20th century · Transport · Prototype
Soleta lightweight car
Justin Capră
The idea
Soleta was one of Capră’s compact vehicle designs, built around economical motoring.
A small body and low fuel consumption shaped this transport experiment. Soleta is a petrol-powered design; it should not be confused with his battery-powered vehicles.
A life behind the work · 1933–2015
Justin Capră
Capră grew up in Prahova and began making mechanical objects as a child, including moving wooden figures driven by part of a broken watch. His adult work ranged across small vehicles and unconventional flying-machine projects. Among his named transport experiments were the compact Soleta car, the Sarmis vehicle with unusual controls and the Oroles electric motorbike. He also explored other electric vehicles, including Oblio and Troty. His machines are best approached as a varied programme of prototypes, rather than proof that he invented electric motoring itself.
Biography & sources ↗