ZÜRICH: Switzerland's Microlino has started selling an open-top version of its cute microcar which is crying out to be taken to the beach.
The quirky little resort toy is already available as a soft-top convertible in Europe but, unlike the Spider, the new Spiagginna model keeps its body sides and has a removable roof.
The names for the model comes from spiaggia, the Italian word for beach. Inside, there is moisture-resistant vegan leather and the 17 horses of power from a 10.5 kWh battery. The European version has a sticker price of €24,990 (RM116,000).
The electric motor in the Spiagginna enables up to 177km on a single charge and a top speed of up to 90kph.
Microlino founder and Swiss entrepreneur Wim Ouboter said people do not buy the bubble car as a daily driver and he calls it "a fun vehicle for short distances."
The two-seater Spiagginna also has a fake-wood floor, a digital instrument cluster, and a three-spoke steering wheel. The tiny boot will take up 230 litres of luggage.
Microlino first showed the Spiagginna concept at the 2022 Paris Motor Show and pulled the wraps off the production model at the 2024 event. Assembly and delivery begins this year.
The Spiagginna is inspired by 1960s Italian and French beach cars, such as the Fiat 600 Jolly and Citroën Méhari.
Italian coachbuilders were sometimes commissioned to transform mass-produced cars for well-heeled customers, who used them as seaside transport.
Classic versions of the Fiat 500 beach buggy are now highly desirable.
