Little Elio Is A Big Hit At Auto Show

By George Polgar

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Despite the surge in large SUV and truck sales during the recent run of low fuel prices, the American public is always fascinated by the scrappy little car that comes along promising to be a game changer.

Recently a 3-wheeled, 3-cylinder, 84-mile per gallon, inline 2 two-seater named the Elio has become the sensation that even the jaded motor press could not ignore.

So, with all the world's automotive high-gloss hardware in full fashion mode at a recent auto show, the display of the oddball orange Elio, with a coming out price of just $6,800, attracted inordinate attention.

The Elio is being built in a former Hummer3 plant in Shreveport Louisiana, with production capability for 250,000 cars per year. To date, the company has taken over 41,000 orders.

Most importantly, for a car this small, the Elio, with a top speed of 100 miles per hour, gets high marks for safety design with an integrated roll cage, 3 airbags, anti-lock brakes and large crumple zones.

For city driving and parking convenience at last… the little Elio may well be the next big thing.