Mira Form II

The American Can Company is a company that didn't mind taking chances by trying to revolutionize the can industry.  The first post I wrote about them was about their 1971 Button Down can.  This post is about the Mira Form II can from 1972.

Although the can was steel, the bottom was thinner and the sides were slimmer than other steel cans of that time.  It claimed to be lighter than equivalent steel and aluminum containers and had a higher vertical crush resistance.  It held the standard 12 oz.

The can was made of two parts.  The top had the standard pull-top opening and the rest of the can was seamless and pressed into its shape, similar to extruded steel cans.

Another feature was the flat "dimpled," round bottom.  It helped maintain the can's stability when filled and closed.

So if the can had all of the above advantages and had a smaller outside diameter so more cans could fit in the same space and there was less metal to recycle, then why didn't it catch on?

It doesn't matter how good a product is, it's a fail if the price isn't right.  And it's my guess that this can cost more to produce and the can industry decided the advantages didn't outweigh the cost difference.  But that didn't stop the American Can Company.  They kept researching and developing.

I acquired this can in a large collection I bought last year.