, ▁could ▁not ▁overcome ▁the ▁negative ▁features , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁complex , ▁heavy ▁and ▁badly ▁spac ed ▁three - speed ▁g ear ▁box , ▁in effect ive ▁bra kes , ▁and ▁ped als ▁that ▁sl id ▁on ▁sle e ve ▁bear ings ▁on ▁steel ▁sh aft s , ▁which ▁made ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁use ▁as ▁an ▁every day ▁vehicle . ▁ ▁In ▁Sweden , ▁a ▁two - se at ▁design ▁called ▁F antom ▁was ▁sold ▁as ▁blue print s ▁and ▁became ▁very ▁popular ; ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁blue print s ▁were ▁sold , ▁but ▁few ▁were ▁actually ▁completed . ▁ ▁The ▁down fall ▁of ▁these ▁early ▁' b icy cle ' ▁cars ▁came ▁when ▁the ▁economy ▁improved ▁and ▁people ▁chose ▁motor ised ▁transport . ▁ ▁Modern / cont empor ary ▁vel om ob iles ▁Build ers ▁continued ▁to ▁make ▁" one - off " ▁vel om ob iles , ▁but ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁none ▁were ▁available ▁commer cially . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁Carl - Ge org ▁R asm ussen ▁redis cover ed ▁Fant omen ; ▁he ▁red es igned ▁it ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁started ▁s elling ▁a ▁production ▁version ▁called ▁Le it ra . ▁ ▁Le it ra ▁vel om ob iles ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁continuous ▁production ▁since ▁then ▁( as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 7 ), ▁with ▁current ▁models ▁evol ved / im pro ved ▁from ▁the ▁original s .