Smart is an automotive marque established in 1994 and now operating as Smart Automobile, a joint venture of Mercedes-Benz AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The name comes from Swatch and Mercedes-Benz: Swatch Mercedes ART.
Smart at a glance
| Established | 1994 |
|---|---|
| Founders | SMH, makers of Swatch, and Daimler-Benz |
| Name | Swatch Mercedes ART |
| First model | October 1998, the City Coupé later called ForTwo |
| Main plant | Smartville, Hambach, France |
| Also built at | Renault’s Revoz plant in Slovenia |
| Wholly owned by Daimler-Benz | 1998 |
| Part of DaimlerChrysler | 2006 |
| Joint venture with Geely | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Ningbo, China |
| Current cars | small battery-electric vehicles built in China |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on Smart.
History of the Smart
The idea began with Nicolas Hayek, chief executive of SMH, the makers of Swatch, who in late 1982 started developing a small, stylish city car using the manufacturing and personalisation ideas that had popularised Swatch watches. His company Hayek Engineering began designing a two-seat car with a hybrid drivetrain, and the name Smart was coined by Manfred Gotta. Hayek feared that established makers would feel threatened, so he looked for a partner rather than competing directly, and on 3 July 1991 reached an agreement with Volkswagen to share development.
By 1993 Ferdinand Piéch had become chief executive of Volkswagen and immediately sought to end the project, preferring his own three-litre car, the eventual Lupo 3L, with four seats and more cargo room. Hayek had expected this and had discreetly approached other companies; after being turned down by BMW, Fiat and General Motors, he found a partner in Daimler-Benz. Micro Compact Car AG, a joint venture of SMH and Daimler-Benz, was founded in 1994, and became a wholly owned Daimler-Benz subsidiary in 1998, renamed MCC smart GmbH and then smart GmbH before being absorbed by DaimlerChrysler in 2006 as a marque within Mercedes-Benz Cars.
The first model was released by Daimler-Benz in October 1998. Several variants of the original design followed, the first being the City Coupé, later renamed the ForTwo. Smart became known for microcars and subcompacts, mainly the Fortwo and Forfour, built at Smartville in Hambach in France and at Renault’s Revoz plant in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. After a restructuring in 2019 the brand became a joint venture of Mercedes-Benz AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, headquartered in Ningbo, and now builds small battery-electric vehicles in China, with European distribution and after-sales handled by Smart Europe GmbH in Stuttgart.
Design and features
- Swatch origins: a city car idea from the watch industry.
- Fortwo: the two-seat microcar that defined the brand.
- Hambach plant: the Smartville factory in France.
- Electric future: battery-electric cars built in China since 2019.
Smart versions
- City Coupé (1998): later renamed ForTwo.
- ForTwo: the two-seat city car.
- ForFour: the four-seat model.
- Electric models: built in China after 2019.
Smart belongs to the same group as Mercedes-Benz and has been tuned by Brabus. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Video: Smart fortwo production
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Smart (marque), English Wikipedia: origins, ownership, models, plants
