World's cheapest new car - US$930!

[mikebeaches]

They are Kubota 2 cylinder diesel engines 8bhp there are a few knocking about in Benidorm, they sound very rough.

Exactly as I suspected - a diesel engine with only 2 cylinders sounds a recipe for a cacophony of sound.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I saw a French 2 seater toad car a few years ago, looked quite sporty like a kit car. I looked it up at the time and it had a 500cc bike engine and peugeot 206 gear box. Sounded lovely and would have about 50bhp. I've tried to look them up since and can't find them for the life of me, they have a few models and sell them ready built. Forgotten the name

 

[Richard n Ann]

Found it

Bienvenue chez SECMA AUTOMOBILE, véhicules de sport et loisir

SECMA AUTOMOBILE c'est l'alliance entre la passion de l'automobile et la manufacture artisanale, tout ça au coeur des Hauts de France

www.secmavehicule.com

 

[Richard n Ann]

Googled semca and it suggested Secma

 

[Ranger]

I have driven an Axiam diesel although an older version. I don't think you would ever run out of fuel as you would have dumped it before then. Cement mixer comes to mind.

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[Minxy]

...and to be fair they do cost more than $1k

Citroen have announced the Ami €6000 but you will be able to lease it for €20/mth
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/28/cars/citroen-ami-cheap-electric-car/index.html
Could be a perfect alternative to a couple of e-bikes in good old wet weather Blighty*.


*not for you of course Lenny

want one!

 

[Minxy]

Googled semca and it suggested Secma

I think John Wickersham (of MMM and The Motorhome Manual fame) had one of these

<Broken link removed>

 

[Snowbird]

Thousands of em in Benidorm, but as its sunny they have the cabriolet version. Its a mobility scooter with a roof for heavens sake, thats not a car.

 

[Dandavid]

As a petrolhead ......... I love it , I would definitely buy one if it could pass UK regs

Hi there, do you have any idea whether it's legal to be used on on UK roads.
I really want to buy it but I don't know if it's legal to be used in the UK or in Ireland.

 

[Dandavid]

Thousands of em in Benidorm, but as its sunny they have the cabriolet version. Its a mobility scooter with a roof for heavens sake, thats not a car.

Yeah so?,
It's still very cheap even as a mobility scooter, and very spicy....

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[gus-lopez]

Slightly surprised it has a diesel engine,

They all have diesel engines. You certainly would't want to buy one as they are priced to sell to people who have no driving licence so are a captive market . 10,000€ + some of the newer ones are. the price of second hand parts from breakers is eye watering. That 'diesel engine will cost you 3-5k second hand . I can by new ones cheaper.

Never worked out how they are legal in France, probably because the type approval was done 50 years ago.

To my knowledge there is no type approval? there cannot possibly be . If you have , unfortunately, ever seen a burnt out one the chassis is made from 10 & 15mm tube. I've built gates with greater impact protection.
Anyone with any type of mental capacity would never even entertain getting in one.

here they are known as 'micro cars sin carnet'.
They never used to need any type of licence here but they changed that a few years back to require new " drivers" to be able to pass a test for a moped?
they also used to be able to be driven from age 9. that changed to 14 with the moped rule.
most are bought here by people who have never learnt to drive, would never pass a medical to drive, are older people who can't see anything . I have a neighbour over the back who used to have one. He couldn't see you standing 3' in front of the car. Frightening. It just amazes me that companies actually insure them & for cheap amounts.

The only difference between here & France is that if you are done here for drink driving in your car you cannot drive one of these either.Whereas in France if you are done for drink driving in your car you go out & BUY one of these as they don't count. Beware then when you see one.

 

[joe and sue]

The Chinese have been rather successful meeting the huge demand of those who are forever on the lookout for cheap products.
(Including Funsters )

Brings to my mind the following quotation by John Ruskin:

"it is unwise to pay too much,but worse to pay too little.
When you pay too much you lose a little money, that's all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing what it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot, it cannot be done.
If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that, then you will have enough to pay for something a little better"

Which is possibly why i have little money, and lots of stuff which is out of date but still works as it should.

Have a good day everyone,
Joe