Unique Car on I-540 (Raleigh, Welcome: how much, price, station) - Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary - North Carolina (NC) -The Triangle Area - City-Data Forum

Fr Anastasios · 04-01-2011, 08:18 PM

Hello all,

Has anyone else seen that unique, small, purple car on I-540? Maybe last week I think it was stopped on the side of the road (hope the car is ok).

I've seen it for about 2-3 years when I drive home, but not every day, heading from RTP back towards North Raleigh.

I am thinking it might be a Corbin Sparrow (check out pics in google's image search), but wondered if anyone could confirm.

I apologize in advance if this has been discussed before. I tried the search feature but did not turn up anything.

Regards,
Father Anastasios

JohnNC · 04-02-2011, 05:35 AM

I have seen it also and i am pretty sure it is a Corbin Sparrow. When I first saw it i was curious about how much it costs. Come to find out Corbin does not make them anymore and now they are made by Myers Motors. The Myer Motors ones are like $30,000...ouch!!

Welcome to Myers Motors : Transform Your Driving. Transform Your World

John

mcfamilyof4 · 04-02-2011, 07:03 AM

i checked out the website. cool car but is it street legal??? so small!!!!!! i'd be afraid on 540 in that thing.

lovebrentwood · 04-03-2011, 03:41 PM

Motorcycles are legal, so that car would be legal.

But I would guess with a family of 4, it wouldn't be too efficient. It would be so sad to see children hanging on for dear life on the roof.

If they could drop the price to under $10K, we'd all be driving them.

They'll have to come up with something for families.

I once spent time in Germany riding in the back of one of those mini-coopers. Riding with one's knees in one's mouth is a special skill.

I guess it's a skill the children of the very near future will have to develop.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcfamilyof4

i checked out the website. cool car but is it street legal??? so small!!!!!! i'd be afraid on 540 in that thing.

T|K · 04-04-2011, 07:19 AM

Before I moved jobs, I saw it all the time on TW Alexander in RTP, I believe he works somewhere in the Park.

zthatzmanz28 · 04-04-2011, 09:37 AM

Weren't the Sparrows like $7K when they first came out? They would be great for solo commuting but on an interstate>??
Couldn't be any worse than a Suzuki Samurai at 75 mph on the freeway...

Sayantsi · 04-04-2011, 10:03 AM

It is a Sparrow - goes somewhere back and forth on 540 and north. It looks like a rolling telephone booth to me; not sure I'd want to drive one.

boardjnky4 · 04-04-2011, 10:08 AM

I used to see him all the time pulling in and out of IBM on TW Alexander Dr. during "rush hour" times.

Fr Anastasios · 04-04-2011, 01:51 PM

Thanks for the comments, everyone!

Starglow · 04-04-2011, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boardjnky4

I used to see him all the time pulling in and out of IBM on TW Alexander Dr. during "rush hour" times.

You would be correct. The owner usually has the car on display at IBM's Earth Day Celebration every year. It is an electric car and he has a parking space with charging station to charge the batteries during the day.