Nano Car Forum
| Think the Tata Nano Car is one of a kind? Wrong! 5 other famous small cars: |
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The Nano from Tata Motors is one of the biggest car stories of recent years. Produced in India and primarily for the Indian market, it is small, cheap, and set to take India by storm. Having said that, the Tata Nano is certainly unique. Take a look at our 5 other famous small cars of the world, below. #1 The Volkswagen Beetle Coming in at #1, we have the very, very famous German Volkswagen Beetle. Produced in 1938, the Beetle emerged from WWII unscathed and took the world by storm. In its day, the Beetle was more comfortable and had better performance than its competition. In fact, the post-war Beetle was competitive even with cars produced in the 1960s, a testament to its underlying quality of engineering. Still popular today, the Beetle has even spawned a a modern version, although it doesn't have much in common with its post-war cousin. Adored by millions worldwide, the Tata Nano could only dream of doing this well. #2 The Morris Minor Launched in 1948, the Morris Minor was one off the best of the generation of cars that were produced post-WWII in Britain. As a car designed to bring motoring pleasure to the people at a price the working classes could afford, its similarities to the Nano from Tata Motors are obvious. #3 The Mini Ah, the Mini. Produced by the British Motor Corporation from 1959 to 2000, the original Mini must surely be one of the cutest cars ever conceived. We think it still has the Tata Nano beat in the looks department, but learned minds may differ. As a two-door though, it lacks the convenience of the Nano. #4 The Fiat 500s The Italian car company Fiat has made producing small cars their specialty, and their Fiat 500s have swept Europe since the 1950s. And how about this: Premier Automobiles Limited, based in Mumbai, has been making Fiats for the Indian market since 1951. If the Tata Nano is to succeed in India, it will have to represent a better proposition than the Fiat vehicles, and they certainly have the experience to compete. #5 Peel P50 Ok, this one makes the Nano look large! Built in 1963, the three-wheeled P50 is one of the smallest (if not THE smallest) cars ever conceived for real road use. At 53 inches long, finding a parking space for your Peel P50 should never be a problem, but the fact that it only has one seat probably limits it's practicality. A motorbike could transport more people, and it has one wheel less! Finally While the decades since WWII have seen a strong trend towards larger and more powerful cars as the world prospered, it is worth remembering that small, cheap, reliable cars have been making motoring accessible and affordable for the masses since the beginning of the automobile. In producing the Nano, Tata Motors are aiming to do just the same for the Indian market, where many people still use motorbikes and tricycles as their main method of transportation. Time will tell whether they succeed, but from a historical perspective, the odds look good! |
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