Another Obscure Microcar Has Popped up For Sale and I can Hardly Contain Myself

If you've read any of my previous articles here on DT, you might know that I love the quirky, weird, and obscure automobiles of our world. Every once in a while, an online auction site like CarsAndBids or BringATrailer lists something that just makes you go, "a whaaaat?" This is certainly one of those vehicles. Let me introduce the ACOMA Mini Comtesse.

All images courtesy of BringATrailer - Used with permission

All images courtesy of BringATrailer - Used with permission

This weird little thing is a French microcar made from 1972-1984, and about 4,000 cars were made. The Mini Comtesse was the tiniest automobile of the ACOMA lineup, and it was manufactured to take advantage of the L class of vehicles in France, a type of vehicle that requires no license to drive.

All images courtesy of BringATrailer - Used with permission

All images courtesy of BringATrailer - Used with permission

The Mini Comtesse is powered by a 49cc two stroke engine sending power to the singular front 8" wheel. This configuration was so unstable (even at the factory rated three horsepower) for the first few years that the company needed to add training wheels.

All images courtesy of BringATrailer - Used with permission

All images courtesy of BringATrailer - Used with permission

The doors on the Mini Comtesse would attract Doug DeMuro's attention for the quirky factor. The left door is a gullwing door, but the right door opens normally. Why you may ask? Who knows, but it's certainly fun!

Moving inside, it's pretty barren. There's a singular green seat, a steering wheel, a speedometer that goes up to an optimistic 60 km/h, as the top speed is stated to be around 32 km/h, or 20 mp/h for you imperial people. The fiberglass body is displayed well through the dashboard where the speedo is mounted.

All images courtesy of BringATrailer - Used with permission

All images courtesy of BringATrailer - Used with permission

If you'd like to take a gander at the auction listing or even try your luck with a bid for this little car, the auction link will be in the comments.