Satomobile

The Satomobile is an automobile developed and manufactured by Future Industries.The Legend of Korra's 2012 San Diego Comic-Con panel. As Republic City's leading auto-manufacturer, Future Industries features state-of-the-art technology and assembly lines capable of producing over one hundred luxury Satomobiles every day. The automobiles are capable of transporting a driver and several passengers in a carriage over long distances in a manner affordable to the average customer.
== Conception and commisioning ==
While working as a poor shoe shiner, Hiroshi Sato had the idea to create an automobile company that would mass-produce vehicles and provide transportation for the common man. A wealthy businessman believed in the promises of his enterprise and invested in his idea, thus forming Future Industries. Hiroshi Sato became the first person to popularize a gasoline-powered engine, replacing the steam engines that were unsuitable for small-scale use. His factory produced these cars in great quantity and, in a short time, he had earned his first million yuans in the business.
== Types ==
* Car — Small form of automobile widely used in Republic City.
* Jeep — A doorless utility vehicle for offroad use, typically painted in olive drab color.
* Moped — A type of motorcycle that has a sleek and feminine design. The driver's feet are placed at the front.
* Police car — Utilized by the Metalbending Police Force. It bears a strong resemblance to regular cars, but has a police insignia, police radio, sirens, as well as a caged back used for transporting criminals. The driver and passenger seats are open to the air and do not have doors. On the back wall of the seating area, there is a barred window that provides a view of the vehicle's interior. Directly above the seats are two sirens that flash red and blue during police operations.
* Police carrier — A more bulky police car model made for use in special operations. It is larger in size than its counterpart, black in coloration, and has a round, tiered roof. The caged rear is long and does not have any windows at its entryway. Like police cars, carriers have sirens, but do not have an open-air seating area.
* Race car — Type of car built for thrill-seekers. They come in yellow and red and exhibit a sleek design, along with a high-powered engine that allows for faster speeds but can nonetheless help maneuver it smoothly around a race track. Race cars have two black wheels located at the front and back of the vehicle
* Roadster — Type of open-air luxury car. They are pink in coloration, with black borders and white patterns or designs. Roadsters have a white, collapsible roof that is attached to the rear of the vehicle. A spare wheel can be found on the automobile's exterior side, near the left-hand side door.
* Sports car — Type of luxury car owned primarily by upper-class citizens. It is a black open-air automobile with white trimmings, borders, and designs. The car is sleeker and longer in structure than most other Satomobiles, giving it a unique aristocratic design. Furthermore, sports cars have a bumper, four circular headlights of varying sizes, and four red passenger seats equipped with a radio, including those utilized by the police. White pipes can be found on the exterior bottom of the left-hand doors.
* Taxi cab — Provides transportation to citizens who cannot afford cars and offers romantic rides in Avatar Korra Park. With an elevated rectangular design and small wheels, taxi cabs better resemble buses, though the passenger compartments are open to the air and the driver's seat is at the vehicle's upper rear. They are generally green and brown in coloration with yellow or red trimmings for the roof.
* Triad car — Type of car that is not designed for racing, but can reach a high speed. An expensive and luxurious display of colorful and intricate artistic designs, triad cars are utilized by gang members to exemplify their wealth and territorial dominance. The Triple Threat Triad exclusively uses red cars; these cars have a sleek design and a bright, golden lion turtle insignia at the front grill. The gold-painted engine is located behind this plate, and two headlights are off to the sides. Overall, the vehicle's design is sleek and streamlined, although the seating area, which is at the center, is rather limited in capacity.
== Trivia ==
* Team Avatar made use of Asami's Satomobile as a mode of transportation, which she had built and modified herself.DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Varney, Janet & Gabriel, Seychelle (July 9, 2013). "When Extremes Meet" commentary. Book One: Air Blu-ray.
** The inspiration for Asami's Satomobile came from the roadsters built by the Allard Motor Company in the 1950s.DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Dos Santos, Joaquim & Blum, Steve (July 9, 2013). "Turning the Tides" commentary. Book One: Air Blu-ray.
* The Satomobiles quickly became the must-have vehicle and were in high demand. As a result, Cabbage Corp created the Cabbage Car, a lower-cost compact car, to counter the Satomobiles' success.
* A Satomobile could be seen in the cargo hold of the steamship that Korra and Naga stowed away on while traveling to Republic City.
* The designs of the different Satomobiles bear resemblance to various early- to mid-20th Century automobiles, and in some cases take direct inspiration:
** The standard design bears a strong resemblance to the Ford Model T, one of the first mass-produced automobiles.
** The roadsters look similar to the Duesenberg J Murphy convertible, a sports car from the 1930s.
** The race cars were based on pre-World War II Grand Prix race cars from the 1920s and 30s.DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Varney, Janet & Faustino, David (July 9, 2013). "The Aftermath" commentary. Book One: Air Blu-ray.
** The jeep bears a resemblance to the World War II-era Willys MB.
== References ==
== See also ==
* Hiroshi Sato
* Motor vehicles
de:Satomobil
es:Satomovil
fi:Satomobiili
fr:Satomobile
ru:Сатомобили
Category:A to Z
Category:Earth Empire
Category:Earth Kingdom
Category:Legend of Korra
Category:Objects
Category:Republic City
Category:United Republic
Category:Vehicles
Category:Water Tribes