Michelotti LEM

No ill intent for the designers of today, but you’ve got to admit this era of early ’70s Italian motoring had a flair bright enough to cover up bulging bumpers and four irregularly-placed wheels. 

More on that in a minute.

Before going electric was a political statement or a part of motoring’s historic, world-changing shift to Asia, imagine how weird it would be if a journalist collaborated with an Italian styling house, Michelotti, in order to produce a rolling electric laboratory. Gianni Rogliatti was that journalist.

LEM looked like a three-wheeler, however, the drive unit was sandwiched between either rear wheel, making it a central rear wheel drive car, with single-wheel steering at the front. 

Some say it’s impossible, I say it’s a LEM — and its clever ‘diamond’ chassis layout that gave maneuverability, low power consumption, and stability. 

Its load-bearing structure, from riveted duralumin sheet metal (which is how racing cars were constructed at the time) meant the LEM weighed only 350 kg, without batteries. 

Automakers, are you listening or laughing?

Laugh all you want, but its components were largely relegated to the floor and its wide, airy cabin trimmed in sumptuous velour proved that small cars needn’t be sad, characterless cubes.

Also: those doors.

On a Lamborghini or whatever, who cares? On a city car — gimmie.