The Toyota Prius is a nice car. It’s also tops in fuel efficiency according to the EPA. (See their list of best and worst mileage cars in America for details.) Still, it doesn’t hold a candle compared to our contender. What do you ask could unseat the Prius from it’s green throne? Perhaps a futuristic concept car from Germany? A 1-seater, 2 cylinder “mini-me” micro-car? Well, no…
How about a 1959 Opel T-1?
Yup. That date isn’t a type-o. The specially modified Opel broke the world record for gas mileage back in 1973 with a blistering 376.39 mpg performance! Now… you wouldn’t mistake the car for a luxury sedan. There’s only one hard plastic seat without seatbelts, no trunk, no car radio, no air conditioning and well… no doors.
Still… 376.39 miles per gallon! In 1973!
While admittedly, the mileage record was broken driving a steady 30 miles per hour on a closed course, you have to wonder why some automakers struggle today to hit a 27.5 mpg average fuel economy standard when the technology existed back in 1973 to do so much better.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported recently on the recent acquisition of our super-star performer by Evan McMullen, the owner of Seattle based Cosmopolitan Motors. Learn more about the car and it’s new owner at the P-I Story at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/351903_needle20.html
Tags: automakers, concept car, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, gas mileage, mileage cars, seattle post intelligencer, world record



