Quick! Name a Taiwanese car imported to the United States! Couldn’t guess one, could you? Well, you’re not alone, no doubt because the Cub Commuter was not successful in getting Taiwan access to the growing North American car market. Built by Convenient Machines (isn’t that the company that makes those stair lifts?), its 400cc engine propelled the 600-lb. egg to 50mph. Judging by the 3 wheels alone, it would seem it was built on the same platform as a tuk-tuk, one of those southeast Asian scooter-taxis. The seller’s father is said to have bought the car new – you can find this 1982 Cub Commuter for sale for $2500 in Valley Grande, AL.
The seller openly admits he has no idea of the value, and that the chain in the transfer case is broken. It has not been started in many years, and is not said to run. This (along with the Commutacar and Citicar) was an effort to address a need for a small, efficient second car that could carry two people to work and back – interestingly, the same use case the Pontiac Fiero and Toyota MR2 were designed to serve.
There’s no apparent reason, even for microcar nuts, to shell out a four-figure number for this car. But it definitely has novelty value for when you go to your local oddball car meet. Unfortunately, it is a little bland to stick out there, even if it is an interesting historical footnote. That said, buy this, and you could have a rolling Easter egg, just in time for Easter. Here’s a new one for reference:
Rusty But Trusty 
April 9, 2014 at 1:30 pm |
Clean it up and hang it off the rafters of the local “Have a Nice Day Café” if of course they hadn’t all closed, but alas, they have.