Microcars: ten ultratiny cars designed for the city

Designed by Dante Giacosa in 1936, the Fiat Topolino stemmed from the need to motorize Italy with a small, cheap vehicle (under 5,000 lire). The request directly came from Benito Mussolini and would later inspire Adolf Hitler for “his” Beetle. A miniature Balilla, it was 3.2 metres long and 1.2 metres wide, had two seats, a 500-cc engine and looked like something out of a noir film. It was initially called Topolino (Mickey Mouse) in tribute to the famous Disney character, but when it appeared on the market in 1936, a more autarchic 500 was chosen. The 5,000 lire challenge then blew up (it costs 8,900 lire) and even the new name never caught on: everyone continued to call it as the most famous mouse of the comics.

After World War II, the price of oil was growing and so microcars made a comeback. One of the most curious was the KR200 by Messerschmitt, the aviation company that was banned from producing aircraft after the war. With three wheels and a futuristic, cartoonish aesthetic, this 1955 microcar is one of the most iconic, with two seats in a row and the ability to travel 100 kilometres with three litres. Captured in Terry Gilliam’s film Brazil, among others, its most famous owners included Elvis, who had a red one.

Its design is unforgettable, but certainly not for its beauty: the Vespa 400 unfortunately remains imprinted. Released in 1957, it squeezed four seats (or rather 2+2) into just 2.8 metres in length and 1.2 metres in width with a two-stroke oil engine that pushed the most fearless up to 85 km/h. Small and nippy, it became the car of the good city bourgeoisie but could not resist the advent of the «mini» par excellence, the Fiat Nuova 500 of 1957, and so disappeared in 1961.

A bit Italian and German, the Isetta is more than small, it is microscopic. Conceived by Ermenegildo Preti and Pierluigi Raggi, it was produced by Iso of Bresso before becoming a true icon thanks to the BMW’s licensed production. Right from the start it was what the Topolino failed to be: tiny and cheap. Rational to the utmost, with its incredible 2.2 metres in length accommodated two people plus a little luggage space. Access was guaranteed by a large front door that allowed people to sit on the bench seat thanks to an ingenious idea: the steering column tilted when opened. It was extremely light (330 kilograms) and had record consumption: three litres were enough to cover 100 km.

The 1960s saw the appearance of what entered the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest production car ever. The 1965 Peel P50 looks almost like a child’s car. Practically cube-shaped (1.3 metres long, one metre wide and 1.2 metres high), it was characterised by three tiny wheels supporting a cabin that could be described as “personal”. It only had room for one person and a briefcase, and weighed exactly the same as a person: one hundred kilograms. The 49-cc engine pushed it up to 61 km/h, but hardly anyone reached this extreme speed.

The name already reveals its aim. The CitiCar is designed for urban spaces but, apart from its size, there is another aspect that characterises it: it is electric. Born in 1974 in Sebring, Florida, it accommodated two people in 2.4 metres long by 1.4 metres high and weighs 591 kg. Its brutalist design rhymes with the minimalism that distinguished it: it offered all that was strictly necessary and no optional extras, while its 1.8 kW engine had a range of 60 kilometres.

In 1998, nobody could have imagined that a car would soon be born changing the automotive scenario forever. We are clearly talking about the Smart, the undisputed queen of the modern microcar. Initially developed with Swatch (the name stands for Swatch-Mercedes Art), it is considered the spiritual heir to the Isetta: the first model was an egg-shaped car that in just 2.5 metres long by 1.5 metres wide offered two seats and all the comforts of a “real” car. The disastrous moose test of its bigger sister, the A-Class initially limited its popularity, but European cities fell in love with it, making it a true urban status symbol.

Mobility changes in the 2000s. The adjective intelligent is added, fuel consumption bites the wallet and the last mile is a mantra. So, microcars became electric, with experiments dedicated to the city, such as the Renault Twizy of 2012. Halfway between a car and a scooter, it is so basic that it has no windows, offers two seats in a row in just 2.3 metres long and 1.2 metres wide, and comes in two versions, the 45, a light quadricycle with 5 hp power limited to 45 km/h, and the 80, a heavy quadricycle with 17 hp and 80 km/h.

The Citroën Ami, an electric microcar that would look good in a manga, will soon be on the road. To save costs, the French have fitted it with a double-sided body with doors that open one backwards and the other in the traditional way. So only one mould is needed for the whole bodywork. Despite being 240 cm long, it comfortably accommodates two people (the secret is in the staggered seats) while the electronic instrumentation is left to the driver’s smartphone. Classified as a light quadricycle, it has windows that open like the famous Citroën 2CV, while the purchase formula is similar to that of smartphones: an initial down payment and then a monthly fee for 12 to 24 months. Its range is 75 kilometres.

“This is not a car!”. This is the slogan of Microlino, the true heir to the Isetta. A concept created by Micro Mobility Systems, well known for its scooters, it has softer, more futuristic lines than its Italian grandmother, but the characteristic front door immediately declares the origin of its DNA. 2.4 metres long and 1.5 metres wide, it offers two seats, the 11-kWh electric motor can be coupled to a battery with a range of 125 or 200 kilometres, and its production is scheduled to start in September 2021.