Smart (marque)

Smart (stylized in lowercase) is a Swiss born-German automotive marque established in 1994 and currently operating as Smart Automobile Co., Ltd., a joint venture formed in 2019 by Mercedes-Benz AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, aimed at manufacturing Smart-badged cars in China to be marketed globally. The venture is headquartered in Ningbo. Originally, Smart was known for producing microcars and subcompacts, primarily the Fortwo and Forfour, at Smartville in Hambach, Moselle, France and additionally at Renault's Revoz plant (Novo Mesto, Slovenia). Since its restructuring in 2019, the brand now produces small battery electric vehicles at a manufacturing plant in China, with distribution, marketing and aftersales activities in Europe handled by Smart Europe GmbH, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. The marque was founded in 1994 by Micro Compact Car AG (MCC), a joint venture between SMH (makers of the Swatch brand of watches) and Daimler-Benz. MCC became a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler-Benz in 1998, and was subsequently renamed MCC smart GmbH, then smart GmbH. smart GmbH was then absorbed by DaimlerChrysler (later Daimler AG) in 2006, making smart a marque within the Mercedes-Benz Cars division. The name Smart derives from Swatch and Mercedes-Benz: "Swatch Mercedes ART".