Here’s your fresh idea for a car.

Don't get turned off by its neo-classic looks or available two-tone paint. Pay no mind to its small size: the Rumen is a story within a story.

The Rumen, by 4 Stroke Design, is one of the most interesting vehicles of the last few decades…maybe (probably).

4 Stroke's founder is Bulgarian-born Roumen Antonov, who has a few significant inventions to his name, from a Direct Shift (DSG) transmission to a bolt-on 2-speed supercharger, and some hybrid-adjacent technology that was swept up in a patent dispute with Toyota.


In addition to automotive components (and after his success in licensing and selling patents to automakers), he may also have started and funded a medical foundation for studying the effects of fungus in the human body.

Then wrote a book about all of it.

Strange résumé for the boss of a car company…but I appreciate the life experience.

Given the language barrier, it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction regarding its inventor, but the Rumen car definitely exists, and people have driven it — shocker, I know.

Early Rumen prototypes were powered by a rear-mounted smart fortwo three-cylinder engine, but according to an article in Caradisiac, the most recent prototypes (from 2008) featured a mid-mounted three-cylinder engine from the first generation of Peugeot 107 / Citroën C1 / Toyota Aygo triplets.

The car has been shown with both a semi-automatic transmission (from a smart, I believe) and a manual transmission. The all-white and red-and-white examples of the car you'll see online seem to be later designs; the styling, fit and finish, and overall look seems to be much more buttoned-down.

Its look was inspired by the Bugatti Type 57, if you hadn't guessed — Antonov has said the Rumen was one he’s been sketching since his youth.

The stated customers were 1) a teenaged Antonov and 2) wealthy women — disappointingly, I can’t see any compelling reason for why wealthy women would choose this over the (many) other options.

At a quoted price of around €50,000 in the late 2000s, it’s both a coachbuilt microcar and a missed opportunity. The interior is trimmed entirely in wood, leather, and chrome. The exterior is a blend of off-the-shelf parts, with lines that manage to look classic enough, with its unique structure preventing it from looking like your run-of-the-mill neoclassic. 

This post is for subscribers only

Sign up now to read the post and get access to the full library of posts for subscribers only.

Sign up now Already have an account? Sign in