Hey Guys
Todays Cars of the Week are more than one Car this time - it's smart!
A small Car that's vision was to be perfect for urban areas and has a lot in common with the swiss swatch watches. Want to know why it once was called "Swatchmobile" and get to know more things? Continue reading ;-)
Nicolas Hayek, CEO of the Company that procuded Swatch watches had a Vision. A Car that should be easy to personalize for each driver and soon become as popular as the swatch watches are. That was in the late 1980s. Seems like ages from now!
His own Company, Hayek Engineering AG began to design a Car with two seats and a hybrid dirvetrain. While this proces he decided to cooperate with an another Automotive Manufacturer. In July 1991 Hayek reached an agreement with Volkswagen to develop the Project. But then in 1993, when Ferdinand Piëch had become the VOlkswagen CEO they stopped their engagement in Hayeks two-seater Car because they believed their own 3L Car which featured four seats would fit better to them. After searching for a new Company he found the Daimler-Benz AG and the deal was announced in March 1994 while a Press Conference.
First Generation (1998-2007; Facelift in 2002)
Introduced at the Paris Motor Show in 1998 the stylish Two-Seater Car is available on the markets with a 6-speed automated manual transmission and 0.6L petrol (turbo), 0.7L petrol (turbo) or a 0.8L diesel (turbo) engine.
Some of the Available models were:
Unproduced were the models/concepts Crosstown, Tridion 4, Formore, ForSpeed and ForVision.
Second Generation (2007 - Today and in the Future; Facelift in 2012)
in cooperation with Tesla Motors.
Sure you can customize your Smart Car. Possible by Brabus Tailormade you can get your Car customized after your wants and needs when it comes just out of the factory.
Smart nowadays operates under the Mercedes-Benz Cars division of Daimler AG. The Fortwo is now the only Car they're producing and have in Plan for the future.
Nicolas Hayek died in 2010, aged 82 in Bienne, when "his Idea" of a cool city Car is still very popular all over the world.
I especially like the Smart ForTwo because a certain connection I have to it ... in 2004 a blue Smart ForTwo Convertible was the first Car that I've ever driven. You never forget the first Car you got your hands on and turning the Key to start the engine. A Live-long Connection which appears in my head almost every time I see one :-)
Lisa
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