A Brief History of smart Cars
Plenty of Anne Arundel County residents choose to drive smart cars. smart is a German automotive brand that is a division of Daimler AG (who also owns Mercedes-Benz). The company produces microcars and subcompacts. The name “smart” derives from the Swiss company Swatch and Mercedes-Benz; smart stands for "Swatch Mercedes ART." In 1982, Swatch CEO Nicolas Hayek began developing an idea for a new car, one that is small and fit for city dwellers. His idea became known as the "Swatchmobile." Hayek approached several car manufacturers, and in 1991, he reached an agreement with Volkswagen to share development of the new project. However, the project was terminated two years later when Volkswagen changed CEOs.
On March 4, 1994, a deal was announced with Mercedes Benz and Swatch at a press conference in Stuttgart. The company also unveiled two concept cars: the eco-sprinter and eco-speedster. As part of this new convergence, the name of these cars was changed from "smartmobiles" to “smart cars.” The car launched successfully in nine European countries in October 1998; although, it wasn't a hybrid like Hayek had hoped but rather just a car fully powered by gasoline. Until April 2019, smart remained under the Mercedes-Benz cars’ division of Daimler AG. In March 2019, Geely, a Chinese global automotive company, purchased a 50% stake.
smart Cars Today
Although smart cars exited the United States market in 2019, smart cars can still be seen on the roads in Gambrills, MD, Annapolis, MD, Severna Park, MD, Crofton, MD, and Glen Burnie, MD today. If your smart car needs Auto Body Repair, Collision Repair, or any other service, you can bring it to Elite Auto Body in Gambrills and Annapolis today. Today's smart car models include:
- smart Fortwo Coupe: The base model for smart cars, the smart Fortwo coupe, provides a traction control feature that controls engine throttle and speed when the sensor detects a skid or swerve.
- Passion Coupe: This car adds a panoramic roof and even comes with its own sunscreen. The three-spoke leather steering wheel includes a paddle shifter, which is responsible for operating the manual function in the automated manual transmission.
- Passion Cabriolet: The Cabriolet comes with an electric convertible top and a premium sound system.
Your Trusted Auto Repair Shop for smart Car Repair
When the time comes to bring your smart car in for repairs, you can bring it to Elite Auto Body in Gambrills and Annapolis. We take a dignified and sensitive approach to auto repair, treating each and every customer with respect. We've been fixing cars since 1983 and are very transparent about the services we think your vehicle needs. For that reason, we will never recommend any service that isn't absolutely necessary. If you are in the 21054 area or nearby, don't hesitate to bring your smart car to Elite Auto Body today!
Reasons You Should Do Business With Us:
- Transparency
- Honesty
- Integrity
- We are Experts
- Years of Experience
To make an appointment with Elite Auto Body in Gambrills and Annapolis, you can give us a call at 410-923-0444 (Gambrills) or 410-263-6030(Annapolis).