While car dealers and consumers in the US are busy pondering the utility, marketing and profitability of the Smart Car, MICRO CAR is turning heads in Italy and elsewhere in Europe and just giving the Smart Car a run for its money.
Also known as Minicar and Citycar, the Micro Car was a big hit in Italy around 5 years ago when it debuted: the Micro car didn’t go faster than about 30 miles per hour – which is really all that is needed for the interior. City driving, the Micro car got great gas mileage, they were pretty cheap at the time – about 6 grand and went for a big clincher: you didn’t need a car to allow the Micro to work. It makes sense that anyone 14 years of age and older can jump right in and do a great deal on Micro car off dealers.
The micro cakes come hot. But on closer inspection it was easy to see that the Micro was really nothing more than a motor scooter with a car body attached to it. But who cares – Micro was quick to threaten the scooter and moped industry. Funny thing, you can hurt or kill a person when you drive thirty miles an hour, just as you can at high speeds. And certainly enough, the space of fatal accidents in big cities, like Rome and Milan, seemed to be the end of the Micro Car.
So here we are in 2008, and a new marketing campaign has put the spotlight on Micro. Micro is becoming popular again, but the “a-car-at–14” pitch is no longer a big selling point. Now it’s all about gas mileage. Micro – which is officially called the venturette – is making a comeback in the big cities of Italy and is already exceeding expectations elsewhere in Europe (it is a big seller in France and England).
Micro is currently produced by Aixam motors. Other teams jumping on the bandwagon include Bellier, Chatenet and Ligier.
Some quick facts: according to www.microcar.it, the Micro car has a 500cc engine, weighs no more than 350 kg, has automatic transmission, driver’s side air conditioning and runs on diesel. It comes in a variety of models. Until the price was taken. The median sticker price these days is between 9,000 – 14,000 Euros ($13,000 – $20,000 dollars), which makes buying a Micro Car a serious investment that only seats 2 people and maybe a hamster if you’re lucky.
He added that if demand continues to rise, prices will go down. According to www.kwmotori.kataweb.it, currently only 700 scrap vehicles are sold annually, but some dealers have found a trade in micro-rentals rather than sales. In Rome for example — you can split a Micro for about 40 euros.
On the downside: the applicable driving-laws changed at the end of last year in Italy. Now, a person of any age must complete at least the basic driver’s training and get a Type-A permit, which is basically a strict permit that a 14-year-old can get after completing driver’s education. Furthermore, the Micro cannot be purchased by anyone whose license has been revoked.
The pain is even up to the rapists. A late January article in the Italian daily La Repubblica (www.repubblica.it) echoed many of my observations: of course the price and potential safety issues.
I did the micro and the car is comfortable. And for asking money, I can buy a 5-seater for half price or better yet — I can walk.
Will micro be part of your future? Probably no one is active unless you live or travel to Europe! But you know what? It wasn’t that long ago when car> dealers were saying the same thing about the Smart car!
