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"[Science fiction is] nightmares and visions, always outlined by the barely possible."
- Gregory Benford

Squib  
  A simple form of ground transportation.  

Nick got her into the squib, ran around to the driver's side, slid in behind the tiller. He started up the motor...

Pressing down on the power knob, Nick took off; the squib, old and battered as it was, had a well souped-up motor which Zeta had built himself; he had modified every moving part. So, in his own squib, Danny would never catch him. Unless of course, Denny had souped up his own squib.

Technovelgy from Our Friends From Frolix 8, by Philip K. Dick.
Published by Ace Publishing in 1970
Additional resources -

Dick also refers to these small, consumer vehicles as "short-hop squibs".

Compare to the groundcar from Galactic Patrol (1937) by EE Doc Smith and the gyro-stabilized two-wheeled ground car from First Lensman (1950) by Doc Smith.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Our Friends From Frolix 8
  More Ideas and Technology by Philip K. Dick
  Tech news articles related to Our Friends From Frolix 8
  Tech news articles related to works by Philip K. Dick

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