smart, 1994-2009, undated
Part of collection: Z. Taylor Vinson collection of transportation ephemera (20100108-ZTV)
Dates
- Creation: 1994-2009
- Creation: undated
Scope and Content
This subseries documents smart, which was built by Micro Compact Car GmbH of Böblingen, Germany (1997-1999); MCC smart GmbH of Böblingen, Germany (1999-2000); smart GmbH of Böblingen, Germany (2000-2005); and smart Automobile, Mercedes-Benz Division of Daimler AG (2005-Present).
smart is a German manufacturer of microcars. The concept for the smart was conceived by SMH (Société de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie), the Swiss manufacturer of Swatch watches. It was intended to be a microcar that could be a personalized fashion item, much like a Swatch watch. To build the smart, SMH formed a partnership with Daimler-Benz AG and opened an assembly plant in Hambach, France in 1997. The first smart microcars rolled off the assembly line in 1998.
Over the coures of its history, smart has been owned by several parent companies. Originally a joint venture between SMH and Daimler-Benz AG, smart became a wholly owned subsidiary of the latter in 1998. From 1998 to 2007, smart was part of DaimlerChrysler AG. Since 2007, it has been part of Daimler AG and is currently operated by Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Division. See also Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler, and Mercedes-Benz (Germany).
General Physical Description note
5 boxes
Extent
From the Series: 625 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Additional Description
Access Restrictions
Vinson’s manuscript A Collector’s Life: An Autobiography, included in Series XIII, is closed to researchers until 2035.
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Published Collections Repository
