The Felber Autoroller - A Frog That Climbed A Mountain

Kinja'd!!! "Jonee" (Jonee)
09/03/2015 at 14:47 • Filed to: Felber, Microcars

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One of the most whimsical, in a wide field of whimsy, microcars of the post war years was the Felber Autoroller, a frog-like three wheeler from Austria. Austria isn’t really known for its cars, but with names like Ledwinka, and Porsche, and marques like Steyr-Puch and Gräf & Stift, it’s made some important contributions to automotive history. The Felber most certainly isn’t included on that list, but it was a clever little machine anyway. It was the brainchild of Ernst Marold, a young former prisoner of war, and son of a mechanic, who had always loved cars. While in a POW camp, Ernst, like a bunch of enthusiastic young men at the time, thought that when the war was over, people were going to need cheap transportation. Especially in Austria, where cars had never been abundant. The only auto manufacturer in the country to pick up production after WWII was Steyr-Puch who concentrated on trucks and licensed built, pre-war designed Fiat Topolinos.

So, when he returned home still in his early 20’s, Ernst got to work hacking together a little prototype using scrap metal from his dad’s repair shop. After about seven months he had a primitive trike powered by a 300cc motorcycle engine. It was rough, but it was a start. He then spent the next year refining it with his brother, Otto. They built a strong, rectangular tube frame with a backbone made out of old bazookas (!), and fitted swing arms with leaf springs to suspend the wheels.

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They then stuck a 300cc ILO stationary motor with a motorcycle three speed to it and began testing. They made a rounded, doorless body out of aluminum sheets and nicknamed it the “Murli.” They took it all over the country testing it in every condition, even crashing it in the mountains, and it performed well. It was stable and light and with some tweaks, seemed ready to go. They just needed a manufacturer. They found one, at the end of 1951, in Felber, a fairly renowned builder of sidecars and teardrop trailers.

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Motorcycle production was barely a trickle at the time and Felber could use a new source of revenue. Ernst designed an entirely new car that was an evolution of the Murli. It also used a tube frame now with a flat floor.

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The leaf springs were replaced with coils over telescopic shocks, and the swing arms remained. It was powered by a 350cc DKW motor that would take it up to 100 kph. With its low center of gravity and relatively sophisticated suspension, it apparently handled like it was on tracks.

They also refined the body, giving it a split windshield, headlight, and cabrio roof.

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Felber was delighted with the result. The car was durable, fairly simple to build, and was going to hit the price point they were looking for.

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When it went into production at the beginning of 1953, it got a fancier body with an airplane cockpit like canopy, and a second headlight. And, as you can see in the top photo, they anticipated the need for a transparent A pillar. The Felber was truly ahead of its time. It was also now powered by a slightly more powerful 15 horsepower 400cc Rotax two-stroke motor that was a bigger version of their 350cc stationary engine built specifically for the Felber. It also had brakes on all three wheels and a 4 speed transmission with reverse.

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It had a pretty unique three seater layout with a small child’s seat behind the driver, and a normal sized seat next to that. So your passenger was kind of offset in back of you which must have made conversing annoying.

Felber built about 5 a day for a while and they attracted quite a loyal following. They quickly became like national treasures. A Felber owner’s club formed and they would gather in Vienna with their cars. They even brought a bunch of their cars to Ernst Marold’s wedding when he got married in 1954 to escort his limousine away from the church. I’ve never heard of anything like that before, but here’s the picture to prove it.

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The little cars weren’t fast, but they did compete pretty successfully in hillclimb events in the motorcycle with sidecar class. I guess only having 15 horsepower doesn’t matter much when you can turn on a dime. The car was wider, 59 inches between the wheels, than it was tall, just 49 inches, and with the 2 wheels in front trike layout, it would take a tornado to tip it.

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In 1954 the company sent 10 Felber chassis to famed coach builder Hofmann & Moldrich who fitted them with these cool, streamlined egg-like bodies.

