ABSTRACT

The combination of the global economic crisis and the issues associated with reducing our carbon consumption has made the Microcab project both timely and relevant. As the Microcab project has developed, numerous partnerships with academic institutions, companies and other organizations have been formed to create a network of support structures to test particular concepts. Throughout its development the project has been led by John Jostins, who divides his time between running the Microcab company and as a professor at Coventry University. In 2003, working in the new Bugatti building facilities at Coventry University, a styling exercise, led by Geoff Matthews, looked at a possible new four-wheeled Microcab design. Since the initial idea for Microcab the context for its development has been one in which it has moved closer to mainstream concerns. Microcab's development programme involves three of them in collaboration, along similar lines to the Birmingham project.