Tata Motors has produced the world's cheapest car and has made it's first public viewing in India.  The makers also ranked this event alongside that of the Wright brothers' first manned flight.  Whilst this may be somewhat of an exaggeration there is no doubting the importance of this innovation in terms of price and the environment.

Tata Motors £1,200 Nano has no radio and only one mirror on the drivers side with just one windscreen wiper.  At a squeeze it can also seat five people.  No fatsos please.

With a price tag no bigger than that of a motorbike, the Nano is expected to sell by the billion.

Ratan Tata, head of the Indian manufacturing conglomerate, dismissed suggestions that the car was environmentally unfriendly or that its safety performance had been sacrificed in a bid to cut costs.

Ratan Tata assured the news-media that this car will meet all the current safety requirements and will have a lower pollution level than even a two-wheeler being manufactured in India today.

The completion of the car marks Tata's fulfillment of a five-tear-old pledge to create a "people's car", priced at less than 100,000 rupees and industry analysts predict it will force other car-makers to lower their prices in a bid to stay competitive.  Consumer groups will have to be convinced about safety and environment issues.