Tata Nano Orders Taken - Comparison to Stan Mott's Cyclops

As of Monday March 23rd, Pre-orders for the Tata Nano are being accepted, at a starting MSRP of 100,000 Rupees, or roughly $2,000. This makes this the least expensive new car offered in the world. The 5 seater is powered by a 624cc rear mounted gasoline engine, but the basic version doesn't offer safety or comfort items we seem to take for granted, like airbags, air conditioning, or electric windows. Demand for this car will be very strong, and Tata is not expected to keep up with demand for the first three to four years.

According to an article in the Financial Times, Tata Motors has started work on plans to launch the Nano in the US in a change of strategy made possible by the deep recession there. Ratan Tata, head of the Tata group, said that tough times in the world’s largest car market had convinced the group to start designing a version of the Nano for possible export to the US as early as 2011 or 2012.

However, every time I see a picture of this very basic form of transportation, I am reminded of a car, that came from the mind of a gifted illustrator, Stan Mott. His creation? The Cyclops.

The car graced the pages of Road & Track Magazine in the 1960's. According to this web site, The Cyclops was a tongue-in-cheek concoction built in Italy of old Cinzano signs and vaguely in the shape of a half-cylinder. Both sides were identical and a there was a huge Lucas P-100 headlamp centered in the front. There was no transmission, differential, clutch, or starter, or any other fancy doodads; the single cylinder was mounted vertically at the rear and the conn rod connected directly to a cranked real axle! You just stuck your foot through the floor and pushed back to start it going forwards. It sat on two fore-and-aft elliptical spring leaves.

To have a production car so similar in appearance to a car that was so fervent in the mind of a brilliant illustrator is actually a compliment. Take a look at the Cyclops Site, and it might make your day.

This is Stan Mott himself in an early version of the Cyclops.