smart

Swatch watch inventor Nicholas Hayek had a vision in the ’80s for a style-led urban car that would be called the ‘Swatchmobile’, but decided it was better to collaborate with an existing vehicle manufacturer. It was initially set to be Volkswagen before Daimler stepped in and Smart became the acronym for Swatch Mercedes Art. Benz assumed full control in 1998 after Swatch pulled out, and the City-Coupe and Cabrio – later renamed Fortwo – debuted that year. They were just 2.5 metres long, had two seats, featured recyclable/interchangeable body panels, and had their rear wheels powered by a three-cylinder turbo engine. They were expensive when they landed in Australia in 2003, however, and proved to be more appealing to small businesses that would use them as mobile billboards. The range was expanded with the Roadster (2003) and Forfour hatch (2004) but had reverted to only the Fortwo by 2006 amid huge financial losses. A platform-sharing partnership with Renault saw the Forfour return in 2014, joined by a new-generation Fortwo.