Casalini Sulky

With its unusual all-steel body work and tubular steel frame, the Casalini Sulky 3-wheeler microcar made its debut in 1975. In 1980 it gained a fourth wheel and was rebadged as a Bretta or David.

The company, founded in 1939 by C. M. Casalini, still operates in Piacenza, a city of approximately 100,000, in northern Italy. The current Sulky has a two cylinder Mitsubishi engine. Find out more here.

Spotted in Lagos, Portugal this Sulky is missing its front bumper and faux grille.
No known relationship to the Casal company.

Micro-car comparo

Tiny motors in the Great White North
By Mark Atkinson

There are some things that you should never do in the middle of winter, especially in Canada. Sun-tanning, water skiing, and expecting a race track outside of Hamilton, Ont. to be clear and usable to drive non-snow-tire-equipped city cars around in anger are three that come to mind easily.
But that was one of the driving forces behind assembling four of the smallest, weirdest vehicles to hit Canadian roads in a bizarre sort of group test designed to discover which one of these microscopic mobiles was best suited to our wild climate.
Of the four contenders, two are immediately recognizable: the fashionable Mini Cooper and miniature Smart fortwo. The others look like they've come straight out of the future ... and the '60s: the egg-like Mitsubishi iCar and the retro-styled Nissan Pao.

See how they stacked up - read full article here.

iPhone fizzles at Toronto Autoshow

To Toronto Autoshow where a girl on the smart stand has been hired to take competition entries on an iPhone. After two failed attempts she gives up. We can enter the competition via the web at home, but the system fails to take our entry. We'd like to win the smart car, a prize celebrating the tenth anniversary of the car, but our chances are slim it seems.
The show is generally very quiet on the Thursday, particularly in the Skydome, and experienced stand staff point to reduced attendance and less "buzz" compared to previous years. Every manufacturer is trying to adopt a green pose but with little real justification. For example the Saturn Astra needs a diesel option, like its European counterpart. Hybrids and EVs were everywhere, but you have to wonder about the potential market for these cars. The third-generation Toyota Prius was on show with a Pontiac Aztec like rear-end. I've yet to be convinced that the Prius has ever turned a profit. An example of the electric car trend is the Mitsubishi MiEV shown below.

Words and pics by RLT.

Tiny Mitsu makes a big impression

Mitsubishi's i feels much larger than it is and gets lots of pep from its 659-cc engine
DAVID BOOTH, CanWest News Service

There was none of the expected drama. I had no trouble holding 140 kilometres per hour. Nor was there any trouble keeping up with normal traffic in town.
Oh, sure, passing long semis took planning, but with just a little less performance than Toyota's Yaris, the tiny four-door had enough pep to at least keep from getting run over. Normally, Mitsubishi Canada might be upset at such faint praise. But, considering I'm talking about the company's tiny i, powered by a 660-cubic-centimetre (actually 659 cc - when it's this small, every cc matters) engine, being able to keep up with traffic is more than to be expected. In fact, the Mitsubishi kei (Japan's ultra-compact segment of cars designed for Tokyo's choking traffic) is governed for that top speed of 140 km/h. Given its head, the high-revving (and turbocharged) little three-banger would accelerate all the way to, okay, maybe 10 km/h more. Still, that's miles ahead of the Smart car the i so resembles.
Read full article here.

Mitsubishi i: A K-car for the UK that is A-OK

June 13, 2007
Mitsubishi's latest arrival on the British market, the i, is small but beautifully formed, and, with a top speed of 80mph, is the perfect town car, says Sean O'Grady
Specifications
Price: £9,084
Engine: 660cc, three-cylinder, turbo-charger/intercooler with variable valve timing develops 57bhp at 6,000rpm.
Transmission: four-speed automatic
Performance: 84mph; 0 to 62mph in 14.9 seconds; approx 54mpg
C02: 114g/km

The i seems friendly from the outside, and it feels cosy on the inside. The car, its maker tells us, "is the first Japanese car to use Oeko-Tex standard 100 certified hypoallergenic seat fabric", whatever that is, and I'm sure it complements perfectly the car's deodorant roof- lining (no joke). Not that you'll be perspiring much, thanks to the efficient air-conditioning system.
Mechanically, it is also just as clever and advanced. There's an aluminium space-frame structure (just like a Rolls- Royce), de Dion rear suspension (just like in the best Alpha Romeos) and electric steering (like a BMW).

