Smarts at the Museum

Designed to celebrate the launch of the new fortwo that will be exported to the United States, the exhibit traces the thinking behind the whole concept of the brand, and includes all the prototypes and concept models.

The idea for this radical 2-seater actually started in with the Eco Sprinter and Roadster from 1993, and some of the whacky concepts include the Crossblade (main pix) which has no windscreen or doors.

As a concept, the Smart continues to make sense – the car is so short that two fortwos can be parked in a conventional parking space. Several public transport hubs like train stations even have parking spaces exclusively designated for Smarts. Imagine being able to double all the number of parking spaces in a carpark – wouldn’t that be great, especially within the CBD!.

The Smart is also short enough to be parked perpendicular to the kerb – this would help those with parallel parking problems.

The other really cool aspect of the Smart is its interchangeable body panels – imaging being able to change the colour of your car almost at a whim.

DaimlerChrysler had conducted a major marketing survey for the Smart in Singapore, and while the car proved to be popular, few were willing to pay its estimated cost price. Oneshift.com understands would have cost more than that of a Korean family sedan.

Strictly speaking, as the car only takes up half the footprint of a normal car, it should only pay half the COE of a standard car, and all ERP and parking charges should be halved as well.

So if you’re in Stuttgart, drop by the Mercedes-Benz Museum to catch the exhibit dedicated to a truly radical vehicle. http://www.mercedes-benz.com.

If you’re in New York, the Smart fortwo is part of the permanent collection of the prestigious Modern Museum of Art (MoMA), only one of four cars that are considered more than mere transportation, but as important pieces of design.

Credits: Justin_Lee