Tuesday 19th October 2010

Half-Size Classics Head For The UK

Canny PHer sews up UK distribution deal for 'Pocket Classics'

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Regular readers and fans of miniaturised classics will remember our story on Vietnamese company Harrington Group, which has created a range of half-size classic cars. PHer Benja Hedley badgerracing certainly does.

In fact, he was so taken with them that he has bought up every car he can get his hands on, and set up a UK distribution business called Pocket Classics.

Unfortunately, it turns out that the cars don't actually end up costing £3k as we previously reported (the parts alone cost more than that, says Benja). The final price is actually a whisker under £10k. But that's only about the same as this Audi pedal car, and you do seem to get quite a bit more for your money. An engine, for example...

Each Pocket Classic takes 450+ hours to build and gets a 110cc quad bike-derived engine with a three-speed semi-auto transmission and a top speed of 46mph. They can be limited to first gear only for children, but all the cars fit fully-grown adults and have hand-trimmed interiors, so this is a toy for adults as well as kids...

Oh, and you can get all-electric versions as well. Best of all (from our point of view), Mr Hedley has promised us a test drive. So keep your eyes peeled for PH's first-ever half-size road test...

 

[soad]

Bit too steep for my pockets.
Lookign forward to the road test though.

46mph in a tin sized can (well, almost) sounds epic fun

[Daaaveee]

They look like fantastic fun

[eebyeck]

Pocket Classics racing coming to a cart track near you!

[Jigsjigz]

watch as every Wag buys 1 for there stuck up lil brat of a kid who crashes them into everything and every 1.

[HereBeMonsters]

fking want.

[Gas Gas Panic]

Decadent......I worry for us a race. But good luck to him. If he can find enough people stupid enough to part with their cash it's probably no worse than all the other crap we buy. Least they will still look cool in a few years....unless little Brooklyn stuffs it into a tree.

[Agoogy]

My Christmas list starts here....
Are they road legal?

[TobesH]

crashing at 46mph!!

[djt100]

10k thats full size car!!.....

[MrGeoff]

crashing at 46mph is certain death but they look great to be honest!

[Tracked_Out]

Hasn't Lord Sugar got one of these (or something similar) at his house in Spain? Seem to remember seeing it on the programme when Piers went to visit him...

I'll take the 356 in silver please, with a red leather seat!

[fwaggie]

Lovely toys

Whacking the price up from £3k (or £4k) to £10k will have just lost 90% of sales I bet, £4k or so is within a lot of peoples budget (about one and a half new top end plasma TVs), £10k is "Noooo way darling, that's a new kitchen or a 2 week 5* holiday!".

[LuS1fer]

So tell me again why these don't need to be registered for road use and insured?

[Stu R]

Can we form a PH race series using them? Pleeeeeaaaase?

[E36GUY]

Are the shapes licensed by Porsche, Jag et al? I can see a law suit looming if not.

[Wing Commander]

You couldn't get one of these road legal as it stands because the engine (amongst other things) will not be compliant. In this case, emissions.

If you put a road legal quad engine in it, then you might be onto a winner. But it is still a fair old bit of work. It would need to be registered as a light quadracycle, which is basically a 4 wheels vehicle under a certain weight (and a few other things). One thing is, for the MSVA (like the IVA but for motorbikes, light quadracycles etc), the speed would need to be limited to less than 46mph. I think its in the 30s but I am running from memory here.

I'm not saying it couldn't be done, but it would be quite a bit of work. It would make an awesome tool for tanking around the village in though!!!!

ETA: My last sentence gave me an idea. There should be a challenger 2 version!

Edited by Wing Commander on Tuesday 19th October 13:34

[rocketride]

Love them to bits!! Would love one!

Any donations welcome!!

Edited by rocketride on Tuesday 19th October 13:36

[alexpa]

fwaggie said:

Lovely toys

Whacking the price up from £3k (or £4k) to £10k will have just lost 90% of sales I bet, £4k or so is within a lot of peoples budget (about one and a half new top end plasma TVs), £10k is "Noooo way darling, that's a new kitchen or a 2 week 5* holiday!".

And i guess you'll find them in Harrods for £14,995

[kambites]

Too much.

At 3-4k, they would have sold in droves. 10k is proper car money.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 19th October 13:40

[rocketride]

kambites said:

Too much.

At 3-4k, they would have sold in droves. 10k is proper car money.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 19th October 13:40

Im pretty sure people who think 10k is proper car money wont be buying these! People who think 100k + is proper car money will be!

Edited by rocketride on Tuesday 19th October 13:47