Triumph-Adler, originally of Germany, was first bought out by the US Royal Typewriter Co. in 1969 and then, more implausibly, by German car-giant Volkswagen, which acquired a majority stake in 1979.

Before it was sold again, to Italian typewriters-to-computers company Olivetti in 1986, the company launched several computers including this one, the Alphatronic Micro P3 - part of its Alphatronic series.

By 1984, it had released a "home" or small-business version of the P3, called the Alphatronic PC. December 1984's A-Z of Personal Computers reckoned that it was "cleanly styled and would look equally good at home or in the office". Thanks to its support for CP/M and its large range of software, it should "appeal widely and satisfy the demands of the intended market"[source: A-Z of Personal Computers, December 1984, p. 72].

In Europe, the Alphatronic PC home computer was known as the Volksmicro - a kind-of "people's computer". PCN seemed unimpressed saying that the "unexceptional CP/M machine" had most of the attributes of the original Volkswagen in being "a little on the ugly side, utilitarian and selling relatively cheaply".

A spokesman for Triumph Adler UK suggested that the joint VW/TA marketing deal which gave rise to the name "does not currently extend to the UK", and that he saw "no likelihood that it will in future"[source: "The people's computer misses UK", PCN, May 19th 1984, p. 7].