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Minima- 1973

Victor Bouffort was a brilliant French engineer whose designs included the Lohr Fardier, a small utility four-wheel drive vehicle used by the French military, and the Valmobile folding scooter. By the late 1960s, Bouffort had become increasingly aware of traffic congestion in cities such as Paris, and decided to do something about it. Bouffort and

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SAM- 1985

Marian Kotlicki, an airplane mechanic and an aviation enthusiast who lived in Poland, owned five cars in his lifetime. He built each one himself. His creations ranged from a three-wheeler that used an airplane canopy and a single cylinder Ilo engine from a German Tempo-Wagen, to a proper four-wheeled car based on the frame of

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FSM Cinquecento- 1993

Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych, or FSM (translated as Small Displacement Car Factory), was established in Poland in 1971 as a joint venture between Fiat and Polish automobile parts manufacturer FSO. The new factory opened in Tychy, Poland, to build the 126p, the then-new Polish version of Fiat’s venerable 126. In 1987, FSM introduced the BIS variant

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Autozam AZ-1- 1993

During Japan’s “Bubble Economy” (1986-1991), the nation’s car manufacturers enjoyed a bit of freedom in their car designs. Cars designed for smaller and smaller niche markets were financially feasible during this period. Nowhere was this more evident than in the kei class, or “light car”, segment.Suzuki Motor Corporation began designing a mid-engine sports coupe in

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Volkswagen New Beetle- 2003

By 1993, Volkswagen’s North American sales had dropped to a mere 50,000 total units. Two VW designers, J Mays and Freeman Thomas, believed the key to future success was to resurrect the Beetle. At the 1994 Detroit Auto Show, the Concept 1 was unveiled to great public fanfare, with consumers already putting in orders for

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