I'd like to see either an Isetta or a 700 but... Could it (would it) ever happen in the US again? I mean, it makes sense for us in cities but then some fool will take it on the PA Turnpike and wind up under a truck?
Most people wouldn't bother buying one. It's way too small. You can tell because in this country, small cars are still a rarity, despite them being available for a long time. The car culture here is entirely different than Europe. There, a 2-liter is a large engine and is more than adequate. Here; "2-liters? WTF is that? Where is my microscope??"
Small cars here and there I think small cars-think commuter cars-could sell well in the U.S. because so many people can afford (or could once afford) two cars. The electric Mini makes perfect sense for LA, but you wouldn't want to drive it to Oktoberfest. The two-liter thing also has to do with the heavy taxes levied on larger engines by the Continentals-a policy that would never have flown in the U.S. As for the relative safety of tiny cars versus tanks, I do spend a certain amount of time in a 35-year-old fiberglass car weight less than 2,000 pounds, so I am no stranger to defensive driving-"defensive" in this case translating as truly paranoid.
That's part of the challenge...can we forgo some of the expectations (35 mph crash test) in return for milage? Will folks be smart enough NOT to take their 2011 Isetta/700/Fiat 500/whatever out on the Interstate, or will they (or their survivors) sue BMW/Fiat/whoever for not making a car that survives the cement truck that ran over them because they had no business being there?
