In a previous thread* I brought up the possibility of Western European Microcar Regulations resembling Japan's Kei Car Class after WW2 that can be driven on a motorcycle license, meanwhile in France there exists a small vehicle class called VSP* or Voiture Sans Permis that can be driven without any license (with Italy being another place where 3-wheelers for example can be driven without any license).

* Previous Thread - https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/what-if-–-western-european-microcar-regulations-resembled-japans-kei-cars.393706/
* France's VSP Cars - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35210572

Now what-if there was a further vehicle class below the ATL European Microcars that would come to be known as Bubble Cars (or another name such as Urban-Auto, etc) and largely resembling OTL France’s VSP class or regular motorised tricycles / quadricycles, typically being 350-550cc 3/4-wheeler 1/2-seater vehicles that can be driven with NO license by teens, elderly, disabled, those who lost their license and those too lazy / cheap to acquire a license?

What would be the best way to balance out a non-French VSP-derived “Bubble Car” class that is a slightly more attractive proposition, with other larger 3/4-wheeled vehicles that either require a motorcycle license (ATL European Microcar) or regular car license so all 3 segments have their appeal yet do not steal sales from each other?

The following is a rough idea of what I had in mind for the ATL Bubble Car Class and how it compares with the ATL Microcar segments in the previous thread from Post-WW2 up to the present day.

ATL Bubble Car Class Specs
· No License (yet requiring a few hours of lessons and possibly a theory test)
· 1/2/3-seater max for 4-wheelers and 3-wheelers
· 350-550cc and 30-38 hp 4-wheeler maximum / 550-900cc and 40 hp 3-wheeler maximum
· Maximum 4-wheeler Weight 550kg / Maximum 3-wheeler Weight 650kg
· Top Speed – later limited to 50-70 mph
· Dimensions – Roughly similar to 1955 Kei Car Class
· OTL 1-Seater Example -HMV Freeway: 3-wheeler / Daihatsu Midget II: 4-wheeler
· OTL 2-Seater Example - Bond Bug or Messerschmitt KR200: 3-wheeler / FMR Tg500 or Suzuki Twin: 4-wheeler
· OTL 3-Seater Example - Mathis 333: 3-wheeler / Murray T25: 4-wheeler

ATL Microcar Class Specs
· Motorcycle License minimum
· 4-seater max for 4-wheelers and 3-wheelers
· 550-750cc and 76 hp 4-wheeler maximum / 900-1000cc and 60 hp 3-wheeler maximum
· Maximum Weight 750kg for 4-wheeler and 3-wheelers
· Top Speed – later limited to 85 mph
· Dimensions – Roughly similar to 1990 Kei Car Class
· OTL Example – Classic Fiat 500 (albeit with width reduced by 2-inches)
 
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in the netherlands there is also the possibility to drive certain micro cars without a license, or at least with moped license.
dutch law has a peculiar category of limited cars, this being normal cars that have been fitted with a speedlimiters so the car cannot go faster than 45km/h (28mph for our imperial friends).

i have the impression that in general the size of the car isn't what causes restrictions, it is what speed it can attain.
microcars cannot go on highways in thenetherlands for example (since legally they are mopeds).
wondering if this is the same inother countries that cars that do not need a license have restrictions of where they can go (which makes sense)
 
I know that in the case of the UK they had rather punitive laws on Bubble Cars / Microcars, such as being limited to three-wheeled vehicle only and up to a certain weight as well as at one point even having reverse gear removed / blanked off from its gearbox for people on a motorcycle license from the early-1960s, before that law was quickly scrapped soon after as the lack of mobility in reverse was dangerous to the driver and other road users.

For an idea of how messed up the UK's OTL Microcar laws were, this following Top Gear clip shows an Isetta without a reverse gear.

Even now one must be over 21 and have a full motorcycle license or car license to drive a Reliant for example, with today’s UK laws following the EU’s regulations on Motorised Quadricycles / Tricycles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorised_quadricycle

What I am looking to do is create an ATL scenario that allows for a two tiered class of vehicles below a regular car to be adopted by one or more European countries sometime after WW2, one that roughly parallels France’s VSP class (aka ATL Bubble Cars) and can be driven without a license, the other roughly paralleling Japan’s Kei Car class (aka ATL Microcars) and be driven at minimum on a motorcycle license.

Both of which are available as 3-wheelers AND 4-wheelers.
 
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