Smart: Small Car, Big Deal

No one has to tell me that the smart car is a big deal—I already know that. But for those that need an eye opener to the history of smart, this is your book!  You’ll learn that the smart is not just a new car that sprouted up because gas prices have shot up. The smart has been in the works since the 70s, the first prototype was punched out in 1992, and the production smart recently turned 10 years old. And no, the smart car is not electric… yet! If and when you get bored reading about the history of the smart, the book is also packed with owner photos and sketches from the smart design studios.

Smart: Small Car, Big Deal      
Author: Willi Diez
The smart story is one of entrepreneurial vision and daring. It is a story of innovation and proof that to be successful, even the best ideas must be appropriate for their time. At Mercedes-Benz, the roots of an automotive concept designed specifically for urban use reach back to the 1970s. The growing problems of inner-city individual transportation, a parking situation which was becoming ever more critical even then, and increasing environmental awareness spurred by the crises of the early 1970s and 1980s, helped position the smart to breakthrough in the early 1990s. Since 1998, a total of 770,000 customers have purchased the first-generation smart fortwo. And, for many, it has become a part of their individual world views. In 2008, the smart comes to North America where it will be distributed by savvy auto magnate Roger Penske. Over 20,000 U.S. customers have placed advance, online reservations for the diminutive car.
Format: Hardbound
Pages: 180
Length: 9.625 x 9.625
ISBN-13: 9780760335215
ISBN: 0760335214
Catalog ID: 145806
Price: $29.99