Aixam of France:
A Great Automobile Brand
France is known to have supported the efforts of its car manufacturing industry. That is why there are several global car brands that are somehow linked or are traceable in the country. One of these car brands is the Aixam- Mega.
Aixam is an automaker that is based in Aix-les-Bains. Relatively new to the car making industry, Aixam was established in 1983. Originally, the brand was known as the manufacture halfcars.
The small size of the original Aixam car made the brand distinct and it has its own originality or standard brand recognition. However, experts are mixed in perceptions whether the brand recognition has been a boon or a bane for Aixam.
After a series of failures and lack of patronage support in the home market, the company decided, in 1992, to instead manufacture standard sized cars that would be rolled out under the brand name Mega. However, the Aixam brand and symbol of quality is still very much present to the quality and features of the current autos released by the firm.
For example, the Aixam a.7XX series are cars that are relatively of smaller size and structures compared to conventional standard cars out in the market. As such, these car models are referred to as halfcars, because the area and space they consume are only half compared to the standard area consumed by usual car models in the market.
What is so distinct about Aixam cars is that its smallness in structure often makes the cars restricted in speed. Most Aixam cars today are restricted in acceleration to only 30 miles per hour. Because of that, Aixam car models are considered as only quadricycles or quad motor bikes, in many countries and cities in the European region, where the brand is distributed.
In some other European countries, driving Aixam cars would even not require possession of a driving license. That is because some governments do not recognize Aixam cars as cars but as motorbike variations instead. In such countries, full unlimited capacity license usually secured for motorcycles are needed to be able to legally drive Aixam cars.
Such small body features of the Aixam car can be an advantage or a disadvantage among car owners. For one, space is saved and of course, not much gasoline or energy is consumed when the cars are being run. On the downside, not a lot of baggage can be carried in the cars. The speed of the car is very limited, so the Aixams are not intended to be used for long-haul driving journeys.
Aixam cars are principally available and distributed in the following European nations: the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, Finland, Belgium and Austria. It is still not clear whether the brand will be introduced in Asia and in the Americas, but one thing is sure, Aixam would have a hard job surviving the very intense competition existing in the current North American car market.
Original Authors: Manny
Edit Update Authors: RPN
Updated On: 21/05/2007
