Microcar is a French

microcar Microcar is a term often used for the smallest size of cars, with three or four wheels and often an engine smaller than . Specific types of microcars include bubble cars, cycle cars, invacar, quadricycles and voiturettes. Microcars are often ...

manufacturer. The company was founded in 1984 as a division of Bénéteau group, a major

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

manufacturer. Production moved to a new custom-built factory in September 2000. In September 2008, Microcar was acquired by Ligier Automobiles in a deal backed by the Italian private equity firm 21 Investimenti Partners. The merger created Europe's second-biggest manufacturer of microcars, and largest maker of

quadricycle Quadricycle refers to vehicles with four wheels. In 1896 Henry Ford named his first vehicle design the "Quadricycle". it ran on four bicycle wheels, with an engine driving the back wheels.Brinkley, David, ''Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His ...

s, or "sans permis" (license-exempt) vehicles. The Microcar and Ligier brands are to retain their separate identities and production facilities. Phillipe Ligier, son of company founder

Guy Ligier Guy Camille Ligier (12 July 1930 – 23 August 2015) was a French racing driver and team owner. He maintained many varied and successful careers over the course of his life, including rugby player, butcher, racing driver and Formula One team owner ...

, is

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of the expanded Ligier Automobiles.

Current models

The current model range consists of the M.GO-3, introduced (in 2015?) to replace M.Go model introduced in 2009. There are six trim levels, all with petrol engines, in the UK. The M.Go was available in conventional, diesel-engined S, S PACK, MICA, SXI, and Sport trim levels, as well as full electric. Prior to the M.Go, Microcar was known for their long-running MC Series models, sold as the MC1 and MC2. Both where available as a 2-seat, or 4-seat long wheel base version. The long wheel base being 40mm longer than the short Virgo models. The company also sold a small commercial vehicle called the Sherpa, which was a badge-engineered Ligier X-Pro. The Sherpa was discontinued after the Ligier merger, and the MC has been dropped in favor of the new M.Go. The M.Go was produced with a petrol engine for the UK market.

Former models

* Microcar Family Luxe * Microcar Lyra * Microcar ALCO * Microcar NewStreet, NewStreet Cabriolet * Microcar Pratic Luxe * Microcar Virgo * Microcar Virgo 2 * Microcar Virgo 3 * Microcar Virgo Luxe

Electric vehicles

From 1994 Alco electric was built. From 2006 to 2010, the long-wheelbase version of Microcar's MC Series was used as the basis for the ZENN EV assembled in Canada by

ZENN Motor Company ZENN Motor Company was a Canadian-based company that previously developed small lead-acid electric vehicles that were suitable for the neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) market. The company name is an acronym for Zero Emissions No Noise. Zenn pr ...

with an electric drivetrain. It was marketed in the U.S. and Canada under the ZENN brand as a " Neighborhood Electric Vehicle"(NEV), with its top speed governed to . Microcar began distributing the ZENN in Europe during 2007 under its own brand, as the Microcar ZENN. ZENN Motor purchased engineless, rolling chassis from Microcar and installed their own electric motor and drivetrain. The ZENNs retailed for $16,900 while actual cost was $65,000. Microcar brought electric vehicle production fully in-house with the M.Go Electric in 2009, and ZENN ceased production of its MC-based vehicle in 2010.

Gallery

Current models

File:Microcar M.GO Dynamic (MSP15).JPG, Microcar M.Go 3 Dynamic File:Microcar M.Go Outdoor - Vienna Autoshow 2018 (cropped).jpg, Microcar M.Go Outdoor

Past models

File:Microcar Lyra RXE (Arezzo).jpg, Microcar Lyra RXE File:Microcar NewStreet Cabriolet at the Association Lorraine des Amateurs dAutomobiles, pic1.jpg, Microcar NewStreet Cabriolet File:Microcar Virgo vr.jpg, Microcar Virgo 1 Luxe File:Microcar Virgo hr.jpg, Microcar Virgo 1 Luxe File:Microcar Virgo Prestige SE Auto - Flickr - mick - Lumix.jpg, Microcar Virgo 2 File:Microcar Virgo 2 vr.jpg, Microcar Virgo 3 File:Microcar Virgo 2 hr.jpg, Microcar Virgo 3 File:2005 Microcar Virgo III Pratic (37130017875).jpg, Microcar Virgo 3 Pratic File:Microcar MC1 Dynamic HSE CVT - Flickr - mick - Lumix.jpg, Microcar MC1 Pre-facelift File:Microcar MC2 Dynamic HSEi CVT Auto (front) - Flickr - mick - Lumix.jpg, Microcar MC2 Post-facelift File:Microcar - Flickr - mick - Lumix.jpg, Microcar M.Go 1

References

External links

UK site (English)Microcar website (French)
{{Automotive industry in France Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1984 Car manufacturers of France Microcars French brands Electric vehicle manufacturers of France