UrbaCar

UrbaCar Original protype (L) and Pre-Production Prototype (R)

UrbaCar was featured on the cover of Mechanix Illustrated magazine in April, 1975, and started a build-it-yourself car boomlet that would last nearly ten years. It was the first in a long series of alternative cars that would be developed for Mechanix Illustrated magazine by Quincy-Lynn Enterprises in Phoenix, Arizona.  UrbaCar was envisioned as an in-town runabout that would help reduce dependence on imported oil - a precursor to today's alternative cars like Smart Car.  UrbaCar nearly reached production in Kitchener, Ontario.  The lead photo on the right shows the pre-production design, which was again modified after it was delivered to the Kitchener group.

       The original prototype, as it appear in Mechanix Illustrated, was powered by a 12 kW (16 hp) single cylinder industrial engine mounted in the rear. It delivered a top speed of 95 km/h (60 mph) and fuel economy on the order of 23 km/l (55 mpg). Using today's automotive technology, it could easily reach 100 mpg.  The design featured removable gull-wing doors and a 10 gallon fuel tank that would hold enough fuel for nearly 965 km (600 mi).

         UrbaCar tips the scales at a mere 295 kg (650 lb). Because of its low curb weight, the small 12 kW (16 hp) engine still gives it a power-to-weight ratio about equal to that of the early VW Beetle. And more powerful engines can be installed.  The simple drive train uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which transfers power to an oil-bath chain drive and then through a differential to the rear wheels. A standard automotive starter motor drives the car in reverse. The integral power train (engine, transmission, and final drive mounted on a sub-frame) is suspended from the rear of the chassis at four points using soft rubber mounts. This allows for easy removal of the drive package, and it effectively isolates vibrations.

        Ultimately, UrbaCar went through three generations of improvements.  The perfected version was slated for production in Kitchener, Ontario, until public interest in high fuel economy vanished as the oil market stabilized.  Plans offered here include the previously unpublished and vastly improved production chassis. 
          A non-functional UrbaCar is on display at the American Museum of Science and Energy at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

          UrbaCar's body is built of FRP/urethane foam composite. For more information on the body construction method, click on One-Off Construction Using FRP/Urethane Foam Composite.  Click on the images to the left to view large images.    Click here for more on the history of UrbaCar, published on the Forgotten Fiberglass website.  Be sure to follow their link to a video of the pre-production prototype on the road in Canada (incorrectly labeled as the "first electric car"). 

About the Plans

     Plans are based on an upgraded chassis design and done in 2D CAD.  These revised plans include improvements to the chassis and power train that were developed over three generations of prototypes.  The frame and final drive package is the pre-production design that went to Kitchener, Ontario, in anticipation of production.  The body is the original fiberglass-over-foam body on the vehicle that appeared in Mechanix Illustrated Magazine.  Until this revised plan-set was published, the new chassis design was not available to the general public.

Plans may be purchased as one of three options: 

  In electronic form on CD-ROM  - $50.
  In printed form, which includes ten 24 x 36 inch drawings & a 36-page booklet. - $75
  Both electronic CAD files on CD-ROM & printed materials. - $100
     (For maximum compatibility, CAD plans are supplied in AutoCAD R12 level dxf format.)   

Specifications