Car – October 1962 (Volume 1 No. 2)

What a month for new small cars! Tremor after tremor shook the automotive grapevine as more and more manufacturers the world over ripped the wrappers off their summer surprises. Ford's Anglo-German twins, Opel's sheepskin-clad Kadett—all long-rumored, all important, all dripping with market research as Europe lined up for the biggest economic upheaval in history.

What enthralled most observers was the innovation that marked so many new designs in the critical 1000-1300-cc range. Ever since Fiat's Corvair-look 1300 started the craze for European medium compacts, designers have been scratching their heads for really new space-saving layouts.

Look at the Issigonis 1100. Look at France's rear-engined Renault and Simca. Look at the front-drive12M Taunus, the rear-drive-with-a-difference Kadett. Where else do you get so many ideas in such a select big-volume group?

It all goes to support our conviction that small cars are the cars that matter. Small cars are the breadwinners, money-spinners; what more natural than that the big factories should put their best brains to work on the small-car projects?

Ponder this and you'll be ruminating the reasons for SMALL CAR magazine's existence. We're here to help you keep up with the fast-shifting small car scene, to keep you right on time with the ideas that mean most. There's more coming. Stay with us!