Go off road! The Fiat Ferves Ranger cargo

... and of course the 4 × 4 Steyr Puch Haflingers.

Off road is quite a thing in the classic world. Land Rovers, early Range Rovers, Land Cruisers, Jeeps, Unimogs ... And there are even best off road options in the Netherlands. Of course, they are strictly organized and regulated because, despite the fact that the Achterhoek still has more than 200 km of unpaved public roads, the Netherlands is ... full.

Small but brave

In the context of the small-scale off-road event, the world is more endearingly brave than wildly dynamic. We may "know" the Steyr Puch "Haflingers. Haflinger is an Austrian brand of four-wheel drive off-road vehicles produced by Steyr-Daimler-Puch (SDP) in Graz. From 1958 to 1974, 16.647 units were built. Most were taken by the armies of Austria and Switzerland, but Haflingers were also exported all over the world. So there are also in the Netherlands.

Just as small and just as brave

Of which much less were built, those are the Ferves Rangers
The Ferves (FERrari VEicoli Speciali) Ranger 4X4 was an Italian off road that was sold from 1966 to 1970. That creation was done by Fiat and the basis of the idea was the Fiat 500. That sales did not go that fast. About 600 have been built. Of these, less than sixty are now known / existing.

The Ferves was a pocket-sized multi-purpose car powered by a rear-mounted 499 cc two-cylinder inline engine. The Ferves was available with two driving wheels or as a 4Wd and had a top speed of about 70 km / h. The engine and steering came from the Fiat 500 and the suspension and brakes from the Fiat 600. But it also contained parts from the Fiat 850, and the Autobianchi Primula.

There is a market for it

These types of cars are nowadays sought after by lovers of small sweets on four wheels. The Heinkels, Messerschmids, Fuldas and the like - intended for normal use on public roads - fall under the same heading. Of course, they not only have the endearing factor in common. Because collecting micro cars also gives you the opportunity to build a serious collection on a limited surface.

Technically, most of these types are simple

That is because of their birth time and the purpose for which they were conceived. The provision of parts is usually done via ebay and the relevant club connection.

However, microcars - certainly if they are as tough as a Haflinger or a Ferves - have a very limited deployment area because they are generally slower than a hasty pizza delivery. The owners will therefore only ride it along the most rustic public roads. If it is an 'off road' copy, then maybe you can play with it once on a golf course or building site.

And when we are back in the site: Haflingers can still be found there. But how many of the approximately 500 copies of the Ferves made will still turn up? The one we found at Potomac Classics in Terborg is at least one of the 50-60 survivors. Maybe it will suit you in the tool shed. Or on the mantelpiece.