Urba Car by Robert Q Riley - Home Made Smart Car?

 There was once was a company that sold plans for a variety of things; most of which was cars. The company was Robert Q Riley Enterprises. Their website is gone but their Facebook page is still there but inactive. The plans page of their site is still up but the links (when one wants to buy the plans don't work and I don't know how much longer the website will remain up) don't really work. 

The one set of plans that I think is very close to being Smart Car like is the Urba car. It seems about the same size and shape as the Smart car. 

One can see the general shape and size is very similar to the Smart Fortwo. The doors are definitely different than that of the Smart car.

While I do like the gull wing doors, I can see there could be a problem if the vehicle was upside down. 

This shows the inside of the vehicle. It seems to have a similar propulsion system to that of the King Midget cars. It is similar to the Smart Fortwo in that it is rear engine and rear wheel drive.

Here is another view of the Urba Car.

I have read of some trying to get the plans for this and other vehicles by R Q Riley released. The designer's descendants - the designer who had passed away not long ago - are trying to get them released. I hope they are successful. 

There seems to be an electric version of the Urba car but it seems to have a slightly different less Smart Fortwo style shape but still pretty good looking. 

Reva NXG? a cooler Smart car?

 

I have found a cool looking micro car called the Reva NXG. I think it is about the size of a Smart Fortwo. The layout seems similar to a Smart Fortwo; perhaps like the Smart ED since it is an electric car. 

I think it would be cooler and more practical if it was an ICE car instead of an BEV. I think it would sound cooler, have a longer range and would be easier and faster to refuel. This is just me thinking out loud. 

The Reva NXG (above) reminds me of the Obvio 012 (which I do not know if it ever got made) but Reva NXG seems shorter. 

the Obvio 012 (below). Both the Reva NXG and the Obvio 012E are electric vehicles (the first 012 was an ICE vehicle with a 3 cylinder engine - IIRC). 

Neither the Obvio 012 or the Reva NGX came to the USA. It would have been neat if both did. I am not sure either will ever will come here to the USA but it is nice to dream. 

Some websites on this car

Reva NXG at Auto Express. 

Reva NGX at Concept Cars.

Reva NGX at Serious Cars.

The above are the ones I found. I think there are more but I didn't want to list too many. One can do a search and probably find more about it. 

I wonder how many cool cars there are out there that never get made. They seem to start out really cool and seemingly have a bright future but nothing happens to them and they never get made. 

TomLeeM

2024 / 01 / 29 

TomLeeM at Cafe Press. 

currently my art on things but I want to expand to some designs too.