The Three-Wheeler With Gullwing Doors

Long before hybrids and EVs, the idea of an economical car centered on a small, lightweight vehicle powered by a thrifty engine. As technology advanced, aerodynamics entered the equation, allowing automakers to further cut fuel consumption by reducing air resistance. In the mid-1980s, Volkswagen pushed the concept even further with a funky study that blurred the line between a car and a motorcycle.

Unveiled at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show, the Scooter emerged as a radical take on the economical car—minus a rear wheel. While VW had a reputation for conservative styling, this concept broke the mold with something far more outlandish. Mazda’s Autozam AZ-1 is often cited as the smallest production car with gullwing doors, but technically, this one-off was even shorter.

The diminutive concept stuffed the Polo’s running gear into a three-wheeler measuring just 125 inches (3,175 millimeters) long. Weighing as little as 1,212 pounds (550 kilograms), split 69:31 between the two axles, the dinky car didn’t need a large engine. VW installed a naturally aspirated 1.1-liter unit producing just 40 horsepower, sent to the front wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox.

Thanks to its exceptionally low curb weight and a drag coefficient of only 0.25, the Scooter sipped fuel. VW claimed the slippery concept could return 60.3 miles per gallon (3.9 liters/100 km) at a steady 56 mph (90 km/h). Achieving such efficiency in the 1980s was no small feat, made possible by a teardrop-shaped body honed in the wind tunnel.

Unsurprisingly, performance was modest. The Scooter needed 14.8 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill. Still, a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) was sufficient to keep pace on the Autobahn. For something with more oomph, VW developed a sportier variant, packing a mighty 90 horsepower from a larger 1.4-liter engine, good for an 8.5-second sprint and a claimed top speed of 135 mph (220 km/h).

Safety wasn’t sacrificed in the quest to save weight and improve efficiency. VW engineered the Scooter to withstand a 31-mph (50-km/h) frontal impact thanks to an integrated crumple zone. Although strictly a concept, it was designed to meet regulatory requirements in Europe and the United States. Brochures of the day emphasized that the one-off was as safe as a car yet as fun as a motorcycle.

Photo by: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft

Beyond its gullwing doors and single rear wheel, the Scooter featured plenty of other quirks. The rear window could be removed to recreate the open-air feel of a convertible, while the doors themselves could be detached by unhooking the gas struts. Predictably, there was no space inside to store them, meaning you had to leave them at home and hope for nice weather.

Elsewhere, dual mufflers flanked the lone rear wheel, which was mounted to a newly developed swinging-arm rear axle. Flush-mounted headlights contributed to the sleek nose, while a single windshield wiper underscored the narrow body. Up front, the dual wheels measured 13 inches and wore 175/60 tires, while the solitary 15-inch rear wheel used wider 235/55 rubber.

Brochures of the day emphasized that the one-off was as safe as a car yet as fun as a motorcycle.

Inside, there was room for two occupants and little else. VW quoted a payload capacity of 463 pounds (210 kilograms), so two adults would have needed to pack light. The rear-mounted 9.2-gallon (35-liter) fuel tank might sound small, but given the Polo-derived engines’ frugality, it was likely adequate for longer trips.

The Scooter wasn’t merely a showpiece to draw crowds at Geneva. It was a fully functional prototype, tested at VW’s Ehra-Lessien proving grounds, where its performance figures were validated. The project’s lead engineer, Ulrich Seiffert, hoped to secure a partnership with a low-volume manufacturer to bring the car to life, but the plan never materialized.

2002 Volkswagen 1-Liter Concept

2009 Volkswagen L1 Concept

Although the Scooter didn’t get the green light, VW revisited the ultra-efficient theme several times. First with the 1-Litre Concept in 2002, then the L1 in 2009, and finally with the limited-run XL1 in 2013. Compared to the 1986 study, the production model took a different approach.

It used a plug-in hybrid powertrain pairing an electric motor with a 2-cylinder, 0.8-liter diesel engine linked to a DSG. A small 5.5-kWh battery delivered up to 31 miles (50 kilometers) of electric range in a car weighing just 1,753 pounds (795 kilograms). Only 200 examples were built.

Sadly, the hotter XL1 Sport with a Ducati engine never came to be.