America Falls in Love With Smart
USA Today called it a “Breadbox on Wheels.” Its eight foot, eight inch length will fit head-on to the curb in a parking space. It lacks a hood and a trunk. It’s quirky! It’s eccentric! It’s cool! But it’s a car that is rapidly gaining a following in a nation noted for super sized vehicles.
Smart is manufactured by Daimler AG, a maker of super minis and micro cars. The company is headquartered in Boblingen, Germany but the cars are produced in France.
The Smart was originally the brainchild of Swatch, a Swiss watch manufacturer. It was designed to be innovative and affordable. And interestingly enough, while the car is fuel efficient, the motive behind the design was not fuel economy but ease of parking. Two or three smarts can be fitted into one standard car parking space.
Nicolas Hayer of Swatch looked for an established automobile manufacturer to produce the Smart. When VW was financially unable to handle it, Hayer joined up with Daimler Benz. Together they built a factory in Hambach, France in 1994. The joint venture was unsuccessful and after many disputes and significant monetary losses, Swatch pulled out and Smart was absorbed within Daimler.
Smart cars were first marketed in Europe and Asia. Then in 2004, the smart fortwo was sold in Canada through Mercedes Benz dealers. Prior to 2008, they were only sold in the United States as “grey market” imports. Then, starting in 2008, smart fortwo was introduced into the United States and is marketed through the Penske Automotive Group.
The marketing plan is as eccentric as the car. You won’t find smart on dealers lots. They are on display on the second floor of the Mercedes Benz showroom in San Francisco for demonstration purposes. The car is sold over the net. A potential buyer makes a $99 refundable reservation on the website and a car will be delivered. The $99 Reservation Program is exclusively for private buyers. Dealers and brokers may not participate.
Due to its size, safety has been a major concern for buyers. However, the smart has passed numerous safety tests. A Tridion Safety Cell comprises the main structure of the car creating a kind of cage, which surrounds and protects the passengers. However, the car is more for urban travel than cross-country.
Three models are now available. The basic, smart fortwo pure starting at $11,590 has a solid
roof and is equipped with a 3 cylinder engine and a 5 speed automatic transmission.
The smart fortwo passion starts at $13,590.00 and has some luxury extras such as a panorama roof, power windows, electronic, heated side mirrors, air conditioning with climate control, and an AM/FM radio.
The smart fortwo passion cabriolet starts at $16,590 and features a soft top with heated rear glass window and an upgraded radio and sound system.
The April issue of Men’s Vogue asked “In a nation where your super sized car is your castle, is the Smart too mini for a man?” But so far more men than women have made reservations. All the people who have reserved smarts enjoy an above average income. Eighty percent are homeowners and the majority wanted to be contacted via the Internet.
According to David Schembri, president of Smart USA, the smart will appeal primarily to urban hipsters. Said Schembri, “The target customer will not be defined by age or income, but by attitude and lifestyle.”