1977 ACOMA COMTESSE 770 E2

After the success of Acoma’s first microcar, the Mini Comtesse 730, they started to expand the lineup in 1977 with the Comtesse 770. As with all of Acoma's vehicles, the 770 was in the ‘sans permis’ (‘without permit’) class of vehicle, meaning that there was no license or registration needed to drive the cars around. The drivetrain is mounted on the front upright, and it features nearly 90 degrees of steering angle in both directions, allowing it to turn around within its own length. The steering ratio is ~1:1, so this sub-6-foot turning circle is accomplished with a mere 1/4 turn of the steering wheel.

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Oddly, the Comtesse 770s are right hand drive, even though all of Acoma's other 2-passenger vehicles are left hand drive (and France is a left hand drive country). They also lack the front 'stabilizer' wheels that the earlier Mini Comtesse 730 was known for, even though the 770 was vastly more unstable, with its offset, much higher seating postion/center of gravity. 

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The 770 is a bit of a scarcity, because in 1978, they released a slightly more ‘conventional’ 4-wheeled model (the Super Comtesse 780), with a rear mounted drivetrain and hydraulic brakes. As you might expect, the 4-wheeler quickly began to outsell the 3-wheeler, being a more practical (and stable) option. About 1,000 of the 770s were sold during their few years on the market. 

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