"I'm going for a drive" is an expression associated with tranquility, enjoyment, pleasure, and relaxation. The "Tango" vehicle, designed by Pablo D'Angelo—a faculty member specializing in Transportation Design and instructor of the "Expressive Representation" course in the Industrial Design degree program—embodies these qualities.
"Tango" was selected as the best project in its category by Uruguay and as one of the top entries to participate in the "2nd Ibero-American Design Biennial," organized by the Madrid Designers Association, which will open on November 22 at the Central de Diseño del Matadero in Madrid, Spain. "It means showcasing the country with a non-traditional object" at a fair attended by delegations from 22 countries, said the 41-year-old professor.
The tricycle features rounded lines and has a top speed of 70 kilometers per hour. "People see it as a car because it has two front wheels, but you have to think of it as a more 'enclosed' and safer motorcycle (with a body)," said D'Angelo.
The decision to make it a three-wheeler was based on U.S. market regulations, as this meant it would be classified as a motorcycle in most states. In the United States, "it is difficult to classify a vehicle as a car due to the types of tests required and the development costs involved in passing them, so we chose to create a product that falls under the motorcycle category."
The businessmen—including Mauricio Páramos, the only one living in Uruguay among those who promoted the construction of the "Tango"—envisioned it as a rental vehicle for the Miami area, since it can be driven by all kinds of tourists, from the most experienced drivers to those with little experience behind the wheel.
The vehicle runs on gasoline, weighs between 260 and 280 kilograms, and is available in two versions: 50 cc and 200 cc. The roof was designed for hot climates, so it serves more as a sunshade than as protection from the rain.
The tricycle’s development began with a sketchbook of designs in its most conceptual stage; then work began on designing the chassis using blueprints and experimentation with the team, while at the same time, together with Industrial Designer Andrés Roppa—also a professor at ORT—a preliminary virtual model of the body was created. Subsequently—in collaboration with model makers—a first prototype was built, a process that took five months; it was then redesigned, and two body shells were produced, a process that took 6 to 8 months, to be presented at a trade show in Indianapolis (United States).
RTM manufactured approximately 120 tricycles, eight of which were sold in Uruguay; 20 in Mexico; and the rest in the United States at a price of approximately $4,800.
D'Angelo is an automotive designer. He studied industrial design in Uruguay and transportation design in Spain. In Argentina, he taught courses as part of the Vehicle Design program. He won second place in the “A Todo Motor Contest: Redesign of the Mitsubishi L200 Double Cab Pickup” organized by the Argentine magazine and television program “A Todo Motor.” The professor expressed his gratitude for the support received from ORT University and businessman Mauricio Páramos.