SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Larmar Engineering Co. Ltd.

Origin: Ingatestone, Essex, England

Production: N/A

Motor: B.S.A. 1-cyl, 4-stroke

Displacement: 246 cc

Power: 7.5 hp

Length: 7 ft. 6 in.

Identification No. A2WBE23202

The Larmar could well make a valid claim for being the narrowest car in history. At two feet four inches wide, it was designed to pass through a standard garden gate of two feet six inches.

It was Britain’s newest and smallest car when it was introduced in 1946. While it was aimed primarily at the invalid market, the company went out of its way to say that apart from its extra-wide doors, low sill height, and interchangeable controls, there was nothing to indicate that it was an invalid car, and that its large storage compartment, easy hand-starting, and its 15 foot turning circle would be appreciated by women for use as a runabout or a shopping car.

Its mechanical underpinnings were quite sophisticated compared to other vehicles of the type, having four-wheel independent suspension with large coils at the front and torque tubes with quarter elliptic springs at the rear. It was constantly being developed, finally receiving a 350-cubic centimeter twin in 1950.

The car’s windshield, full folding top, side-screens, and Cyclops headlamp put it in a totally different league than the typical invalid carriage of the time. Its unusual appearance was a perfect example of the typically British “function first” approach to engineering and design. This original Larmar has been untouched for decades and retains all of the wonderful patina accrued from many years in storage. The missing door skin and rear bonnet are easily fabricated for the sake of restoration, but it could easily be preserved as-is, in its unmolested state.