Believe it or not - at one time - the King Midget Motor Company of Athens, Ohio was the sixth largest manufacturer of automobiles in America.  Founded by WWII veterans Claude Dry and Dale Orcutt, the car was once famous as the "world's lowest-priced car" - marketed with the slogan "The 500-pound car for $500."  Originally sold as mail-order build-it-yourself kits out of Popular Mechanics magazines, the company eventually shifted to producing fully assembled cars. The founders aimed to build a highly efficient vehicle using aircraft-style design principles.  Production of the King Midget ceased in 1970 due to a devastating warehouse fire and tightening federal safety regulations.
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