A more elaborate digital prank car is the 1952 Frojt Model 2.33 bubble car, (a.k.a. the Egg Car, or Ten Frijt). This fictitious micro car has a plausible Wikipedia page devoted to this Bohemian-based vehicle maker, amusingly written with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
Joined by a history of that other well-known Bohemian car maker, Skota, a fantasy web page details vehicles made in this central European region, with real imagination put behind the tale of Ti Frojt Motorverki, the creators of the Model 2.33 ‘Egg Car’. To quote directly from this spoof online page, summarising Frojt’s activities immediately post-war: “In 1949 Bohemia regained independence. Frojt’s factory was in ruins. Once again it produced horse carriages but in 1952 a new model, the 2.33 Ten Ojvákän (The Egg Car) or simply Ten Frojt (The Frojt), was introduced. There are persistent conspiracy theories that the design was not from Frojt at all, but from an obscure Italian refrigerator maker that went bankrupt and sold the design to Frojt. Frojt denied such accusations.”
Supported by a doctored image of a BMW Isetta bubble car, this Frojt page continues: “Once again back to the car business, it moved down market, cutting with its past. Bohemian car consumers needed a small cheap vehicle as few people could afford pre-war-style luxury cars. The Egg Car seemed just like an egg with three wheels, powered by a small two-cylinder engine capable of transporting the driver and two passengers. The major curiosity was its lambda motor (an inverted V engine) which helped on car stability and the driving wheel on the middle of the dashboard. Cheap and well built, the Egg Car soon became a best seller worldwide… Meanwhile new versions of the Model 2.33 were introduced: van, pick-up, convertible and a longer family car with larger engine, Model 2.66 Ten Krós Ojvákän (Great Egg Car).”
The online Frojt pages go on the claim: “Due to its peculiar styling, Frojts have a constant presence in movies, especially on futuristic and science fiction ones. Their presence is also regular on comic books, literature and philately so as to became a cult car both for the average people (the Egg Car or simply the Frojt) so as for the rich ones. Frojt references in music also appear. The most notable is the English rock band Pink Frojt which uses a stretched Egg Car on their concerts. The Egg Car became one of the ultimate symbols of the post-war European reconstruction, permitting millions of average people to be possible to own a car and to drive.’
All very droll, with some amusing subtle references there, including a witty dig at the former Italian fridge (and super car) maker ISO, which invented the bubble car, plus a nod to the East German Trabant, as famously once used on-tour by U2! An image of a modified Tatra 603 is also used to depict a later Frojt prestige model.
Just remember that not everything you read, see and hear is true! Now, where did I leave the keys to that Hapsburg?
Photography by Alexander Popov, Denys Nevozhai, Ryan Searle and Euan Cameron.