Smart Fortwo (1998-2007)
The original Smart City Coupé had an interesting gestation. Originally conceived in the early Nineties by the founder of Swatch watches, Nicolas Hayek, the concept was to produce a two-seater microcar with an electric powertrain. Mercedes’ parent company, Daimler-benz, came on board in 1994 to help it reach production, and the ‘Smart’ name is an amalgam of Swatch-mercedes Art.
But when the project’s engineers abandoned electric drivetrains in favour of small capacity turbo units, Swatch abandoned ship, leaving Daimler to complete it solo. It was a a huge investment, requiring a brand-new production facility – Smartville, in France – in order to meet expected demand.
A strict two-seater, the original Fortwo had a 0.6-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine in its bum, powering the rear wheels in order to keep construction as simple as possible. Initially offered as Lhd-only from 1998, right-hand-drive Smarts finally arrived in late 2000. The 54bhp 0.6 was joined by a 61bhp 0.7-litre unit from 2001, both connected to a six-speed semi-automatic sequential gearbox.
While Smart aficionados tend to get quite defensive about the transmission, it’s not for everyone – in fully auto mode, it takes a while between changes, making for jerky progress, while mastering the ‘technique’ behind the sequential transmission takes some learning. Get there and you’ll discover a car that’s a real chuckle to drive, with surprisingly peppy performance.
The Smart is a car that likes to be different in all respects – the body panels are detachable and interchangeable, for example, so if you fancy a swap from a blue car to a red one, head to one of the many Smart forums and you’ll likely find another owner willing to swap.
Inside, convention goes out of the window, too. The cabin is bright and colourful, with storage nets on the doors and the rev counter and clock mounted in pods, while the centre console contains a range of optional clip-on modules.
Older Smarts are not without their problems, though – cabin leaks are common, and engine failures not unheard of – but the simple layout means replacement isn’t as scary as it sounds. They also conceal rust very well thanks to the plastic panels, so get underneath and look carefully for rot, especially around the rear De Dion tube.