Gone Too Soon

When a car’s career is cut short, it can be something of a blessing. Perhaps its manufacturer has made a major mistake, launching a compromised design or one that was simply wrong for the market it was aimed at. In many cases, however, the early loss of a production model is something to be mourned. When a well-designed car doesn’t get the chance to fulfil its true potential, fans of the model have every right to feel aggrieved.

Over the next four pages, we’ll take a look at some of the models that we feel deserved a chance at extra longevity, most of which now enjoy a following on the classic scene. So, let’s pay tribute to an array of machines that were gone too soon…

SMART ROADSTER (2003-2006)

Parent company Mercedes-Benz had high hopes for the future of its Smart sub-brand when the production version of the innovative new Roadster made its debut in 2002. It finally reached Smart dealers early the following year – and yet as early as November 2006, the very last example was rolling off the line at Hambach, France, despite the model being highly praised by press and public alike upon its debut.

Available in Roadster and fastback Roadster-Coupe guises, the sporty Smart featured a choice of removable targa-style panels or an electrically-folding fabric roof. Naturally, it followed the original Smart city car’s principle of a skeletal-like structure – known as the Tridion safety cell – from which ‘plastic’ body panels were hung.

It was a clever, lightweight design – and it meant Smart could get away with employing an uprated version of its existing three-cylinder 698cc turbocharged engine, now producing 80bhp. It was ample power for a sportster that weighed in at a mere 790kg, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 101bhp per