Read full article here.

Mitsubishi Motors back in black for first time since 2002

26th April 2007
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) today announced its results for the year ending March 31, 2007, together with forecasts for the year ending March 31, 2008. Consolidated sales for fiscal 2006 totalled 2 trillion, 202.9 billion yen: an increase of 82.8 billion yen over the previous fiscal year. Favourable yen exchange rates and a more profitable model mix more than offset decreases in retail sales volume and in the OEM supply volume resulting from the ending of the production of the smart forfour model at the MMC/DaimlerChrysler Nedcar plant in the Netherlands.
Read full report here.

Smart Forfour

By JASON DAWE
The original two-seater Smart car was a motoring milestone. Its tiny dimensions and radical styling made it one of the most recognisable cars on the road. But as DaimlerChrysler, the owner of the brand, soon found out, innovation in itself does not make you money. With the financial losses mounting at Smart, the manufacturer hoped the introduction of a larger, more practical four-seater model would put the accounts back into the black.
Introduced to the UK in September 2004, the Smart Forfour was 50% longer than its little brother, giving it not only rear seats but also a reasonable boot. That extra length also transformed the car’s road manners: gone was the choppy ride caused by the ultra-short wheelbase, replaced by the sense that you are driving a proper grown-up car.
While there are some visual similarities with the Fortwo, the Forfour shares more than half of its components with the Mitsubishi Colt. It also comes with a much more traditional lineup of engines. Out went the 600cc turbocharged unit found in the Fourtwo and in came a range of three petrol and two diesel engines.

Read full story here.

SMART forfour production ends - Mitsubishi and DaimlerChrysler part ways

The end of June saw the end of production for the SMART forfour that was produced through a joint collaboration between Mitsubishi and DaimlerChrysler. The forfour was produced at Mitsusbishi's facility in the Netherlands where the Colt will continue to be made. An engine plant in Germany that was jointly operated by both companies will be handed over to DaimlerChrysler. While SMART has information on the fortwo, forfour and Roadster on its website, the brand will be down to just one car, the fortwo, with the exit of the forfour. The Roadster Finale currently being sold is a special edition model to mark the end of that car's production run.

Penske Lays Out Plans for Smart Car

Washington DC July 3, 2006; The AIADA newsletter reported that Roger Penske thinks his UnitedAuto Group can profitably distribute DaimlerChrysler's Smart Car by "signing 30 to 50 franchised dealerships in urban markets, setting modes sales goals and relying on unconventional marketing techniques," reports Automotive News. Penske made his remarks last week after DaimlerChrysler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche announced plans to introduce Smart to the United States. Penske and Dave Schembri, who will be president of Smart USA, did not announce sales targets, but they have modest expectations, according to the paper. On a per-store basis, Smart dealers might expect to match the unit sales volume of Mini dealers -- about 40 cars per month. If so, Penske could expect to sell 15,000 to 20,000 per year. The automaker's total investment in the U.S. Smart network will be substantially less than $100 million, estimates Arndt Ellinghorst, an analyst for Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein in Frankfurt.

View source.
[Photo: Dave Schembri - Mercedes Benz USA vice president in charge of Smart, who resigned as executive vice president of North American sales for Mitsubishi in February 2006.]

UPDATE 2-Daimler denies will pay MMC $305 mln for Smart pullout

Reuters Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:04am ET
TOKYO, June 21 (Reuters) - DaimlerChrysler AG denied on Wednesday a newspaper report that it will pay Mitsubishi Motors Corp. about 35 billion yen ($305 million) in part compensation for dropping production of the Smart four-seat minicar at the Japanese carmaker's Dutch plant. DaimlerChrysler's head of corporate development and northeast Asia, Ruediger Grube, told reporters at an industry conference in Vienna that the report in the Nihon Keizai business daily was "nonsense". A DaimlerChrysler spokesman in Germany said: "The talks are still ongoing." He noted the company had said in March that reorganising the Smart minicar business would cost around 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion). DaimlerChrysler announced in March that it would halt production of the four-seat Smart car model, which Mitsubishi Motors makes under contract at the Dutch plant, NedCar.

Read more here.

