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While in Paris I saw a small car that I would like to know more about. It looks like a normal size car for the front seat and doors, then there is no (or very little) room behind the front seat. I would like to know the make and model of the car. can anybody tell what I'm talking about from my description? Thanks for your help.

It's not definite but it's probably a ..... "Smart Car" - getting more and more popular in Paris. For more Paris information go to www.anamericaninparis.com

Most likely the Smart. I love those little cars:)

We were in Rome in early May and saw them all over. I photographed one being squeezed into a parking space that looked barely wide enough to walk through. Actually I think it's on my web site under the Rome, Sorrento 2002 trip. Try www.travelwalks.com (non-commercial).

extremely popular in big italian cities.

I'd hate to be in an accident in one.

The little car you describe might be made by Mercedes Benz. We saw several when we were in France. There is more than one company that makes these little cars. We took quite a few photos of them. They look like the back seat is in the front seat.

What's really embarrassing is when you drive a Volvo 850 and a Smart Car passes you on the Autobahn. Boy, those poor little squirrels in the engine must be working at double-time :) Actually, when my girlfriend comes to visit next week we're going to rent a Smart for a day and try it out. I want to see just how small a parking space we can get into. I looked into taking one home to the States, but they're not legal there and the company has no plans for the moment to introduce them to the American market.

I've been in a few Smart Cars and have driven one. They are pretty noisy and the transmission can be rough. The car was originally planned to be an electric car (hence the more or less golf cart look) created by a joint venture between Mercedes Benz and Swatch (the watch company). The electric car plan didn't pan out and Swatch later pulled out of the partnership. MB regularly mulls over the idea of discontinuing the Smart Car because sales have not met expectations. The new Mini (from rival BMW) also has had an impact on sales. You will see a lot of them in Brussels due to a marketing program. Cars are expensive to lease in Belgium, BUT a marketing advertising company will let you lease one for about $150 a month if you allow them to put advertising on the car. You don't have any say in the advertising, although no political or porno advertising is allowed. I have seen them on the highways and they can seem pretty zippy but I have also seen what a Smart Car looks like after a high speed collision. Not pretty. They should really be a "get around town" car. By the way, my father in law picked up a new Volvo XC70 wagon two weeks ago in Sweden and has been driving it around Germany. No Smart Car blew the doors off his new Volvo-it was definitely the other way around! Some competition for the Smart Car includes the above mentioned Mini, the new Ford Fiesta, the VW Beetle, and the smaller regular cars (Renault Clio, etc.). A Smart Car is not really a cheap car, especially considering its limitations. Smart Car dealers got a lot of attention with their glass enclosed towers of Smart Cars outside the dealership. BTilke (Brussels)

When in Paris and walking down the rue Jacob, I was amazed that any car could manage to park on the side of the street. Then there was the little Smart, tucked in perfectly between 2 cars, in the tiniest space! I call them Smarties and would definitely have one if I lived in France. Here in NJ, the Mini is all the rage!

Smart is still a susidiary of Daimler Chrysler (not Benz anymore!) They're now manufacturing a Smart "Roadster" with a bit of a boot (trunk) at the rear and also an off-roader, although I haven't seen that one yet. As far as I know, you can pick the cars up ex-factory, just like the big boy's toys at D-C, Sindelfingen. I'm just informing - not advertising!

The Smart car is a joint venture-Mercedes-Swatch (yes the one that makes watches).Thet are rather expensive, very fast and believe it or not extremely safe, they have rollbars that most cars do not have.I wish these type of cars became fashinable in the US instead of the SUV's that are draining up the worlds oil reservoirs. the only problem is that the big average fat American would have difficulty fitting in em

Swatch is out of the Smart Car picture and has been for a while. I would not call them "extremely safe" as we have seen what they look like after a highway collision. They are very good cars for running around town, but I would not be happy in one on (for example) the E40 in Belgium or the A4 in Germany. BTilke (Brussels)