Briggs & Stratton, the company best known for small engines used on lawn mowers to washing machines. And it's not just any car, but a hybrid… built in 1980 no less. The simple idea behind the Briggs & Stratton Hybrid concept car was essentially this: if two heads are better than one, why not a car with two power sources? This unique gasoline / electric hybrid "the best of both worlds". Like so many modern automotive ideas, the Briggs & Stratton hybrid concept car was not entirely new. Electrical power had flourished in the early years of "the automobile" before it was lost to the internal combustion engine, which was noisy and emitted noxious fumes, but provided much more power for its size and weight. than any battery or electric motor.
The body is vaguely reminiscent of the period Dodge Omni 024, especially from the rear. The doors and the windshield come from a Volkswagen Scirocco. But that's not what you notice first! The car has six wheels. This was probably normal considering that the platform came from a six-wheeled delivery vehicle, the Marathon C360 made by Marathon Electric, a Quebec company. and the hybrid setup was a parallel setup, meaning the hybrid could run only on electricity, only gas, and a mixture of the two. The two rear-most wheels only serve to support the frame carrying the 12 batteries of 6 volts each.
Engine: 0.694 liter B&S Twin cylinder + Baldor electric motor.
Fuel Type: Gasoline / Electric Hybrid.
Power: 26 hp (19 kW / 26 hp) combined.
Transmission: Ford Pinto 4-speed manual.
Transmission: Front engine, RWD. Weight: 3,200 lbs (1,451 kg).
Maximum speed: 50-68 mph (80-109 km / h).