Report: Swatch founder and Smart Car inventor Nicolas Hayek dead at age 82

Zach Bowman — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:39:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Budget, Etc., Europe, Smart, Celebrities

Nicholas Hayek passed away on Monday, June 28

The man responsible for the Smart Car has reportedly passed away at the age of 82 of heart failure. Nicholas Hayek was a savvy businessman who wanted to apply the success he had experienced in the watchmaking world to car universe. Hayek brought affordability to the Swiss watch market with his Swatch products, and envisioned an automobile that would be just as customizable and affordable as his then wildly popular time pieces. What would eventually become the Smart Car was originally a joint venture with Volkswagen that flew under the Swatchmobile banner.

But the VW partnership eventually hit the rocks, and Mercedes-Benz stepped in to lend a hand. Oddly enough, Hayek left the Smart Car program after Mercedes-Benz balked at his ideas for a diesel-hybrid model. Now Smart is launching its all-electric ForTwo ED.

While the Smart portfolio hasn't exactly taken the world by storm - or made money for its owners - there's no denying its impact. Nearly everyone knows what the quirky little cars are, even if they've never driven one. Hayek's brief time in the automotive spectrum had a lasting effect that will likely continue on for years to come.

[Source: The New York Times]

Report: Swatch founder and Smart Car inventor Nicolas Hayek dead at age 82 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive makes a lot of sense for a few people

Zach Bowman — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Technology, Smart, New Car Reviews, Electric

2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive - Click above for high-res image gallery

As a population, the way we approach transportation hasn't changed significantly since the aircraft first fluttered onto the scene way back in 1903. In over 100 years, we've simply been refining the recipe we know the best instead of coming up with a new brew all together. Doing so has inextricably tied our civilization to the internal combustion engine, complete with all of its pitfalls. While we've more or less known that roping ourselves to oil is neither sustainable nor responsible since the early '70s, it wasn't until gas prices went haywire that the American population realized just how dependent it was on the black stuff.

Conveniently, with those astronomical figures at the pump came the plucky little Smart ForTwo, a car that symbolized what could be accomplished if a driver were willing to sacrifice everything for a low-cost, high-efficiency vehicle. With fuel prices hovering above $4.00 per gallon, sales exploded for a short time, and news outlets around the country heralded Smart as the face of the future for U.S. transportation. But it wasn't long before gas prices crawled back down, and Smart sales went catatonic just as quickly as they took off.

Now the company has jumped into the race to be one of the first to bring a completely viable electric vehicle to market with the 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive. It's a move that just might alter the transportation landscape for good - not just in the U.S,, but around the globe.

Gallery: 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive: First Drive

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive makes a lot of sense for a few people

First Drive: 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive makes a lot of sense for a few people originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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