Smart, a division of Daimler AG, is a German manufacturer of small city cars founded in 1994. They launched the eponymous Smart Car in 1998 and have enjoyed worldwide success ever since.
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Smart Car Reviews
Smart Overview
Brief History
Nicolas Hayek, CEO of Swiss watch maker Swatch, wanted to create an affordable vehicle for young people that could transport two people and a case of beer. He went to Volkswagen to assist him with production of this car. This teaming failed to produce results so Hayek turned to Daimler-Benz. They designed a two-seater model, named the Fortwo, and a four-seater model, named Forfour. After building a factory in Lorraine France, the first car was launched successfully in nine European countries in 1998. Hayek however had envisioned the smart car to have a hybrid drivetrain engine rather than the relatively conventional gasoline engine that was used.
Eventually Daimler-Benz bought out the shares owned by SMH (Swatch) and went on to experience quite the substantial loss of 4 billion euros from 2003 to 2006 despite previous attempts of expansion. Smart is now a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz Cars of Daimler AG and only produces the Smart Fortwo
Model Range
Some popular smart models include the Smart ForTwo, and the Smart Roadster.
Smart Fortwo
The Smart Fortwo is a city coupe; it was the original Smart Car that was produced in 1988. The Smart Fortwo is a microcar that was designed for easy driving and easy parking. The car comes with a choice of turbocharged three-cylinder engines.
Smart Roadster
The Smart Roadster is a two-door sports car which was put into production in 2003. The Smart Roadster is slightly more powerful than the Smart Fortwo with a 6 speed semi-automatic transmission. The Smart Roadster’s wheelbase is slightly longer than that of the Smart Fortwo. Production was eventually stopped in 2006.
