The problem of the short wheelbase is that the bike is then usually also short overall with a short saddle to handlebar distance and short reach (excepted if a special stem is mounted like on the Mezzo) and as consequence the position on the bike isn't good for US or EU male riders with average or above average size.
There are many bikes with such a short wheelbase sold in Asia aimed at the Asiatic market where riders are in average less tall than in US and EU. This is for instance the case of the beautiful Tyrell bikes made in Japan and aimed at the Japanese market and unfortunately unusable for many US and EU riders (maximum allowed weight is also often a problem because average riders weight is also lower in Asia, for the Tyrell it is max 85kg).