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From the very beginning, the intention of the smart car was to be an electrically-powered urban mobility tool – an environmentally responsible, customizable, and affordable car for two. In 1981, Mercedes-Benz introduced their NAFA (“Nahverkehrsfahrzeug”, or Local Transport Vehicle) concept car. While tiny, it did not meet current safety standards, and the project was shelved, […]

Founded in 1937, Saab AB, “Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget” (Swedish for “Swedish Aeroplane Corporation”), made aircraft for Sweden’s air force during World War II, as the country defended its neutrality. As hostilities wound down, the company shifted its focus from fighter planes to designing an automobile. Founded in 1937, Saab AB, “Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget” (Swedish for

PTV was a line of cars produced by Automóviles Utilitarios S.A., a Spanish company based near Barcelona. While it was much closer to being a “real” car than the (French) Voisin-designed Biscuter, it always played second fiddle as far as sales were concerned. Chrome trim, optional real doors, larger wheels, and (typically) two-tone paint were

The LN360 is a commercial version of Honda’s first successful kei-class car, the N360. The “L” in the model name notes that it is a “light van”. It is similar in idea and design to the Morris Mini Van.Just as kei-class cars were needed by the general population in postwar Japan, business owners also needed

In 1931, the Polish government signed an agreement with Fiat for license production of the 621 truck and the 508 Balilla small car. The cars were sold through the Fiat dealer network under the name Polski-Fiat. The license agreement with Fiat was terminated in 1941, but was revived in 1968, along with the Polski-Fiat brand,

Designed in Finland and built in China, the Norster 600R seen here may look like, and even drive like, a normal passenger car but it is actually registered in Europe as a “heavy quad” (All Terrain Vehicle in the US). Quads and ATVs do not have to meet the same emission and safety requirements that regular cars

Honda’s idea for a practical kei-class car came to life with the N360 series. The “N” stood for “norimono”, which means “vehicle” in Japanese. Hitting the market in March 1967, the N360 was built for domestic sales in Japan, while the N600 was destined for the European and American markets. The N600 was the first

  Brothers Gilles and Olivier Prévôt began PGO (Prévôt Gilles et Olivier) Automobiles in 1985, but production started in earnest in 2000, building Porsche 356-inspired sports cars. Their first car, the Speedster II roadster, was introduced at the 2000 Paris Motor Show.   PGO launched the up-market Cevennes convertible in 2005. The Hemera coupe was

Austrian armaments manufacturer Steyr diversified into automobile production in 1915 and introduced the streamlined 120, the predecessor of this model, in 1935. The six-cylinder, 1385cc side-valve engine was replaced in 1937 with an overhead-valve 2260cc engine, and the 220 was born. The sleek, aerodynamic body was available in four body styles: five-passenger limousine, five-passenger cabriolet,