Cheap, cheap new vehicle that is in kit form. Volkswagen concept.
Either the WikiSpeed car or the Locost 7 can be built from the ground, up, with structurals assembled and drivetrains bought used and rebuilt by the home builder. That way would require following the plans on the opensourceecology.org site for the WikiSpeed car or a couple of books and information posted to sites and discussion boards on the Internet for the Locost 7 or variants/modifications.
Either can be bought in the form of a kit or fully assembled. Both are uncomfortable in that state and might even need safety additions (e.g. lights) added by the owner or a mechanic to be roadworthy (rough sports car designs like those in the old days, made for speed and/or fuel mileage, handling, etc.). One is crash tested for anyone considering a manufacturing start, and the other must be registered by and for the individual wanting to own it.
Kits run around $20,000 for those. Home-builds for good scroungers for the Locost 7 variants might run as low as a couple thousand dollars, and the Wikispeed, around $10,000.
Have you priced new Volkswagons lately? They’re mucho expensive. I remember when they were advertised at about $1,000 around about 1970 or just before, though. Those were the days.
In this shrinking world economy of recirculating debt/revenues and hostility against the thought of any new manufacturing competition, we’ll get resources while we can. Soon, they may not be available, unless distributed economy startups (like opensourceecology.org) get much more support and learn more quickly to work like skilled blue collar manufacturing employees than student intern sons and daughters of white collar professionals.
I’ll put it this way on what is required to build the lowest cost vehicle or anything else with one’s own hands. I learned on my own, outside of employment, to turn a wrench the right direction, get the right torque and avoid busting knuckles without getting crushed under a vehicle. That’s one tiny part of being competent in building and repairing vehicles. And I’m getting older fast.
Only a few young folks have learned enough from me in their spare time to take care of themselves in lean times. This was not done in any kind of formal school setting. Those younger people have also learned to do a few construction tasks, make their own clothing and a few other things. They’re outside of the contemporary regime except for working in services and other typical slavery for the government-linked establishment.
They, like many other Americans, are aware that the political class is sucking up money and resources as fast as it can in preparation for dumping civilization. Most of my evil generation and the one that followed it could not hold a candle to them. My generation will be infamous in history.