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I’m not sure if the improved aerodynamics made them any faster, but they sure looked sweet and much more like a normal car. Relatively, anyway.

By the end of that year, Austria opened its borders to car imports, and sales of Felbers died after only 400 had been built. The poor Felbers were forgotten as quickly as they had been embraced.

The company switched to distributing microcars like the Isetta and Heinkel Kabine, and the cool Autoroller vanished into obscurity. Later, Ernst would run the company as it became Austria’s largest manufacturer of industrial kitchen and laundry equipment. It actually still exists today as part of Electrolux. Unfortunately the name fared better than the cars as only about 5 are known to exist today. All that hillclimbing really did a number on them apparently.

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Here’s Ernst with his remarkable little car.


DISCUSSION (67)


Kinja'd!!! Berang > Jonee
09/03/2015 at 16:11

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What we need is a very small car - shaped like a very large truck.

Never seen one before! Looks like it’d be fun to drive.


Kinja'd!!! HammerheadFistpunch > Berang
09/03/2015 at 16:20

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I don’t know, the carry sure looks a lot like a big truck

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Kinja'd!!! Urambo Tauro > Jonee
09/03/2015 at 16:21

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Unfortunately the name fared better than the cars as only about 5 are known to exist today. All that hillclimbing really did a number on them apparently.

All but 5 were toadaled.


Kinja'd!!! Berang > HammerheadFistpunch
09/03/2015 at 16:25

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But it is a truck.


Kinja'd!!! SheRockOh > Jonee
09/03/2015 at 16:25

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Couldn’t get past “backbone made out of old bazookas”. Way too awesome.


Kinja'd!!! Übel > Berang
09/03/2015 at 16:30

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Well then what you need is a Tempo Matador


Kinja'd!!! HammerheadFistpunch > Berang
09/03/2015 at 16:33

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oh, I see what you are saying...why?


Kinja'd!!! punkgoose17 > Jonee
09/03/2015 at 16:49

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It reminds me of a Saab 92, but even more egg shaped and streamlined.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > SheRockOh
09/03/2015 at 16:56

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Raw materials were hard to come by in those days. I actually worded that poorly. It was the whole frame that was made of old bazooka tubes. Pretty creative use of war detritus.


Kinja'd!!! phuzz > SheRockOh
09/03/2015 at 18:29

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The first LandRovers were built out of the aluminium from old Spitfires.


Kinja'd!!! Aliens Ate My Buick > Jonee
09/03/2015 at 18:54

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Ribbits?


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Aliens Ate My Buick
09/03/2015 at 19:02

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Ha


Kinja'd!!! Keaton Belliston > Berang
09/04/2015 at 02:35

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Suzuki Mighty Boy, at your service!!

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Kinja'd!!! Aracan > Jonee
09/04/2015 at 05:12

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That’s where I got married! Only there is a pond instead of a street in front of the church these days.


Kinja'd!!! metatronX > punkgoose17
09/04/2015 at 08:37

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My first thought too. It looks exactly like an early Saab 92. Or perhaps a prototype between the Ur-Saab and the 92.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Aracan
09/04/2015 at 13:54

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That’s awesome. Does the pond mean you can’t have microcar convoys any more?


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/05/2015 at 08:32

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One of the most whimsical, in a wide field of whimsy, microcars of the post war years was the Felber Autoroller

I totally disagree! There’s nothing whimsy about a car with a track as wide as a football field built of old Bazookas!!!

Awesome trike. Any idea how many survived?


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/06/2015 at 13:26

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I saw that green one in Germany once. It was an incredible little machine.

Unfortunately the name fared better than the cars as only about 5 are known to exist today.

Didn’t you read all the way to the end? This one was short enough that you shouldn’t have lost interest.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/06/2015 at 15:27

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Hahahaha! No, I didn’t lose interest but at that point I was mostly looking at Ernst and his amazing dream coat!