DaimlerChrysler eyes takeover of Smart engine plant

STUTTGART, Germany (MarketWatch) -- German-U.S. carmaker DaimlerChrysler AG (DCX) intends to fully take over the plant that produces the engines for the Smart "forfour" model and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s (7211.TO) Colt model, according to an application filed for the deal.
The Federal Cartel Office published the application.
The eastern Germany-based plant, which is operated by MDC Power GmbH, is a 50-50 joint venture between DaimlerChrysler and Mitsubishi.
DaimlerChrysler has said it will stop producing the Smart forfour model and is in talks with Mitsubishi over compensation payments for canceling the partnership contract, which would otherwise have expired in 2010.
DaimlerChrysler wasn't immediately available to comment.

View source.

Most NedCar workers join strike

21 April 2006
AMSTERDAM — Only 370 of the 1,000 people scheduled to work turned up for their shift at the only major car assembly plant in the Netherlands on Friday morning.
There was some jeering but no physical confrontations as the minority crossed the picket line at the NedCar factory in Born. The assembly lines were kept running but production levels were far lower than normal.
NedCar, the only large-scale automobile producer in the Netherlands, started in August 1991 as a joint venture between Mitsubishi, Volvo and the Dutch State. It is currently 100 percent owned by Mitsubishi.
The assembly plant's future has been called into question by DaimlerChrysler's decision to halt production of the Smart ForFour there. This leaves NedCar with production of Mitsubishi's Colt, but there are no guarantees it will get the order to build the Colt's successor.
Talks between Mitsubishi and NedCar's management have failed to generate commitments about the future, though the Japanese firm said it would allow NedCar to seek a replacement for the ForFour.
The strike is intended to pressure Mitsubishi into guaranteeing the plant's future and to backtrack on its decision to cut one shift of 1,000 people due to the cancellation of the ForFour order.

Read more here.

Mitsubishi's Dutch car-making unit confirms plans to downsize

Bruce Mutsvairo
Associated Press

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Mitsubishi Motor Corp.'s Dutch car-making unit NedCar is expected to slash "a few hundred jobs" in a reorganization aimed at cutting production costs, a spokeswoman said.
A company statement said Mitsubishi ordered its Dutch operation to downsize to one shift as it closes the assembly line for the four-seat forFour model of DaimlerChrysler AG's Smart car, keeping production only of the Mutsubishi's Colt.
Earlier Monday, workers downed tools to express concern over the plans to discontinue production of the Smart model, and threatened more labor sanctions to come.
"What action would you expect from the employees? We will continue to press ahead with strikes," workers representative Jean Wouters told Dutch Television.
Company spokeswoman Liz Tans said it was uncertain how many workers would be affected by the restructuring, but local media put the figure at about 1,000.
Tans said negotiations would continue, but "it's clear a few hundred people will lose their jobs."
"Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has requested NedCar to draft a restructuring plan for a one-shift operation, based on a current production volume of Mitsubishi Colt, in the context of intended smart forFour exit," said a NedCar statement.

Read full story here.

Mitsubishi to seek compensation from DCX for SMART ForFour cancellation

Source: www.autoblog.com
Posted Mar 30th 2006 5:34PM by Joel Arellano

Following DaimlerChrysler's announcement that it will be stopping production of the SMART ForFour sedan, partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has stated it will end production at the company's Netherlands plant as well. The Japanese automaker still plans to manufacturer engines for DCX's SMART two-seaters.Both companies have not yet determined when will be the last day of production. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun states, though, that Mitsubishi will be seeking financial compensation for DCX's abrupt termination of their partnership in the ForFour.[Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun via AFX News Limited via Forbes]

Mitsubishi Motors to stop making DaimlerChrysler's Smart minivehicles - report

TOKYO (AFX) - Mitsubishi Motors Corp has decided to end production of DaimlerChrysler AG's Smart minivehicles in Europe, following the German partner's move to restructure that business, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported without citing sources. The cancellation may also prompt Mitsubishi Motors to overhaul its European operations, the business daily said. The Japanese carmaker still plans to supply DaimlerChrysler with engines for the next-generation Smart two-seater. Mitsubishi Motors now makes about 40,000 four-seater Smarts a year at wholly owned subsidiary Netherlands Car BV under an original equipment manufacturer contract that is effective through 2010. The newspaper said Mitsubishi Motors will seek financial compensation from the German firm, and both companies still need to determine when to halt production.

