I wish I lived in the US
There, I have said it!
Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with "good old blighty" but the scale of the smart movement in the UK is poor compared to you guys over the pond. Yes sure we have plently of smarts on the road but the "comunity" is lacking the US style enthusiasm. There are the odd "wavers" but most of the UK smart owners are driven only by practicality of the car and don't apear to have embraced the whole "smart thing"
Great website guys and long may the fun last
Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with "good old blighty" but the scale of the smart movement in the UK is poor compared to you guys over the pond. Yes sure we have plently of smarts on the road but the "comunity" is lacking the US style enthusiasm. There are the odd "wavers" but most of the UK smart owners are driven only by practicality of the car and don't apear to have embraced the whole "smart thing"
Great website guys and long may the fun last
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by smart42parts on -
TURBO!!! can't wait to get ours done, we start the mod this week on our turbo.. We will post it as soon as we are done..
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Permalink Reply by mr bad example on -
i think the thing is that UK has had a ton of microcars for years, starting 50 years ago with the mini. they can have the little fiat 500's, other little cars from europe. the smart is just another car there. in the US, a rare fiat 500 or Isetta 250-600 manages to come to our shores.
30 years ago, my brother got a subbee 360, a foot longer than the smart, half the weight and carried 4 people up to 60mph. americans usually go with bigger cars. being used to $0.50 a gallon gas until the late '70s and $0.20 gas in the '60s. it was more of a toy, i had a '72 corolla with a 2-speed auto, which i sold to my brother after he unloaded the subbee.
i guess it's what you're used to. the first family car for my father was a new '60 beetle, after i got 6 more siblings, and the bug took a hit, my dad got a beater microbus. in 1960, the beetle was the "smart" of the time (in the US). most americans are used to larger cars, city parking and now fuel prices approaching europes levels are bringing an acute focus on the smart and future "smart like" cars. and of course, americans love their cars, doesn't matter if it's a hummer, corvette, mustang or smart. you can't swing a dead cat without hitting some car club.
the smart has a strong following, 75,000 orders in 18 months of time, no real advertising, a 25,000 car per year supply, which means if you reserve today, you wait 2 years. i wish i could get a commission, i have a stack of my specialist's cards with me. people get a big smile as i tell them about the car, then i let them "have it" with the 2 year wait.
gas was $1.25 on 9/10/01, then doubled on 9/11/01 and has never gone back. americans are now forced to "open their minds". smart being "cute" doesn't hurt either. (mercedes engineering helps as well, who needs a ford, chevy or some rice burner?)
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