After a long development lead-time, the Zoombike went on public display for the first time in 1998 at the International Automobile Fair (IAA) in Frankfurt, and 60 units were rolled out from 2000 onwards. At the flick of a wrist, it can be folded to form a lengthwise package and at the press of a button broken down into two parts for ease of transportation, be it on public transport or in private vehicles. All the mechanical parts, including the drive chain and the three-speed derailleur, are located in the central tube, as is the front light and battery. To realize his design, Richard Sapper (1932–2015) relied on aerospace technology: The frame was made of extruded, high-tensile aluminum profiles with very thin walls; into the ends of these profiles, diecast aluminum connections are glued that ensure an extremely rigid structure with minimal tolerances. The very small wheel diameters are possible thanks to a special wheel suspension method adopted from automobile making.