Smart was created in 1994 as a joint venture between Swatch watch company founder Nicolas Hayek and Mercedes-Benz, envisioned as a revolutionary micro-car for urban environments. The Fortwo launched in 1998 as one of the smallest production cars in the world, just 2.5 metres long, designed to fit nose-first into parking spaces. Swatch withdrew before production began, leaving Mercedes to carry the brand alone. Smart was relaunched in 2022 as a joint venture between Mercedes and Geely, repositioning as a premium urban EV brand.
Germany
