The Alca Volpe

When you think of lightweight vehicles, the Alca Volpe probably isn’t the first that springs to mind but this devilishly attractive and unusual looking contraption only weighed a mere 135 kilos when it was released over half a century ago in 1947.

This spectacular Volpe machine is the work of Anonima Lombarda Cabotaggio Aereo (Alca) and it measured over two and half metres in length and was capable of reaching speeds of 75 km/h which may not seem like a lot but when you consider the size and dimensions of the vehicle, it would certainly have seemed pretty nippy.

The Alca Volpe was supposed to herald a new dawn in the Italian automotive industry during their economic recovery following World War II and, given the fact it was painfully innovative, simple to drive and surprisingly robust, it seemed that it was the perfect vehicle for this very job.

Lamentably, Alca became embroiled in a fraudulent bankruptcy case and didn’t fulfil any of the orders for the Volpe that had been placed. The result of this was that only ten Alca Volpe’s were ever manufactured and, sadly, fewer than that survive to this day.

An automotive classic and one that has the sort of novelty value that The Coolector typically tips it’s cap to.

You can see one of these little beauties on display at the Microcar Museum.