Eli5: Why do cars have four wheels instead of three?
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Besides stability, I think economics is another reason. A 3-wheeled car is always a 1- or 2- seat budget option with limited storage space. They’re just nowhere near as useful as a “full” car. They were most popular in the post-war era when cars were becoming more important, cities were rebuilt with highways, but loads of people were very poor. Europe rebuilt wealth pretty rapidly and the market demand fell away.
Today, the niche they lived in is split by other, better options. 2-door hatchbacks are way more useful for a little more money, and motorcycles & scooters are nearly as useful for way less money. The only niche for a 3-wheeler is if you’re too poor for a hatchback but *need* shelter from the weather – so, the northern mining towns that loved the Reliant Robin.
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