Only 5. And you actually saw one. Awesome.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/07/2015 at 01:17

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Yeah, it’s a real shame that more aren’t left because they did have quite a loyal following when they first came out. One of the few purely Austrian marques, too. I guess it’s not the absolutely rarest microcar I’ve seen, but it’s up there.

That does look like a pretty cozy coat. It reminds me of this Chinese army coat my father brought back from China once. It’s like wearing a heavy blanket that buttons up.


Kinja'd!!! Aracan > Jonee
09/07/2015 at 04:16

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Maybe microboats!


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/07/2015 at 04:32

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So what was the rarest?

And it’s not just that cozy looking coat. The eyes of Ernst have some hypnotizing powers. I’m sure. As have those headlights of that Felber!


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/07/2015 at 15:28

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The Microcar Museum that used to be in Georgia had some rare ones. One of the 2 Fuji Cabins left. And, a Jurisch Motoplan. They only made three of those. I should do a story on that one. The three cars were constructed out of widened Steib sidecars and had really odd handlebar steering. He also had a couple one-offs. And, in Störy, Germany, I saw an Allard Clipper. I think only 3 of those remain.

Maybe that’s why they had such a loyal following. And, then when people realized Ernst and the cars’ sinister powers, they had to destroy them.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/07/2015 at 17:59

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Oh yeah, that Fuji Cabin. That one is awesome. The Jurisch sounds interesting, handlebars are the way to go. Piaggio proved that already. Speaking of Piaggio: you did see that Vespa 400 I shot in Torino?

I’ve heard Stephen King looked at the picture above when he got the idea for Christine . But as those Felbers never were sold in the USA he just had to swap it with that Plymouth Fury in the Novel. Felber is evil.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/08/2015 at 01:31

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Thinking about it, there may be as many as 4 Fuji Cabins. There’s an old Japanese man that has one in his garage that everyone knows about. He won’t sell it so I think they’re waiting for him to croak. Great looking Vespa 400. That’s actually the nicest driving microcar I’ve ever driven. Very well sorted that car. Not bodged together like a Fulda.

I’d love to see a possessed car movie about a Felber. It’d be like an automotive version of those Leprechaun films.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/08/2015 at 05:12

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Maybe you should pass the Felber for this movie. I think we just have to take the Wanke r lMobil for this one to launch it to market! We’ll be busy developing a car, producing and writing movies though. Maybe we should just focus on one thing at a time.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/09/2015 at 02:46

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I thought the idea was to create a global brand that dominated multiple platforms? Should the Wanke r l be the good car that battles the Felber? Kind of like Knight Rider?


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/09/2015 at 03:44

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Now that’s an amazing idea! I think we should team up David Hasselhoff with Casper van Dien, they should have some time on both their hands!


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/10/2015 at 00:51

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I don’t know if there’s room on one screen for both those chins, but I like it. I guess the Hoff should drive the Wanke r l. You really have your heart set on working with Caspar Van Dien, I notice.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/10/2015 at 16:00

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Just want to meat that Serbian princess of him!!!

The first applicant for a position as a designer at the Wankerl company is in !


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/11/2015 at 01:27

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Ah, I like it. He’s good. We should send him our design parameters. I wonder how he’ll handle the wing/slide.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/11/2015 at 13:33

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Can you sum up all of our design features? I lost track!

He could be usefull for a Simca revival, don’t let anyone from PSA near this one!


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/11/2015 at 15:13

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I tried collecting some of our ideas, but there were so many of them and it goes pretty far back now. It’s hard to search through all the comments. I know there’s a midi installed and an interior inspired by the Bee Gees. And tear offs for a windshield. And lots of rotaries.

PSA might ruin it, but I’d like to see a Simca revival. More interesting than that Borgward SUV.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/11/2015 at 17:31

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Hahaha... We need that winter. To gather all our data.

THAT BORGWARD SUV IS HORRIBLE! I’d love to see that brand revive but this is not what the original brand was all about???


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/13/2015 at 03:11

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Yeah, we’re going to need the whole winter all right. I wish there was a better way to search.

