Today, we are going to talk about the History of Smart Car Company which was started by Swatch (a Watch manufacturer company) in collaboration with Mercedes Benz. They aimed to produce small, efficient, and eco-friendly cars.
It was launched in 1998 and get quick famous because of its innovative and compact design.
Small but Mighty: A Journey Through the History of Smart Car Company
1990 – 2000 Production began in 1998
In 1994 Micro Compact Car AG was founded in Biel (Switzerland). Shortly after a ‘joint venture’ with Mercedes-Benz and SMH (today Swatch Group Ltd) is announced, the aim is to develop a vehicle that takes up little space and consumes in a measured way.
The creation begins in Renningen (Germany) of the Swatch Mercedes Art Car, abbreviated Smart. In 1995 the prototype was presented at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA).
A year later, this prototype received the European Design Award. The car forgoes the doors to show off a cabin with very ergonomic seats. His maxim is ‘reduce to the max. The body still lacks the Tridion safety cell, but the front already shows the almond headlights of the future Cabrio and Fortwosecond generation.
A second example called ‘Modular Concept Car’ is unveiled in Paris. The interior has minor changes,s and the exterior already has individual pieces -or ‘body panels- removable and interchangeable.
At the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show, the City Coupé was officially unveiled. In Hambach (France), former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and French President Jacques Chirac inaugurated Smartville on October 27. It is the most modern automotive production facility globally, with innovations that impact profitability and quality.
The firm is positioned as an individualistic brand for self-confident people. In 1998 the Smart City Coupé gave way to the Fortwo. It is easy to park in spaces of three meters and interiorly spacious. It has a Suprex turbo gasoline engine and six-speed automatic transmission. On October 3, it was marketed in five European countries through a network of 60 Smart Centers in the shape of a glass tower.
At the 1999 edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show, a prototype sports car called the Roadster is presented, also two-seater and with a Suprex 0.6 engine, with the Tridion cell insight and 17-inch wheels.
Painted in red, it shares 35% of the parts with the two and represents a modern reinterpretation of the British ‘roadster’ of the 50s. Its aim: to sublimate driving pleasure from the purest minimalism.
It is the basis for the 2003 and 2005 Roadster and Roadster-Coupe. At the 1999 edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show, a prototype sports car called the Roadster is presented, also two-seater and with a Suprex 0.6 engine, with the Tridion cell insight and 17-inch wheels. Painted in red, it shares 35% of the parts with the two and represents a modern reinterpretation of the British ‘roadster’ of the 50s.
Its aim: to sublimate driving pleasure from the purest minimalism. It is the basis for the 2003 and 2005 Roadster and Roadster-Coupe. At the 1999 edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show, a prototype sports car called the Roadster is presented, also two-seater and with a Suprex 0.6 engine, with the Tridion cell insight and 17-inch wheels. Painted in red, it shares 35% of the parts with the two and represents a modern reinterpretation of the British ‘roadster’ of the 50s. Its aim: to sublimate driving pleasure from the purest minimalism.
It is the basis for the 2003 and 2005 Roadster and Roadster-Coupe. Sublimate driving pleasure from the purest minimalism.
2001 – 2010 The first Crossblade, for Robbie Williams
In 2001, the Crossblade model reduced Fortwo to a minimum: no doors, no windshield, and roof. Two thousand are manufactured, the first destined for Robbie Williams, who registers it with the plate 0008; sponsors his 15-concert tour.
It can be driven without a helmet thanks to its solid roll-over arch; the floor has drainage channels to evacuate rainwater -all the elements of the cabin elements are waterproof, and folding bars replace the doors.
In September 2001, a Smart essay for four was presented. The safety cell evolves to the new Tridion 4, according to a design that takes the base of the Mitsubishi Space Car. It measures 3.7 meters long and mounts ‘body panels.
It is the previous step to the Smart Forfour, produced between 2004 and 2006. In 2005 it was time to unveil the Crosstown ‘ concept car, with ‘offroad’ characteristics. It has a folding windshield and hybrid mechanics. Its lines connect with those of the Jeep Willys.
In November 2006, the Fortwo – from now on coupé – was reborn, remaining the brand’s only model in its different body versions. It is more agile, safe and ecological, more extended and broader, and its front is more prominent. Its configuration is even more personalized.
It goes on sale in the spring of 2007, for the first time in the United States. In 2008 a version with Micro Hybrid Drive technology was added for automatic stop and save fuel and emissions. Trials begin in London, Berlin and New York of an all-electric Smart. Since its launch, the firm has registered more than one million units in 37 countries on five continents.
