Sarah Hall
It sounds like the answer to the prayers of drivers who can’t parallel park: a car so tiny it squeezes into spaces with its back or nose to the kerb.
The Smart Car was launched last year in Europe, but manufacturers Daimler Benz and Swatch had no plans to introduce it in the United Kingdom. But Smart Cars UK is now unofficially importing the 2,5m, two-seaters from France and is already raking in orders after driving one around London.
The microcar, which at $10 000 is the second cheapest car in the UK, is 55cm shorter than a Mini. It reaches 140kph and, another boon in the city, has interchangable, anti-dent body panels.
Michael Tegerdine of Smart Cars UK is convinced it will acquire cult status. “This is a super little car which is economical – doing 60 miles [96km] to the gallon – and which lets you squeeze between cars nose-on.”