Do You Remember This Minnesota Made ‘Car’?

It's been 38 years since there has been an HM Freeway built on an assembly line in Burnsville. The three-wheeled vehicle was built from 1979-1982 by one Dave Edmonsonand his company HM Vehicles. Its claim to fame was that it got 100 miles to the gallon if you drove it according to the factory, and if you drove it as instructed to get that 100 miles to the gallon you could return your vehicle. Guaranteed. The rumor has been no one ever brought one back.  

The HM Freeway was the brainchild of Edmonson, who told the SUN THIS WEEK in 2014 that "I thought it would make a lot of sense for people driving to work or when they don’t need a big car to be driving something smaller and more economical." From 1974 to 1976 Edmunson worked on a prototype and in 1978 he gained financing to start HM Vehicles and to start manufacturing the Freeway.

According to the Minnesota Historical Society, "700 Freeway vehicles were made between 1979 and 1982 and sold for $3,500 each." The Freeway was made to order and featured an electric engine model, a 345cc or a 453cc gas-powered engine.

The top speed of these three-wheeled vehicles was 65 mph according to 3-wheelers.com.

Something tells me the fiberglass shell and low clearance didn't make the Freeway a popular winter driving vehicle.

I found one of these for sale online, from back in 2018, that didn't meet it's reserve price. And another that is selling for $14,500. 

Edmunson was clearly ahead of his times with this type of vehicle as we have returned to the reverse tricycle with the Slingshot.