"Some have attested that the car would sometimes - suddenly and without warning - lurch forward dramatically, especially when approaching a parking lot, leaving drivers no choice but to blow the whistle on its shortcomings."

Svenson told GraphicToons that its engineers have initially shortlisted the blame on either faulty qualification, bad structural support or mediocre front-end design.

"We believe there may have been lack of fresh ideas in the main engine department during the time of the car's design. We may have also rushed our quality control checks on components coming in from our Asian suppliers. We hope to rectify that through some input from our Scandinavian counterparts."

The Mini-O was launched as a limited edition in 1998 to wide acclaim. Fashioned after the classic Keegster '76 design, which was well-known for its firepower and superior low-gravity manoeuvrability, the Mini-O was an instant hit and was even a sell-out in foreign countries, especially in difficult to penetrate markets such as Germany and Argentina.