All Photos By Gail

In 1976, British automobile designer William Towns created the Microdot as an evolution of his 1972 Minissima concept. At just 6.5 feet long, this car for city dwellers is a gas/electric hybrid with a 400-cc gas engine running a 3.5 kW generator to charge the batteries that power the electric motor.

The passenger compartment seats three side-by-side, with the driver in the center. The car debuted at the 1976 Earls Court Motor Show, where it drew attention for its angular styling and ample glass. In 1978 Towns partnered with Mallalieu Engineering to produce a run of Microdots, but the project stalled, making this model the only one in existence.

Towns‘ predecessor to the Microdot, the 1972 Minissima, (seen in the above photo) was purchased by British Leyland and displayed at the 1973 London Motor Show. He developed the Minissima (or the Townscar as he called it) to replace the original Mini as the ideal small urban vehicle.

Photographed in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Hollywood.