Filed under: Sports/GTs, Plants/Manufacturing, SMART
Smart roadster to be built in Wales
Project Kimber, the U.K. group that purchased the manufacturing rights to the Smart Roadster, announced this week that it will locate its production facility in Wales. After relocating the Roadster's production line from the Smart factory to Kimber's as yet unnamed site in Wales, the group plan to begin production by mid-2007.
Project Kimber was one of the original candidates to buy the assets of MG Rover, but lost the bidding war to Nanjing Automotive. 4Car reports that the group had hoped to brand the diminutive runabout as a reborn MG Midget, but is now considering licensing the Triumph name. (So, would that make it a TR9?)
[Source: 4Car]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Clarence 11:38AM (7/20/2006)
TR-9 would be so wrong. TR-1 would be perfect. Cool car. I would consider it if sent to the States.
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cowboy bob 12:07PM (7/20/2006)
BLASPHEMY!! When will auto manufacturers just let legends sleep where they lie instead of re-using a nameplate for a compleatly different car. What, no imagination? Go figgure! MG, Triumph, GTO, Impala, Nova, and many others have had their heritage stolen and smeared by a token replacement. If Hollywood did the same we would have sixteen John Waynes and God knows how many women named Monroe. It's just not right. But alas, like everything else in the automotive industry, somebody usually just doesn't get it.
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TheOne442 12:11PM (7/20/2006)
When there is nothing else in the picture next to the car it makes it look deceivingly larger that it is.
Good Photography
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Jeff Banks 12:28PM (7/20/2006)
The whole idea of a car company, of course, is to make money.
I for one think its a good idea. After all, it is a defunct brand and it seems the company is genuinely British (not like it really matters in the sceme of things, but its just fun I guess) so why not? The smart roadster seems like the perfect candidate for a retro inspired 60's British sportscar based on a Triumph.
This is all fine and good IF THEY BRING IT STATESIDE. Otherwise its just another product I can only wish for. I wonder why more companies don't try to tackle the U.S. market. It's weird...a lot of products get sent everywhere (Canada, Mexico, Argentina, ect) except the U.S. Is the dollar that weak or something (hell it can't be worse than the PESO!), or are dealerships too expensive to run or something. The excuse that they can't compete with domestics doesn't hold any water (since we don't buy domestics anymore...jk) So what's the deal?!?!?
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mike 4:19PM (7/20/2006)
You can rest assured Jeff. It's not as big as a tank and there are only two doors and two seats. It will NOT be comng stateside. Remember, Americans have a phobia of getting crushed by an eighteen-wheeler. We also need carry all of our sh*t around with us everywhere we go.
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Bert 4:22PM (7/20/2006)
One please!
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doglet 4:49PM (7/20/2006)
can they put a car engine in it this time? you would think that a lightweight roadster would find a way to be at least respectable quick. all the moped motor could manage was 0-60 in well over 10 seconds. that is just not going to cut it, there is such a thing as dangerously slow.
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Jeff Banks 7:42PM (7/20/2006)
Oh yeah... word of advice: Don't name it the Midget. That would be a big mistake in the political correctness catigory.
just kidding btw
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Mike from Scarborough 6:38PM (7/21/2006)
What a cool %^$%^ing li'l car!!!!!!!!!!
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