The original concept behind Smart came the CEO of Swatch, Nicolas Hayek, who wanted to a compact, fuel efficient car for the city.
Initially the Swiss watch maker began working with Volkswagen, but the latter got cold feet and pulled out in 1993. Swatch then joined forces with Daimler, with Swatch owning 49 percent and Daimler-Benz the other 51 percent.
The company’s first vehicle was internally referred to as the Mercedes City Car (MCC), but Swatch wanted something more like Swatch Car or Swatchmobile. The two eventually settled on Smart, short for Swatch Mercedes Art.
Smart was officially formed in 1994, and began producing the City Coupe (now ForTwo) in 1998. Swatch was bought out by Daimler in 1998 also.
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News, Reviews, Features
- 2020 Smart ForTwo EQ, ForFour EQ facelift has same old powertrain
- Smart ForTwo Final Collectors Edition: Its final 21 gas engined cars
- Smart will die if Renault kills Twingo-ForFour joint venture
- Smart ForEase would like to remind us Smart is still a thing
- Smart to become all electric by 2020
- Smart ForTwo Vision EQ: An autonomous, EV city car with futuristic looks
- Smart to sell only electric vehicles in US, Canada from September 2017
- 2017 Smart ForFour Crosstown Edition is not a Smart SUV
- Smart etymology: What does its name and its letters mean?
- 2017 Smart ForTwo cabrio: Cheapest convertible in US at $19k
- 2016 Smart Brabus ForTwo, ForFour (Type 453) has 900cc turbo
- A453 Smart ForTwo cabrio on sale from Feb 2016