We have featured plenty of novel vehicles, including Honda’s Motocompacto, the electric reimagining of its 1981 Motocompo folding scooter. Honda had already made a bike that could fit inside a car. In 1991, Mazda offered another interpretation of portable transport: a vehicle that folded into a suitcase. Packing light was clearly not the assignment, neither was bringing any useful inside the portamnteau.
The original Mazda Suitcase Car was created by seven engineers from the company’s manual transmission testing and research group for an internal contest called Fantasyard. Starting with a large Samsonite suitcase and pocket bike components, they produced a 32 kg (71-pound) three-wheeler powered by a 33.6cc two-stroke engine developing 1.7 hp.
It could reach around 30 km/h (19 mph), then fold back into a 57 x 75 cm (22.4 x 29.5-inch) suitcase. Admittedly, it was luggage you would rather drive than carry.
Mazda built very few examples–or 3 to be precise, so the folks from the Bucket YouTube channel built their own.
They stripped a petrol-powered pocket bike, fitted its engine and drivetrain into another Samsonite case, fabricated a folding frame, and borrowed the front wheel and handlebars from a Razor scooter. The rear wheels attach outside the case, while the front wheel drops through an opening for steering.
Their creation reportedly reached 33 km/h (20 mph) during testing, proving that a suitcase can also be a questionable motoring decision.
Honda’s Motocompacto offers a cleaner, purpose-built take on portable transport. The suitcase car still wins on theatre, though. Nothing commands attention at baggage claim like opening your luggage, fitting three wheels, and riding away before customs can formulate a question.
Images: YouTube (Bucket).