America’s Number One Fun Club!

The cover of thousands of King Midget brochures touted “America’s Number One Fun Car!” A true statement then and now, and there’s a club to match! King Midgets have always been a hoot, and the fun factor increases every year. This mail-order King Midget microcar was built in Athens, Ohio for nearly 25 years following World War II, with a total of about 5,000 produced, in three car models plus motor scooters. Though tiny and slow by today’s standards, they were street-legal vehicles you could drive anywhere, and they still are, if you can find one! In the burgeoning hobby of collectible cars, none is more fun than a King Midget. And they’re among the least expensive antique automobiles, and easiest to restore with nearly all parts readily available.
Some ways to enjoy these tiny cars:

Restore One 
King Midgets are easy to work on. You needn’t be a master craftsman to restore one to original condition.

Buy One
Restoring King Midgets is a labor of love. Don’t expect a profit from restoration efforts! If you don’t enjoy the challenge, buy one already restored. As collector cars go, King Midgets are a bargain, either way.

Drive It 
You’ll want to avoid freeway traffic and jaunts across the state, because these cars top out at about 45 mph. But wheel this puppy out of the shed and every guest will want a ride. Kids love ’em. Burbling down the street in a King Midget attracts more attention than the reddest Ferrari.

Parade It
In every parade your King Midget will be a crowd pleaser. Among all the giant automobiles, a little King is just plain cute. No need to have the Rodeo Queen on board, though that’s always a good idea.

Join a Car Club
There are clubs that specialize in micro cars as well as clubs that welcome all makes, and your King Midget will be a standout. Car guys go nuts trying to figure out where it came from. The girls, young and old, love ’em.

Join the King Midget Club
The International King Midget Car Club has sponsored annual Jamborees for 25 years. Fifty to a hundred King Midgets gather to ogle each other’s restorations, challenges and latest barn-finds. Four chapters hold King Midget events around the nation.

Haul It
Most fans haul their King Midget to events. Some spend thousands on an enclosed trailer. That’s nice but it’s more fun to haul your King Midget on a simple open trailer. At every stop you’ll get questions, “Did you build that yourself? What’s the engine? Is it street legal? Where can I get one?”

Learn About It
To answer all such questions, you’ll want to become the local King Midget expert. The King Midget Club publishes regular newsletters, club events are an endless source of information, visit this web site frequently, and buy a copy of KING MIDGET, The Story of America’s Smallest Dream Car, the definitive book on the subject. To restore one, you’ll need SHOP NOTES King Midget Maintenance and Restoration.

Support the King Midget Heritage
Club dues are just $15 per year, a modest sum which, combined with the work of many volunteers and some donations, supports the growing interest in the contribution Midget Motors made to automotive history.

A word of caution. There’s a downside to every hobby. King Midgets are addictive. First thing you know, you’ll be hankering to own an example of every model.

Fans have their own opinions on restoration. The Club takes no sides and holds no judging events. The consensus is, the best thing that can happen to King Midgets is to restore them, keep them on the road and share the heritage among an increasing band of fans. Too many rusty King Midgets wind up in the scrap yard. Shiny ones that can be driven increase in value.

You don’t have to own a King Midget to join the Club, just be a King Midget enthusiast. You will receive three newsletters per year, Winter, Spring and Fall. Each will number more than 30 pages filled with King Midget stories, technical hints and lots of photos! There are experts who can solve just about any King Midget problem, and most of us are happy to pitch in, help out and welcome newcomers.

We hope you will join us in our adventures with America’s Number One Fun Car!　Membership is only $20.00 a year!
Or Pay $90 for a Five-Year Membership, Saving Money and an Annual Chore for Both You and the Club!

If you have any questions about membership related issues, please contact:

Brenda Arnold, IKMCC
20280 State Route 676
Marietta, OH 45750-6552
cell: 740-434-5420
E-mail – secretary@kingmidgetcarclub.org

CLUB OFFICERS:
President: Lee Seats
E-mail – president@kingmidgetcarclub.org
Please contact the President for technical support questions, parts information or service information

Vice President: Roxanne Hicklin  
E-mail – roxhicklin@gmail.com

Second Vice President: Bryan Kreinbrink  

Secretary:  Brenda Arnold
 E-mail – secretary@kingmidgetcarclub.org

Treasurer: René Briere
E-mail – treasurer@kingmidgetcarclub.org

Activities Director: Alan Day

Newsletter Editor: Bob Olbers
E-mail – bob.olbers@gmail.com

Registry Manager: Phil Shearrow

E-mail – pshearrow@sbcglobal.net

Lee Seats has named Phil Shearrow as Registry Manager, replacing Bob Vahsholtz who managed the Registry for many years. That list of King Midget fans and Club members, past and present, was started in the 1980s and has been maintained and expanded ever since. It’s a service for members, and is used only for Club purposes.

Historian: David Funk
E-Mail – dfunk@capstonecompany.com 

European Director: Ole Birger Gjevre
John White II
Email- white5415@msn.com