It was manufactured by Mitsuoka Motors of Japan, introduced there in 1982 and made its American debut the following year in 1983, where Zoe had distribution and branding rights to the vehicle.
The Zipper had angular styling inspired by Giorgetto Giugiaro's "folded paper" automotive designs seen on other early-1980s cars such as the DeLorean and the Lotus Esprit.
In terms of performance, the Zipper had 5 hp (4 kW) of power and reached speeds of 45 mph (72 km/h), with considerable fuel economy of 112 miles per gallon.
Perhaps the single best remembered part of the Zipper outside auto-enthusiast circles was its appearance as a prize on the TV game show The Price Is Right.
Also problematic was the one-seat design common to microcars, which severely limited its usefulness as a general-purpose vehicle: even most motorcycles are able to accept a second person as a passenger.
Public relations were handled by the Joseph Molina company, which specialises in the automotive and motorsports with clients such as Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini.