I also had a 73 Spitfire Mk4 which was the funniest car I have had. I still wish I would have kept it but I sold it and gave the money to my brother for college.
It is a blast to drive, especially considering how slow it is. Just a bare-bones driving experience. No power steering, no power brakes, no air conditioning, just an engine, some seats and a body around you. There is one other member on here that has one (goofyone I think) which I never expected.
Yup it's me. I have had my '79 Spitfire for about 20 years now and am always amazed just how often someone mentions a Spitfire whenever discussion of fun to drive cars arise. They are definitely not fast and suffer from the typical reliability issues common to British cars of the era however they sure are a blast to drive. My hope is that with its relatively small size and weight, center seating position, and simple nature that the Elio vehicle can capture at least some of the Spitfire's magic formula which makes them memorable to people to do this day.
Anyway back to Jeeps, the big comparison I see between EM and Jeeps is that it is virtually impossible to find two used Jeeps which are exactly alike. Jeep owners are famous for customizing their rides in many ways big and small both off the shelf from the factory and from the huge Jeep aftermarket. This is way I see EM playing out and to me it is going to be awesome to see all the ways Elio owners customize their rides.