Designers flirt with the notion but modern safety and gizmo requirements would suggest that the real '50's minimalist approach is most unlikely to be a success without the intervention of a political or financial incentive. A possible marketable modern micro currently would need to make best use of the newest of technology, this tends to be beyond stylists and designers, and is the preserve of the engineer. Just as ever it was with the best of the Classic Microcars. They tending to be from the pinnacle of the breed then, aero-engineers, using first principle thinking, not copying what went before.
The contender exists, by Gordon Murray, not from the aero world, but from the new pinnacle of Motor Racing. Yet even this stunningly clever and ground breaking car cannot find a backer to mass market it.
I agree with you that without political or financial incentives things won't change much.
Will it happen in the future? I'm not so sure, but maybe new concepts for Personal Mobility might and for those intetrested in driving something more functional and different .
With reference to " A possible marketable modern micro currently would need to make best use of the newest of technology, this tends to be beyond stylists and designers, and is the preserve of the engineer"
I'm not sure what do you mean ? I think that modern microcars in 2015, would have more in common with the likes of French and Italian Quadricycles, but if they were going to be manufactured by OEM's, they might actually look like the Renault Twizy or the Toyota I-Road Concept:
http://www.toyota-global.com/showroom/toyota_design/concept_cars/gallery_i-road.htmlBeing a romantic and nostalgic enthusiast I would love to see a specialist car manufacture come up with something modern or retro in styling using modern technology ( twist and go scooters are very good donors and plentyful) and believe that it's still achievable by a decent designer/stylist but would always need a good engineer.
Gordon Murray is a great engineer and I'm a fan of his, but he has always used designer/stylists for his cars( see the Mclaren F1 and others but maybe not the T25.... ) and in todays world if you want to sell a product you will always need a good designer/stylist....
The Mev Eco-Exo is a minimalist scooter based three wheeler and is close in concept to what I think is achievable by a small specialist manufacture.
I also think that a Cabin Scooter, being that of an updated Messerchmitt or Isetta is potentially feasable by a small specialist manufacture and if you use Retro inspired design/styling concepts like the image posted at the beginning of the thread, it could tap into the nostalgia and vintage enthusiast.
Maybe not all are going to like this as it happens often with modern retro design cars/motorcycles, but if it finds enough takers, than the product finds its own niche.
I've owned an old Mini and was passengered in the New Mini(2005) and have to say that I liked them both, but for different reasons.
The original was a pioneering design, the later is not and is only a bigger an updated retro inspired design that caters to the trendy and modern youngsters who would have never bought an original mini anyway....I'm not in that target group and would never spend that kind of money on it, but don't mind it.