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Mite Cars
Mite cars represent a sub-set of smaller gas powered miniature race cars, and are typically powered by model engines of 0.36 cubic inches or less.
Model engines produced before World War II used spark ignition, which required a coil, condenser and battery pack. As a result, even though mite cars built before World War II used smaller displacement engines, the cars themselves could not be made much smaller than cars using larger spark ignition engines.
After World War II, however, smaller displacement engines using glow plugs became widely available and a coil, condenser and battery pack were no longer needed. As a result, mite cars could be made much smaller.
Mite car racing had its beginnings in the late 1930s, but did not reach its peak until the decade following World War II when a number of small inexpensive toy race cars were mass-produced and hobbyists started powering them with model engines equipped with glow plugs.
As speeds increased, purpose-built racing mites were designed and built specifically for competitive racing. While most mite cars raced on circular tether tracks, a small number were built for racing on high-banked oval-shaped rail tracks. Mite car racing was also popular in Europe, Australia and Japan.
To learn more about pre-World War II mite cars...
To learn more about post-World War II mite cars...
To learn more about mite cars raced on high-banked rail tracks...
To learn more about mite cars from countries outside the US...
For more information about mite cars...
For more detailed history about mite cars
and the fellows who built and raced them...
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