The History of Smart

The much appreciated eco-friendly smart car has been around much longer than you may think. We’ve created a detailed timeline that will take you every step of the way, tracing back to the 1970s.

1970- Johann Tomforde, a Mercedes Benz engineer, sparked the idea of creating the world’s greatest city car for all drivers.

1990- A young team of designers from Pasadena began to create the look of the first smart car.

1994- A factory was built in Smartville Hambach, France where the first car came into production. It was eight feet long and five feet wide.

1998- Sales began for the brand and models were sold in nine different countries.

2003- The Roadster and Roadster Coupe were launched as the smart car of the future.

2004- The forfour was produced and was larger in size than previous smart car models.

2006- Plans were put into place to make the 2^nd generation smart fortwo and introduce it to the United States.

2008- The U.S. became the 37^th country to market and sell the smart car.

If you are interested in what today’s smart cars are like and how beneficial they may be to your lifestyle, visit Baker Motor Company’s smart Center of Charleston in West Ashley.