgia Public Broadcasting (a PBS station).

You already  know Japan had to have gotten in on the micro car action. 

But the thought to actually drive out to Madison Georgia to come visit, had never really crossed my mind until now. I guess it came as a surprise to none that on the second to last weekend of it's existence, the place was packed. Staff barely knew how to handle the crowds after more than two decades of relative obscurity, their beloved museum became popular all of a sudden if not briefly.

Of course I wasted no time in getting a pic with the man  plus his autograph.

Hopefully we'll hear from the man, Bruce Weiner in a few years once he gets his next labour of love up and running. It's been said that he's bored with micro cars so he's going to pick up Volkswagens instead. See ya'll in a few years for my Bruce Weiner Antique Volkswagen Museum story.......hopefully.

DTJ

Weekend-ments

I've begun to do a lot of traveling lately, mostly in and around Atlanta. In all honesty, I figured eleven years was a long time to live somewhere to not have seen all a region had to offer.

The State of Georgia in particular boasts a wealth of intrigue that can appeal to interests ranging from natural history, to civil rights, the Antebellum era and the American Civil War. Even if you weren't into history like I am, Georgia can lay claim to everything from theme parks to imax theaters, the world's largest aquarium and shopping malls, most of which are in and around or within a few hours drive of downtown Atlanta.

But, my preference has always been to stay off the beaten path, and to go looking for things that don't appeal to the average Joe.

Case in point, the Bruce Weiner MicroCar Museum (which, by the time you read this, would have already ceased to exist). 

CNN - Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum Auction

I had seen this place featured once on an episode of Georgia Traveler (handy if you're looking for sightseeing ideas) but hadn't given serious thought to actually visiting till a friend informed me of it's impending demise. The short story is, the millionaire, playboy owner of this private collection had grown bored of his remarkable assemblage of micro cars. On the 15th and 16th of February, 2013, every single piece of this 200+ collection of meticulously maintained mini vehicles, will be put up for auction.

Any aspirations you may have had of purchasing the entire collection and recreating it elsewhere is pretty much a waste as the owner has forbidden it's sale as a whole, individual sales only. Rumour has it  that Mr. Weiner is going to start a collection of antique Volkswagens instead........pity.

In the coming days/weeks, I'll tell the story of my Micro Car museum trip as well as some other trips I've done already this year, Rock Eagle Effigy and Madison, Georgia just to name a few. I don't intend to stay put this year, thirty has already sneaked up on me and I don't intend for age forty to catch me napping.

So time, money, weather and (potential) smallie permitting, I'll be out there not just seeing and doing, but experiencing finally.

Stay tuned.

DTJ