Cars don’t get much cuter than the Microlino. Designed by Switzerland’s Micro Mobility Systems AG, a maker of electric motorcycles and scooters, and built in Turin, Italy, Microlino is a slick little machine at once retro—with lines harking directly back to the “bubble car” movement of the 1950s—yet modern, with an electric propulsion system that puts this charmer in step with the latest automotive dance craze, battery power. All else aside, what’s most unusual is its size. In a world of clogged city streets increasingly overrun by S.U.V.’s, a car that’s roughly eight feet long makes for a refreshing tonic.
Why does Microlino trigger the warmies? A little history, please.