View source.

DaimlerChrysler to Focus on Two Door Smart Car Model

March 25, 2006 8:45 p.m. EST
Lynda Fisher - All Headline News Staff Writer
Frankfurt, Germany (AHN) - DaimlerChrysler has announced it will scrap its four door Smart car and shift its focus to the two-door model in an overhaul that will cost the company $1.20 billion and 300 jobs.
The move was announced Saturday, however, terms of the deal were still subject to negotiations with Mitsubishi Motors Corp, which makes the ForFour car at a plant in the Netherlands, according to the Associated Press.
The deal also needed approval from the supervisory board at Daimler.
"DaimlerChrysler AG is planning to focus on the Smart Fortwo to ensure the long-term sustainability of its Smart brand. Thus, the profitability of Smart will be confirmed, with positive results expected from 2007 onward," a statement read.
A new version of the two-seat model will premier next year.

View source.

Peugeot launches 207

The new Peugeot 207 was launched Thursday, as the French automaker's new entrant in the ultra-competitive B-segment of the new car marketplace.
Peugeot suffered declining sales in 2005, down 1.6 percent worldwide and 5.4 percent in its core market of western Europe.
The 207 will compete in a rapidly growing and very crowded market, against the Renault Clio III (European Car of the Year), Fiat Punto, Volkswagen Polo, Ford Fiesta, Opel Corsa, Toyota Yaris, Audi A2, Mazda2, Mitsubishi Colt, Nissan Micra, Rover 25, Seat Ibiza, Skoda Fabia, and Smart ForFour, as well as the C2 and Pluriel models of sister company Citroen. The 207 is built on the same platform as the Citroen C2, C3 and Pluriel.
In his keynote address at last week's Los Angeles auto show, Ford Americas head honcho Mark Fields identified the B-segment as the Next Big Thing in the U.S. car market. If he's right, he will have a host of experienced (and hungry) potential competitors to contend with.

Mitsubishi to make Fortwo engines

The Smart Fortwo's three-cylinder engines will in future be made by Mitsubishi in Japan, despite the recent decision by Smart's parent company Mercedes-Benz to sell its Mitsu shareholding. The engine will be shared with the Mitsubishi iCar, shown recently in Tokyo and destined for the UK. The Mitsubishi's engine and the current Smart unit are related; they have identical bore centres.

Source: Autocar, 8 November 2005

Mitsubishi gets smart

Mitsubishi iCar Hatchback 0.6 5dr
Test Date 10/11/2005 09:00:00
Price when new TBA

MEET WHAT COULD become one of Britain’s funkiest city cars.

The all-new Mitsubishi iCar is just going on sale in Japan. And depending on British reaction, there’s a fair chance that it could be coming over here as well, slotting beneath the Colt in the model line-up.
It’s certainly different. With a rear-mounted three-cylinder turbocharged engine stowed under the boot floor and a standard-fit, four-speed auto ’box driving the rear wheels, it’s closest in concept to the Smart ForTwo – although with room for four.
The exterior dimensions are impressively compact – it’s a full eight inches shorter than a Ford Ka. But the engine’s location makes for decent cabin space – with plenty of leg and headroom in the front, and acceptable levels aft, too.

Mike Duff

Read full article here.

Britain likely to get Mitsubishi iCar first

Britain looks like being the first market in Europe to get Mitsubishi's iCar. Company bosses are keen to launch the car in Europe, and are encouraging UK boss Jim Tyrrell to take 1000 units next year.
Tyrrell is enthusiastic, but wants to take soundings among dealers before he commits. But he believes it could sell at around £ 8995 with a high spec likely to include air-con, cntral locking and maybe even four-wheel drive as an alternative to the standard rear-drive.
The engine, a three-cylinder, inter-cooled and turbocharaged 600cc unit with 63bhp, is so compact that it fits under the rear seat. At the Tokyo motor show the car was viewed as 'The Smart ForFour that should have been', and the front end features some Smart-like styling. The cabin and boot are big enough for families.
There is no word yet on a name for the car in production, but insiders say it'll probably havae a tag more substantial than 'i'.

Source: Autocar, 8 November, 2005