Skip to main content

Size matters

A man in America has built the world’s smallest road legal car. This measures 63.5cm high by 65.4cm wide and 126.5cm long. The man regularly drives the vehicle on the road close to his home in Austin, Texas. He says passers-by often stop him as they want to be photographed with the vehicle, which has plastic bodywork from a model of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and a motor from a child’s quad bike. Meanwhile a man in Italy has built the world’s tallest driveable motorcycle. This resembles a ‘chopper’ with high
January 21, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
A man in America has built the world’s smallest road legal car. This measures 63.5cm high by 65.4cm wide and 126.5cm long. The man regularly drives the vehicle on the road close to his home in Austin, Texas. He says passers-by often stop him as they want to be photographed with the vehicle, which has plastic bodywork from a model of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and a motor from a child’s quad bike. Meanwhile a man in Italy has built the world’s tallest driveable motorcycle. This resembles a ‘chopper’ with high handlebars and long forks as well as a hardtail. Because of its size it features stabilisers to ensure it stays upright and measuring 5m high, the bike rides on large earthmover tyres. It is not steered by its handlebars and is instead controlled by hydraulics by the rider who sits positioned just behind the dummy fuel tank. Both of these unlikely vehicles have been awarded certificates by the 4204 Guinness Book Of Records. Meanwhile a goat in Florida has also set a Guinness World Record, for skateboarding a measured distance along a stretch of road (that was closed to vehicle traffic at the time). The animal rode its skateboard for 36m and travelled this distance in 25 seconds, without touching a hoof to the ground during the process. The animal was unable to reveal the secret of its success to waiting journalists but its owner did speak on its behalf, saying the goat is delighted with its world-beating prowess.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Back to front
    July 16, 2012
    A cab driver in the Northern Indian State of Rajasthan has been given a special license by the local authorities, which permits him to drive at speed in reverse. This stems from an incident when his gearbox failed in 2003 and he had to drive home in reverse. The man then decided he wanted to distinguish himself from other cab drivers by becoming an expert in reverse driving and had the gearbox of his Padmini Princess cab (based on a 1950s Fiat) reassembled so that it has four reverse and one forward gear. T
  • Tough on two wheels
    February 23, 2012
    Motorcyclists in Scotland have faced a tough time in recent months. One biker had the misfortune to collide with a sheep that had wandered into the road and in the resulting impact, broke his hip socket, pelvis and collarbone as well as cracking seven ribs and suffering a collapsed lung. His Honda motorcycle burst into flames and melted the surface of the road, leaving a bubbly texture. After five weeks in hospital the man returned home to find a letter from Aberdeenshire council containing an invoice for t
  • Electric vehicle set record
    October 5, 2016
    A British man recently set a new speed record in a souped-up electric car. The highly modified vehicle hit 195km/h (122mph) in 9.86 seconds over a measured distance of 400m at the Santa Pod dragstrip in the UK. Built from an Enfield 8000 electric car, the performance showed a marked increase over the original design with its top speed of 64km/h. The owner fitted new lithium ion batteries to replace the original lead acid type units, as well as a much more powerful motor. Nicknamed the Flux Capacitor after t
  • Reflective road markings an aid to road safety
    February 8, 2012
    Horizontal and high-tech in-road markings are all being used in a bid to keep roads safe as Patrick Smith reports. Many modern roads, especially in urban areas, are equipped with the latest technology to guide drivers and, more importantly, improve safety.