by Elmo Adams

Created on: November 06, 2008   Last Updated: November 16, 2008

Entrepreneur, home schooling mom, or part of a working couple, most American women will need to drive a car during the foreseeable part of the twenty-first century. Certain urban dwellers will be able to avoid this, but unless unexpected improvements are made in mass transit, most of us will need a car.

Assembly lines for formerly profitable pickup trucks and SUVs are shutting down, and a temporary down slope in the price of oil will not reopen them. Workers hope these plants will start making small cars, making them here in the United States. They will be produced in other places around the world. A large part of the future of the car industry will be about small automobiles.

To an extent the future is here. You have probably seen in person or an image of the Mercedes made SmartCar. This transport for two verges on the adorable. It can be carried inside specially equipped motor-homes. The unloading process reminds one of a whale giving birth to a calf. Depending how it is turned out, the price ranges from about 12 - 17,000 dollars. The mileage figures delivered vary from 33 - 41 miles per gallon which does not seem wonderful for such a small car.

Small cars are not just the wave of the future. They are also nostalgia. During the fifties, when gas was cheap, economical small cars began coming to our shores. A teacher at our elementary school had an early VW Beetle. Its turn signals were little lighted mechanical arms that swung up and down from either side of the car. A friend of mine drove a Renault Dauphine that must have been the poster car for tinny construction. The floor mounted shifter felt like it was planted in Karo Syrup.

After World War II Europe was full of these micro-cars. Most of them never made it to the United States. Interesting text and images about this period of automotive history can be seen at this website

Small size and good gas mileage will not be enough to engage American consumers. There are scores of cars in Europe now that provide forty miles per gallon. Leading world auto makers know that they will have to address a multitude of wants for their small cars to succeed.

Americans do not want vanilla sub compacts. Cars like Ford's soon to appear Fiesta will provide style with economy, and the interior finish will be above the basic level. It is also a given that the Fiesta will be able to interface with the owner's communication, music, and navigation devices. And while rationing gas, the Fiesta will be asked to provide a sporty feel for the driver. The Fiesta will be required to do all this while holding its price within the high end of the SmartCar. All other manufactures will be called upon to do the same.

Until at least our next presidential election, we should expect these smaller cars to use oil based gasoline we are used to. After that, technological advances could usher in affordable vehicles using electricity and natural gas. These can be produced now, but like the TV that hangs on your wall, there is considerable lag time between invention and mass production.

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