How significant is innovative manufacturing in the car market? By laying down many thin layers of a material in succession, the making of a solid object from a three-dimensional digital model file became capable of industrial application in the early 1980s. And by 2019, two-seater 3-D printed electric cars would be available for sale in the mainland China market.
The marketing challenge upon the 3-D printed car proprietor, is whether its target customers would take the novel manufacturing process as a key consideration. I believe they are primarily concerned about its price, its look, and its functionality. Intrinsic value aside, I also believe the world's first 3-D printed street car model has some extrinsic value.
Back in 2003, I bought, out of impulse, an inexpensive SMART Pulse (2-seater). I was attracted to its numeric blue look and did not care about its functionality or how it was manufactured. While the car can still turn heads of passers-by, I feel that other road users treat it as a toy and I do not seem to get the same respect as I should on Hong Kong roads.
I am still in possession of an Eunos 30X (manufactured in 1994) - a 4-seater compact coupe, with the world's first 1.8 Litre V-6 engine. I think both its look and functionality can still stand the test of time. Having had the experience of driving a cute SMART and a performance Eunos 30X, I am sure that I would not substitute them for a 3-D printed electric one!