In a bubble

Living or spending time in a bubble? It’s an idea that has fascinated human beings for centuries. The ancient Egyptians buried their pharaohs in anthropomorphic coffins so that the dead would be dispatched on their journey into the afterlife in their own special cocoon. For the best examples of bubbles, though, we have to look to the animal kingdom.

In nature
Examples of capsules and bubbles are found regularly in nature. We’re all familiar with the phenomenon of a caterpillar weaving a cocoon around itself before transforming into a butterfly. This is obviously where the term ‘cocooning’ comes from. Another, less well-known example is the water spider. This little creature lives almost permanently below the surface of the water in an air-filled web reminiscent of a diving bell. The spider weaves its web between the water plants and draws air from the surface to fill it. Its lifestyle might well include the purest bubble you’ll find in nature.

Humanity in a bubble
Whether Aristotle (384–322 bce) was aware of the water spider’s lifestyle isn’t known. But he certainly described the principle of the diving bell in the 4th century bce. With the help of a bubble, the ancient Greek philosopher explained, people could stay underwater for a prolonged period of time. The technique could be used to retrieve valuables from vessels that had sunk. As far as we are aware the first successful application of the idea did not occur until July 1535, over 20 centuries later. Barely a century after that, the Dutch inventor Cornelis Drebbel (1572–1633) launched the first ‘big bubble’ – a submarine propelled by oarsmen.

The compact car
All the same, it was not the submarine but the development of the automobile that enabled people to travel in capsules en masse. The first cars were still a kind of odd-looking luxury product, the design of which most resembled an open ‘horseless carriage’. Renault was the first to develop a fully enclosed vehicle, with its 1899 ‘Type B’ model car. Given its modest dimensions, you could also call it the first-ever ‘bubble car’.

Although Oldsmobile and Ford were the first to manufacture automobiles on a large scale, these American marques were not all that advanced in terms of design. It was primarily designers interested in aerodynamics – a science that had already proven its effectiveness in the emerging aviation industry – who were responsible for innovation in vehicle design. The influence of Paul Jaray (1889–1974), a former employee of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, was especially important in this regard. Ideas for aerodynamic cars in the United States often failed to get beyond the concept stage. ‘Streamlining’ was chiefly used instead as a stylistic element for luxury cars. Things were different in Europe, where several carmakers showed an interest in the 1930s in the production of low-cost, compact vehicles based on aerodynamic principles.

The Volkswagen Beetle, Citroën 2CV and Fiat Topolino all saw the light of day in the 1930s and all three models were supplied to private individuals on a large scale after the Second World War. It meant that the widely held dream of being able to move around in a bubble of your own could now be fulfilled.

The Bubble Car
The true micro or ‘bubble’ car had already been developed, however, during the Second World War. In 1942, the French industrial designer Paul Arzens (1903–1990) came up with an exceptionally progressive small car. It was electrically powered and consisted almost entirely of aluminium and Perspex. Yet although far from everyone owned a car of their own, the Oeuf électrique (‘Electric Egg’) failed to win industry backing.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that microcars began to appear in large numbers, the most famous model of the period being the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller (‘Cabin Scooter’). The German Messerschmitt company was originally an aircraft manufacturer, but post-war sanctions meant that it was temporarily banned from building planes. The sideways opening Perspex canopy was indeed very similar to the cockpit of an airplane. The 1960s were a time of growing prosperity, and cheaper alternatives such as the Mini and the Fiat 500 came onto the market, reducing demand for microcars.

The Witkar
‘Bubble cars’ did not entirely disappear from the roads, though. The Dutch designer Luud Schimmelpennink (1935) was looking for ways to end increasing traffic congestion and pollution in central Amsterdam in the mid-1960s. When the city council rejected his ‘White Bicycle Plan’ for practical reasons, he presented his idea for the Witkar (‘White Car’ or ‘Cart’) in 1968. Amsterdammers who subscribed to the scheme could rent these small electric cars. After use, the Witkar had to be parked up at a charging station, the height of which was the main factor determining the design of the little vehicles. The Witkar project began in 1973 with a single charging station and by the end, there were five of them. However, the scheme was abandoned in 1988: although membership of this cooperative car-share association continued to grow, it never achieved the necessary scale.

The Witkar legacy
Ironically, a new car-share project was launched just seven years after the Witkar initiative was scrapped. Its name was Greenwheels. Even though not all of its cars were electric and it was not specifically targeted at inner-city transport, the venture did prove that the idea of car-sharing was a viable one.

There has been another development too in recent years, as more and more city dwellers are buying electric microcars like the Biro, often as a second or third car. They don’t emit exhaust gases and their compact size makes them easy to drive and park. But unlike the Witkar, they’re absolutely not intended for sharing. Given the price tag, they’re actually a status symbol. Owning one shows that you belong to the economic elite. Now that really is a bubble car – both literally and figuratively.