It was a Union Jack emblazoned smart fortwo that came out victorious at the Cannonball Run – a 3,000-mile dash across Europe inspired by the famous 80s film starring Burt Reynolds. David Ward and Adrian Hull, from Essex, beat a long list of six-figure supercars in their five-year-old, second-hand smart fortwo BRABUS, which was the smallest car in the 40-vehicle field. The duo were awarded first place for completing the route at the exact stipulated requirement of an average of 61mph. It was the smart’s impressive fuel economy that really provided the edge over an opposition of larger cars thats main downfall was the fact they had to keep stopping to fill up.
It just goes to show, good things do come in small packages, just like the Veloce book the little book of smart By Paul Jackson.What started off as an idea from Swiss watchmaker Swatch eventually evolved into the successful launch of the smart brand, now an integral part of the Mercedes-Benz family and – in its first ten years – achieving sales of more than three quarters of a million cars around the world.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for smart, though. Well publicised financial woes, the launch of at least one inappropriate model range and the subsequent rationalisation of the entire product line-up meant plenty of problems along the way. But throughout it all, fans of the smart concept have remained loyal to the brand and sales of the fortwo city car continued to prosper.
These days, the future looks rosier. An all-new fortwo model range was launched in 2007, along with the announcement of the long-awaited debut of the smart brand into the American market for 2008. The latest model is more sophisticated and more in tune with today’s buyers’ tastes, while losing none of the inventiveness, practicality and sheer chic appeal of its predecessors.
In the little book of smart, author and smart fanatic Paul Jackson guides us through the entire history of the brand, its highs and lows, its successes and failures, and on to today – with the very latest fortwo line-up promising major sales worldwide and, of course, helping to pave the way for a future for smart in the USA. It’s a fascinating tale, told succinctly and in an entertaining style, and complemented by full colour photography throughout.
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