Today's Obsession: Tiny Little Insane Vehicles

This afternoon, I'm IMing with my pal Andrew, and scooters come up, and he mentions the Bajaj brand. If I remember right, he has one. (I'm not sure, because the next hours are very blurry with excitement and glee.)

I find the company online and then: I see this beauty.




Staid, purposeful, tiny. The Bajaj Delivery Van. Basically a scooter with a box on it. Coupla big El Reys on the side and it's golden--can't you just see it? Not to mention how difficult it would be to just get the van; I'd need the yellow pickup truck and the red autorickshaw too. I swoon, but do I stop looking around online? I do not.

I come to the following vehicle, which is godly and wonderful. What tears at me, what renders me crestfallen, is that this autorickshaw, which is either called the Ricky or the Road Master, is not available in the states. "ARGH," I wept. It looks like it should have some combination of Bollywood soundtrack and salsa music coming from it all the time. That is the paint job from the factory.


BEEP BEEP ZOOM BEEP SWERVE TINNY HORNSECTION BEEP

Apparently, around the world there have been many, many tiny three-wheeled vehicles. 3wheelers.com has information about, probably, all of them.

My favorite after the ones above? The Piaggio Ape, which sounds like "ah-pay" and means bee. To other people. To me, it is a beautiful little metal primate. There are some pictures of them here.



And a list of top 10 three-wheeled microcars including the Bond Bug:



I want them all.