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Little 'n' large

From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Thursday 14th Jun 2001.

At 6ft 8ins, Mike Harrison has trouble fitting in to most things.

So when it comes to choosing a car you'd expect Bradford's tallest man to be in the market for something a little on the large side.

But instead of a stretch limo, Mike - after a lengthy search - has opted for a pint-size people-mover that wouldn't look out of place in Noddy's Toytown.

In fact, his new Smart car is marketed as one of the smallest in Britain.

No, this is not a tall story. In fact, Mike insists he can hold his head high over this decision.

"It looks small but it's huge inside," said Mike, who is a member of the Tall Club of Great Britain.

The long and short of it, he claims, is that it gives him more headroom and legroom than many more conventional hatchbacks.

"I tried a VW Polo but it was too small for me," said the father-of-two, from Bierley, who is walking tall after swapping his "boring" Vauxhall Cavalier - and he has high hopes about its potential performance.

Never one to stretch a point, he says: "Hopefully it will do 60 to the gallon and it's going to be cheaper on the insurance. I thought it was a fun thing to do."

Mike, 39, works for Exel delivering Ford cars to customers and clocks up an average 300 miles a day.

"I deliver everything from Kas to vans, which are a bit of a nightmare for me," he said.

"You can't push the seat that far back, the seats don't go up or down so you are really jammed in behind the steering wheel. But I've always had to drive this way so I don't notice the difference."

He also clocked up an enormous 235,000 miles in his previous car, partly due to his faithful attendance at every Premiership game played by Bradford City FC in the last two seasons.

"Next season, the new car will have to get me to Portsmouth and back - we'll have to see how it gets on," he said.

"Normally, things like clothes and shoes cost more if you are tall. If I'd have had to buy an extra large car as well I wouldn't have been able to afford it. Luckily, this car fits the bill."

The only problem is the car has only two seats - so he can't give a lift to both of his teenage sons at once. Paul, who is 6ft 5ins, and Richard, 6ft 4ins, will have to take it in turns.

Debbie Hull, spokesman for Smart car manufacturers DaimlerChrysler, said the company was now in discussions to try to win parking concessions for owners of the micro car.

"The car is only two-and-a-half metres long, which means you can fit two cars in a normal parking space," she said.

"We are talking to car park owners and local authorities to see if we can get half-price parking for smart car owners.

"People have a pre-conceived idea that the car must be small inside, but when they sit in it they are amazed by the room - it's like the Tardis!"

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