It’s the most boring thing they could have come up with. I guess that’s what they figure they can sell, but I don’t get why they wouldn’t at least do a nice concept that would grab attention. The SUV is so underwhelming, I can’t even remember what it looks like. I just see a fuzzy brown blob.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/13/2015 at 11:48

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Maybe ask Torch. I bet he has a design featuring all our great ideas already penned down!

I guess they figured with the economy getting in shape the US-market is ready for such a thing. I’m not amused by it. No idea how it looks, I think they’re about to show it next week at the IAA. This was all I saw:

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I’m even curious if underneath all this is a VW Touareg or something...


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/14/2015 at 02:23

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It looks like every other SUV. It’s the Chinese market they’re thinking of. It’ll take a while, if ever, for them to come to America.

You’re right. I bet Torch has already sketched our design. Now I really have to find all those comments. I smell a lawsuit.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/14/2015 at 08:55

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YUK! I’m not impressed. I feel sick now. I was so excited they’d return. Now I’m all disappointed. If something like this ever happens to our Wanke r l just shoot me.

Some people make a living out of lawsuits. Quite successful. Just not sure if Torch is wealthy enough to come up with our damages.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/15/2015 at 03:28

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Jobjeisen Corp. will never stoop so low. Not as long as we’re in charge. Maybe if they sell enough of those, they’ll come up with something cool.

He’ll be wealthy enough when he sells those drawings to VW!


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/15/2015 at 05:06

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JobJeisen Corp, with a second Capital. Sounds legit. Now we need a logo.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/16/2015 at 03:24

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I agree. Will the Wanke r l be its own company under the JobJeisen umbrella, or will it be the JobJeisen Wanke r l?


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/16/2015 at 04:29

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It’s the JobJeisen Wanke r l. Double J as a logo, Gothic script. And as every cool car brand uses an animal in it’s logo I thing we’ll have to follow that road as well.

What about a Donkey? Or a Cow?


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/17/2015 at 00:43

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A Wankel kind of sounds like a swarm of bees, so maybe a bee. Or, an elephant.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/17/2015 at 03:31

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Well, with all those Wankels we’re planning to use in one car it probably weighs as much as an Elephant. And one of it’s ears could resemble the slide we’re planning to use!


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/18/2015 at 01:00

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I don’t think anyone’s used an elephant for a car logo, have they? Why the ear? Wouldn’t the trunk be the slide? Like on The Flintstones.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/18/2015 at 05:19

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I just know the Elefantino of Lancia’s High-Fidelity rally cars. Yeah the trunk will be the slide. But what bodily part of the elefant could “act” as a slide?


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/19/2015 at 03:09

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The trunk?

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Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/19/2015 at 06:35

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And spoiler. In one single bodypart. This is gonna be great. Good color as well!


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/20/2015 at 00:20

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That is a nice color. I like the sky and royal blue combo. But, our elephant shouldn’t be crying tears of blood like this guy.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/20/2015 at 15:57

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Maybe we could turn the Elephant around and have the proboscis pointed upwards to display pure joy and victory? The interior should be that darkish green, preferably chesterfield style.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/22/2015 at 02:44

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Like this?

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Oh, yeah. I love the idea of hunter green Chesterfield seats. Very swanky and Brougham.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/22/2015 at 06:21

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Yep, just one of it’s front-legs should be lifted. Or should it be running?

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Or are we gonna use a couch? The seat gives better lateral support.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/22/2015 at 17:07

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Maybe something like this, but instead of a baseball, it’s crushing a V8.

We might want the lateral support. There’ll be a nice big couch in back next to the DJ booth. And it should have throw pillows like Cadillac had in the 70’s.

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Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/22/2015 at 18:01

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Hahahaha, what’s that from? The A’s? I only know the Houston Astros but I doubt them using an elephant without a spacesuit. And what will we switch that bat for?

