Customer Reviews

Smart Thinking: The Little Car That Made it Big

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The definitive book on the smart car. For those in the US who have not yet seen this car (but soon will), this will answer all the questions. Fascinating story of a most intriguing car. More drama than a soap opera and it will continue as the car hits the American shores in 2006. You will understand why this car draws the attention of everyone within each new country it is introduced. Well written and difficult to put down.

This is a good book to inform the reader on the history of Smart, but since its publication in 2004, it's already very outdated. Long gone are the forfour, Roadster, crossblade, and the development of the formore 4x4 vehicles. The book ends without mentioning the new chairman of Daimler, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, or the major changes Daimler made since 2004. Now with the new fortwo (451) model to arrive on the U.S. shores in January 2008, a new book is needed to continue the Smart story by the end of that year.
So if you're looking for a historical account on Smart, this is a great book. If you're looking for current materials... wait till the end of 2008 or later.

This is a revelatory history of the creation of a new automotive marque, and all the trials & tribulations that went into doing so. While complaints of it being "dated" are somewhat valid, it is after all attempting to chronicle in detail the history of a product and company that at the time of publication already had more than a decade of history behind it, yet was still a very young company with much room to grow ahead: it is to be expected that some changes have occurred since then! This book gives the owner or fan of SMART cars the necessary background to fully enjoy the marque for what it is: an honest attempt to change the world as we know it! It is important for the potential purchaser to note that this is *not* a book with technical info on model variations or instructions on performance modifications.

As a smart car owner, I was always interested in the little car with the big heart. Well this book went a long way to explaining the trials and tribulations that made it what it is today. Sure the book ends in 2004, and for those that think that somehow this belittles the achievements of the writer, please note that it is about the starting life of the car, not the continuing history and all that came after 2004. At the time the book finished, the company did indeed have a lot of expansion plans, but as with all things in life, it doesn't always work out the way we want it to.

Tony Lewin writes it with a comic easy going style that is easily to pick up and never really feels tired. The story uncovers some of the myths that follow the smart car, along with it's design process from an idea all the way to a finished product. Since the book was published, the company (Smart) has changed direction, but, that as they say, is another story.

The book is well worth reading and provides an insightful look into the politics and idiosyncratic closed world of car manufacturing. The Smart car like the Spitfire aircraft of WW2, both share a similar potted development history, in that it's amazing that either ever saw the light of day.

I thought this book was for pleasure reading but turns out to be a business book. Worth the read if you are into business type books.