Citroën AMI Wins GQ Award

Cars are funny things. First of all, for many people, they are the second most expensive things they will ever buy (only behind a home). For many others, they are the most expensive (many people never buy a home). Secondly, they are often seen as extensions of our identities. Thirdly, due to the previous point, people choose different brands and different styles when what is underneath is essentially the same. Lastly, despite that third point, just a handful of generic vehicle styles, colors, and features dominate the mass market.

With all of that in mind, the Citroën AMI is really something else. This tiny microcar looks nothing like anything I see on the streets in my state. In fact, it’s hard to even tell which is the front and which is the back of the AMI. It is a special little vehicle.

https://youtu.be/74VfCw1FE2s

Of course, the tiny nature of the car quickly sets it apart, but that’s not where the zaniness stops. It has interesting color options, eye-catching rims that are playful and bold, a lot of glass for such a small transporter, creative plugin ports, and more. The AMI has unique style if nothing else, yet it’s hard to say “who” that style fits. Hipsters? Yuppies? Bean counters? Rebels? Entrepreneurs? Visionaries/futurists? Take your own best guess — we don’t have market research on this matter. What does seem clear is that the vehicle has a certain “cool factor.”

With its tiny size, just enough batteries for something like 43 miles of range on a full charge, and not too much snazzle or frazzle, a price tag of €6000 ($7250) is a reasonable fit for the AMI and probably its top selling point. Cheap is good. As PC Mag points out, after $2900 down, you could also rent one for $22/month.

With its cute design and such an affordable price tag, the AMI could be a big hit. Actually, it’s already a hit, with GQ. Yes, the men’s fashion magazine. “Citroën’s highly innovative AMI has successfully scooped the ‘Microcar of the Year’ title in the GQ Car Awards 2021,” Citroën notes.

“Having already been recognised with Top Gear magazine’s ‘Disruptor Award’ in the BBC Top Gear magazine Electric Awards 2020, the bold and creative AMI has been turning heads of late among industry experts and the public alike. … AMI is a modern solution designed to help bring mobility to all.”

The AMI is certainly its own thing. Jason Barlow, GQ Contributing Editor, has more to say on that:

“The world’s most genuinely avant-garde carmaker is enjoying a creative renaissance, and the AMI reconnects the brand with affordable, but hugely charismatic forebears, like the 2CV. Usually a car company charges a fortune for its halo product, but you could argue it’s the other way round here.”

Despite the low cost, the AMI comes with a panoramic roof as standard. (It also has manual windows.)

You can’t order one yet, but you can express interest in this hot new commodity. If you’re interested in this work of art (and you live in the right country), you can register your interest in it here.

Related stories about the AMI:

• Citroën Launches Low-Cost Ami With Healthy Dose Of Art
• KIA Says Micro-EV Could Replace Public Transportation