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| 1978 Citroën 2CV Camionette owned by Burt Reif |
In a stunning turn of events, we were actually in town for the Great Pacific NW Micro-Mini Car Show! While originally slated to be held earlier in the year, the show was cancelled and rescheduled for August and held at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island in Portland, OR. The rescheduling meant we not only attended, but we could enter!
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| Our JDM 1998 Suzuki Jimny Wide. Photo by Mercedes Lilienthal |
Most of the mini and microcars there were vintage rides, many from the 1950s–1960s. There were European microcars and Japanese kei vehicles; hatchbacks and roadsters; there was a “little” bit (see what I did there?) of everything for small car enthusiasts. Here are most of the cars in attendance.
The Cars of the 2026 Great Pacific Micro-Mini Car Show
Who doesn’t love a classic Mini? This 1968 Mini, owned by Nicholas Coker, had great 10×6 Ultralite wheels, a fantastic blue paint job, and a ragtop among a slew of go-fast parts. This included Metro 8.8:1 pistons, a Kent Megadyne 256 cam, HIF44 SU carburettor, Aldon competition distributor, and PerTronix coil.
This is an Austin A30 sedan (I’m not sure which version it is) from the early-to-mid 1950s. Regardless of exact model year, this pint-sized British saloon looked so fantastic! This was one of my personal favorite vehicles at the event. I just love the style.
From the back, it looks almost cartoonish, but the back seat looks remarkably spacious.
The Austin’s hood ornament is fantastic.
Love this Austin Mini Countryman in gray. Modern Corbeau racing-style seats added a neat touch. Simple and classic!
This is a 1958 Berkeley SE328 belonging to Paul Bilton-Smith. Its body was made from fiberglass, and it was built in Britain. This one was powered by a souped-up Honda CB 550 motorcycle engine punched out to 756cc. It’s FWD and likely very quick. They weigh around 750 lbs. and are chain-driven. The engine sits in front of the axles and redlines at a stratospheric 11,000 RPM. It’s a wild setup. Only about 1,259 SE328s were produced, making this a rare ride.
What a tiny, tidy engine bay. It looks rather racy, too. Fantastica!
This classic 1967 Daihatsu Hijet S37 restoration was a standout. It was also left-hand drive. I overheard the owner, Mark Nakashima, say something about them being imported into California at some point, but that’s all I overheard. Regardless, he’s done a heck of a job with the restoration.
That interior is fantastic—Spartan, but so tidy!
These petite pickups were powered by a water-cooled 356cc two-stroke inline two-cylinder engine.
The owner of this 1968 Fiat 500L, Ed Bossy, hadn’t driven it in about six years, he said. However, he got it running for the show and drove it from Beaverton, OR, to Sauvie Island for the show.
Duncan Nodarse’s 1994 Daihatsu Mira stands out not only for its chameleon paint job, but the three-spoke wheels are perfect on this tiny hatchback. Duncan is a regular at car shows with his unique cars and trucks.
Duncan’s dad brought this beautiful blue Honda Today, also a kei car. Look at that big windshield wiper!
The Nissan Figaro is a great example of a JDM retro ride. Styled like an older car, this 1991, owned by Jenn Coker, has a turbocharged 1.0-liter engine mated to an automatic transmission. Its style is fantastic.
Before the Civic, there was the N600. In fact, this was the first automobile sold in the USA by Honda. This white N600, owned by David Bean, was a 1970 model, the model’s first year. The N600 was powered by a two-cylinder, air-cooled four-stroke engine making 45 HP.
You can’t have a micro car show without a BMW Isetta. This 1957 Isetta 300 was very red and turned heads. Can you imagine this next to a 1957 Chevy? It’s owned by show organizer (and our mechanic), Mark Hatten.
This Rover Mini is a rarity. It’s a 1996 35th Anniversary edition, and owned by Terry Stroud. This car was made in the UK, but sold on the Japanese market. It is Almond Green with a Pistachio interior (kind of “nuts” if you ask me!). The four-spoke wheels are aftermarket, but fit perfectly with this green machine.
There was not one, but two Berkelys at this event! This one was a 1958 SE492 and wasn’t as tricked out as the black version. While it originally had an Excelsior 492 triple two-stroke engine, it now has a Honda CB 400F powerplant. Only about 666 of these were produced from 1957–1959.
We brought our 1998 Suzuki Jimny Wide, complete with the XPEL Color PPF in Moss Green. It also has XPEL windshield protection film and XPEL Armor covering the rocker panels. After all, these windshields weren’t ever sold in North America, so we’d better protect it. And I’m pretty sure it was the largest vehicle there.
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| Photo by Mercedes Lilienthal |
This is Mark Hatten’s 1962 Messerschmitt KR200 with a bubble top. It was made in Germany and has a 191cc one-cylinder two-stroke engine making less than 10 HP.
Another “modern” Mini. This is a 1991 Rover Mini belonging to Erik VanDyke. It was all sorts of racy. I love the “61 cid” badge on the grille!
I didn’t get a lot of time to check out this 1954 Morris Series II, but I really dig it. It was super clean and had a great classic look.
When this 1971 OTAS Grand Prix, owned by
Steven Andrews, rolled in, I first thought it was a SAAB Sonnet, then maybe an Opel GT, but it’s neither. It is, however, based on a Fiat 850 Special. These were also called a Lombardi Grand Prix and Abarth Scorpione. This was the first I’d ever seen—or heard of one. Steven’s car won the show, getting the most votes from attendees.
This is a 1965 Peel Trident, the world’s smallest two-seater. They were made between 1965 and 1966 and had a 49cc engine. I think this one has been upgraded, as the rear swing arm looked to be from a modern scooter (I could be wrong). Someone had said it was also converted to a four-stroke, but that’s just what I heard. No matter—this thing is amazing and amazingly small.
Last but not least, was this supercharged Subaru Sambar kei van. Complete with a functional opening glass roof, this boosted kei van looked great. Love those disc wheels, too.
