Smart Cars, the tiny two-seater imports from Europe, could be rolling into a Madison dealership within a year.
Bergstrom Automotive CEO John Bergstrom said a new dealership exclusively for Smart Cars could be up and running on the current Bergstrom Hummer and Cadillac site within 12 to 18 months. The Neenah-based Bergstrom holds exclusive franchise rights to the cars, which are produced by Mercedes-Benz in France.
The Bergstrom Smart Car dealership in Milwaukee, the first in Wisconsin, opened last week, but the cars have not yet arrived from France.
The first allotment — 300 cars — is expected to roll in by the end of next week. Bergstrom said 35 of those cars will be delivered to Madison-area buyers.
The French plant has a limited capacity to produce the cars, so each dealership is only allotted a certain number of the cars, at least initially, Bergstrom said.
For now, Bergstrom said customers can still reserve the cars through
www.SmartUsa.com,
www.BergstromAuto.com or by calling dealership, Smart Center Milwaukee, at (414) 434-8800.
— Kate Schuman
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/266351&ntpid=2
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