That caddy interior is awesome. One can’t have enough velvet. Or whatever that awesome blue stuff is.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/22/2015 at 18:47

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It’s for the Oakland A(thletic)’s. I guess it’s a fan made version of this.

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They’ve used an elephant for many years as their mascot. A steering wheel instead of the bat?

That blue stuff is velour. Wonderful, plush, 70’s-tastic velour. That interior is more luxurious than my apartment.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/23/2015 at 04:04

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Why on earth would athletes use an elefantino as their mascotte? Because they’re just as heavy? They want to suggest their using one arm instead of that proboscis for swinging that bat?

Velours! Of course. I would seriously think you’d be living in a little whore house if your appartement resembled only the slightest to that caddy interior!


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/24/2015 at 02:28

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The story goes that when the team was founded in Philadelphia in 1901, one of the owners of another team called the Athletics a “white elephant” which is an expression for a useless investment that can’t be sold. I don’t know why. Philadelphia was a big city that liked baseball. But, anyway, the owner of the A’s decided to have the team wear a white elephant to throw it in the other guy’s face. And they did go on to win the World Series a bunch of times in the teens and twenties.

Yeah, a lot of velour would make it look like a “house of ill repute.” I bet the cat would like it though. She always finds the softest spot to snooze. I can’t leave any sweaters lying around or it’ll soon be full of cat fur.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/24/2015 at 03:52

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Great story about that White Elephant , never knew! So these professional sporters have been around that long? Over here that only started in the ‘50’s (somewhat) but really started in the ‘70’s. And only in Soccer.

Your doing it right by not saying “leave any of my sweaters lying around”. They’re not yours, you know?


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/24/2015 at 04:03

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Baseball teams have been around since the 1800’s. Professional football (American) didn’t get going until around the 20’s, but that’s still a long time. It didn’t get really big until the 60’s/70’s, though. Before that, baseball was king. We like our distractions from normal life. What did you guys do before the 70’s? Nobody watched sports? That’s so uncivilized.

This is true. Everything here belongs to the cat. I’m just allowed to borrow stuff every now and again.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/24/2015 at 05:14

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Oh there was sports being watched. In the stadium. Or listened to on the radio. But not entirely that long ago we still worked 6 days a week, had 2 weeks of a holiday and all we did was go to church on sunday. That’s civilized. Right? It all changed in the ‘60’s.

Do you have to ask or has there to be something in return afterwards. Always.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/25/2015 at 14:20

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That sounds like what the Republicans want American life to be like. We do like our leisure time here. Ever since the postwar boom “disposable income” has been important.

I ask and she gives me a look of disgust like, “sure, take it. I don’t care.”


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/25/2015 at 15:14

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I so loved Borat visiting those puritan US-citizens, that was truly amazing. Those were republicans, right?

Ever thought of getting her a play-pal masculine man-cat? Or would it be killed instantly?


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/26/2015 at 02:55

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Those were Republicans, yeah. They’re the puritanical ones.

She would definitely try to kill any cat that came around. I don’t think she knows she’s a cat, so she thinks all cats are stupid. She sits in the window and yells at the ones in the neighborhood.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/26/2015 at 06:55

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And what happens if you bring some female companion over? She tries to kill those as well?


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/28/2015 at 00:44

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Probably. It doesn’t matter to her if it’s a boy or a girl. Cats are always getting into it with each other. There is one local cat I give food to every once in a while and she’s gotten used to it, so she pretends it doesn’t exist. One time it came inside and starting eating my cat’s food, and she just stared at it like she couldn’t quite compute what the heck was happening.


Kinja'd!!! Jobjoris > Jonee
09/28/2015 at 05:38

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Hahaha, “pretends it doesn’t exist”. Totally can see this happening.

My dog didn’t allow anybody near his food and drinking-area. Unless it was clear you would actually add something to solve his hunger.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > Jobjoris
09/29/2015 at 02:40

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Haha. Yeah, my mom’s Dobermans were always like that. Except with her. Even a Doberman doesn’t mess with my mother.