Balaton (car)
Encyclopedia
The Balaton was a Hungarian
microcar
made by Székesfehérvári Motorjavitó Vállalat based in Székesfehérvár
. which began production in 1956.
It was powered by a 250 cc 8 bhp Pannonia motorcycle
engine. The rubber suspension was developed from an idea of Ernő Rubik Sr., father of Ernő Rubik
who later became famous for his cube. The roof and doors were in one piece and hinged to give access to the interior.
The same company also made the Alba Regia
microcar with which the Balaton shared most of its mechanical parts.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
microcar
Microcar
A microcar is the smallest automobile classification usually applied to standard small car . Such small cars were generally referred to as cyclecars until the 1940s. More recent models are also called bubblecars due to their egg-shaped appearance.-Definition:The definition of a microcar has varied...
made by Székesfehérvári Motorjavitó Vállalat based in Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
. which began production in 1956.
It was powered by a 250 cc 8 bhp Pannonia motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
engine. The rubber suspension was developed from an idea of Ernő Rubik Sr., father of Ernő Rubik
Erno Rubik
Ernő Rubik is a Hungarian inventor, architect and professor of architecture. He is best known for the invention of mechanical puzzles including Rubik's Cube , Rubik's Magic, Rubik's Magic: Master Edition, Rubik's Snake and Rubik's 360....
who later became famous for his cube. The roof and doors were in one piece and hinged to give access to the interior.
The same company also made the Alba Regia
Alba Regia (car)
The Alba Regia was a Hungarian microcar project produced by both the Ministry of Metallurgy and Machine Industry in conjunction with the Vehicle Developing Institute in 1952/1953. In 1955 three engineers were commissioned to work on the car; Ernő Rubik, Pal Kerekes, and Geza Bengyel...
microcar with which the Balaton shared most of its mechanical parts.
External links
- Hungarian Microcars of the 50's with pictures