ACOMA

ACOMA Mini Comtesse Type 73 / Type 730E

Published on 29.12.2016

After the first prototype, in 1973 ACOMA presented its most known model Mini Comtesse Type 73, which later become Type 730E. It remained in official cataloges till 1979.

This was a truly tiny car. Its overall dimensions – 1680x890x1230 mm. Weight – only 135 kg. The Mini Comtesse Type 73 also got outrigger wheels to prevent tip-overs. Apparently these little vehicles could be driven without a license in France in the 1970’s, which caused a boom in this type of car. By some accounts, Acoma ended up with 30% of the market and supposedly sold 3500 vehicles in 1979. In fact, in 1979 ACOMA was the largest manufacturer of microcars in France.

There was a choise of the engine. ACOMA Mini Comtesse could be fitted with Saxonette 47 cc (type 50 AMALX) or Motobécane 50 cc (type 93D) engine located above the front wheel. They were combined with a 4-speed automatic gearbox with two pedals (gas and brake).

The Mini-Comtesse also had a unique door arrangement. Being a 1-seater, it would be plausible to think the car only had one door, but the Mini-Comtesse has a conventional door on one side, with a folding “gullwing” door on the other side. The reason for this was because the car was so short, the driver was allowed to park perpendicular between two parallel parked cars. When this was done, there was very little room to get out; hence, the gullwing door.