Greg is fascinated by transportation in Italy.
The shapes, sizes, styling and motors are very different from vehicles in the U.S.
In Italy, size matters. Unlike the U.S., smaller is better. Otherwise, how would you navigate the very narrow streets of the old sections of town?
Smaller is also better to allow for small motors that consume less very expensive fuel. In Florence, gasoline costs about $6.12/gallon.
One category of small, low-powered vehicles are three-wheeled work trucks, like the two pictured below.
The vehicles are perhaps equivalent to pickups and vans in the U.S., which would have a difficult time getting around narrow streets and tight corners, not to mention never finding a large enough parking spot.
What is especially interesting is the single front wheel. Apparently, this design is known as a delta configuration versus the tadpole.
With the delta configuration, going around a corner too fast could be dangerous due to tipping over (see below). Since these economical vehicle are low-powered, speeding around corners is less of a worry.
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| This 3-wheeler transformed into a turtle. The driver had a bad day and asks . . . . |
More to come.
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