At the Frankfurt Auto Show, Mini, VW, and Smart Prove the Future Is Tiny

You might expect cars at the world's largest auto show, hosted in Frankfurt, Germany, to reflect European tastes for smaller, more economical cars. And, indeed, previewing what's coming to the show in September, confirms those proclivities: Car makers are taking the miniaturization idea global. And in some cases, giving it a retro twist that will please the older, more-moneyed city dwellers who are all too happy to open their wallets to buy a little bit of nostalgia. Volkswagen finally announced it's definitely making a much-teased electric microbus, a 21st century resurrection of the beloved van from the 1960s, for sale in 2022. Based on the same platform as the I.D. electric car, it should pack eight passengers and their luggage into a vehicle the size of a small SUV and bedecked in a 60s-look packaging.