1982 HMV FREEWAY
Country of origin: United States
Years of production: 1979-1982
Number produced: ~700
Engine: Tecumseh OH120 345cc 4-stroke single-cylinder
Cooling: Forced air
Transmission: CVT
Starter: Electric Bendix starter
Electrical: 12V
Power: 12 hp
Top speed: ~60 mph
Dimension (LxWxH): 115”x53”x51”
Weight: 750 pounds
Construction: Fiberglass body with internal tubular steel frame
Brakes: F & R hydraulic manual drum
Suspension: F – Torsion bar and coilover damper, R – Coilover damper
Steering: Reduction box
Tire size: 145R12
The HMV (High Mileage Vehicles) Freeway is one of the very few American microcars ever made, being produced in Minnesota from ‘79 to ‘82. The car was intended to be an answer to the panic caused by the 1979 oil crisis, being advertised to get up to 100 mpg at a steady 40 miles per hour, when equipped with the 12-horsepower motor. Combined with a 9.5-gallon fuel tank (directly on top of which the seat is mounted), the range per tank was quite extraordinary.
The Freeway used a 2-piece 1/8” fiberglass body on a tubular steel frame, with all polycarbonate windows. The steering design is quite unusual (all steering components are right above the driver’s legs) and garnered a bit of a reputation for being somewhat frightening, due to significant bump steer. This was a clear indication of HMV’s lack of experience with automobile design, with the Freeway being their first and only car. The steering (among other things) was improved in mid-’81, and while still not perfect, the late cars are certainly more pleasant on the road.
As for options, an FM radio was available, as well as a heater, which used an oil cooler mounted right next to driver, with a fan sending warm air up through the duct on the dash. The interesting thing about the heater is that it was fed via a switched electric oil pump, which also sent the oil through a remote filter on its way through the system. This was the only oil filter on the cars, so oil would only be filtered when the heater was on. They recommended running the heater for the first couple of minutes each drive in the warmer months, to clean your oil. You could also opt for a 453cc, 16-horsepower Tecumseh, though of course the fuel economy would suffer.
In total, less than 700 Freeways were produced during the 4 model years, in all of 3 available colors: red, yellow, and orange. Being 3-wheeled with a single headlight, they were intended to be registered as motorcycles, making them even cheaper to keep on the road. Also like a motorcycle, they were never equipped with reverse.