Not just a claim, but our mantra

open your mind

More than 28 years ago, smart was born from the unconventional collaboration between two iconic European brands. As such we have always believed in the opportunities that emerge from an open mindset and positive attitude.

And that spirit still defines us today – championing a world in which people approach life with curiosity, courage, and optimism – inspired by encounters, bold in thought, and confident in action. For us, being open-minded means questioning what is, and imagining what could be. It means putting people first, celebrating differences, discovering new perspectives and solutions together.

We want to inspire people to explore the possibilities of the world – turning their journeys into experiences as enjoyable, comfortable, and inspiring as the discoveries themselves.

Born from unconventional thinking

Our brand evolution

The milestones that shaped us

smart’s story began in 1972, when DaimlerBenz envisioned an ultra foundation of a brand that continues to evolve – compact city car. That bold idea became the carrying its unique legacy forward while leading the future of urban mobility.

☆ 1972: First city car concept by Daimler-Benz

Daimler-Benz developed the first concept for an extremely compact city car to address rising traffic congestion and pollution. A key milestone was the NAFA concept – a highly efficient short-distance vehicle that embodied the vision of space-saving urban mobility.

☆ 1994: Micro Compact Car AG (MCC) was founded

Daimler-Benz and Swatch founded the Micro Compact Car AG in Switzerland to develop an innovative city car – a collaboration that soon led to the creation of the smart brand, combining Swatch, Mercedes, and Art.

☆ 1997: World premiere of the first smart fortwo

The first smart fortwo (until 2004 the smart city-coupé) premiered 1997 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, with production starting in July 1998 and the market launch in October 1998.

☆ 2002: smart and BRABUS joint venture

smart and BRABUS teamed up to create high-performance fortwo models. The first limited smart BRABUS edition debuted in June 2002, with full market launch following in 2003.

☆ 2007: smart goes electric

smart tested 100 fortwo electric drive prototypes in London. The first production-ready smart EV appeared in 2008, with series production starting in 2009, marking the start of smart’s electric mobility journey.