Martin Motors Bubble
| Martin Motors | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Bubble / Noble | |
| Production period: | since 2006 |
| Class : | Microcar |
| Body versions : | Combi coupe |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 1.1 liters (31.6–50 kW) |
| Length: | 3010 mm |
| Width: | 1605 mm |
| Height: | 1600 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2025 mm |
| Empty weight : | 875 kg |
The Bubble car model , formerly known as Noble , is part of the small car segment and part of the product range of the Italian bus and car manufacturer Martin Motors . The models will be assembled in a Tunisian plant under license from the Chinese automobile brand Shuanghuan for the European market . In China, the two identical models have the same names.
In late 2005 Shuanghuan announced that it would export the first units of the Shuanghuan Noble to Europe. The model was quickly reported in the press as a plagiarism of the smart fortwo , to which the vehicle has stylistic similarities. In fact, it is a mixture between the smart city-coupé and the fortwo. Since ShunagHuan with the Model " Shuanghuan CEO " and the BMW X5 imitated, were opened Daimler Chrysler and BMW together on the basis of the present similarities to check legal action and to institute lawsuits in which the manufacturer is accused of plagiarism make their models. In December 2008, Daimler was able to obtain a court prohibition against Shuanghuan for the exhibition of the "Noble" model at the Bologna Motor Show at the Milan court . Martin Motors violated this and still exhibited the model. In a second court case against Shuanghuan in Greece in May 2009, the judge rejected the content of the offense of imitation. He justified this with the too great difference to the Smart models. Completely different target groups are addressed here. This court ruling prevented a ban on the introduction of the alleged smart clone in the euro zone. In Germany, Daimler was able to prohibit the presentation of the Noble at automobile shows, but no longer demanded a strict sales ban . Since then, the Martin Motors Bubble (formerly the Martin Motors Noble) has only been offered in Belgium, France, Italy (unofficially), the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Portugal.
The model name "Noble" has meanwhile been discontinued because the British sports car manufacturer Noble Automotive tried to make the company Martin Motors an indictment of using its name.
The bubble is powered by a 50 kW petrol engine , which is supplied directly by Shuanghuan and has a displacement of around 1.1 l. The Bubble is also available in 43, 45 and 56 hp versions.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Daimler Stops Italian Show Debut of Smart Clone PureGreenCars Internet portal, November 30, 2007 (in English)
- ↑ Alex Kambas: Greek court clears chinese Smart clone The-Truth-about-Cars-Internetportal, May 21, 2009 (in English)
- ↑ Michał Hadyś: Chinese Smart comes back to Europe ( Memento of the original from January 12, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Autochiny Internet Portal, December 9, 2010 (in English)
