Yugo, Fiat, Rennault, Citroën 2CV, Saab

[Jeff C.]

IN 1972-1974 I lived in Naples,Italy and drove a Fiat 500.It was a lot of fun to drive and was so incredibly inexpensive to operate.I think back and have fond memories of that little and I DO mean little car.

[smartie yank]

I still have and drive a '58 Citroen 2CV. It has a 2 cyl opposed air cooled engine of 425 cc and all of 12 hp. Like the smart it is a ball to drive. It will make almost 50 mph down hill and much less up hill. It will get close to 60 mpg. The fuel gauge is a dip stick, calibrated in liters, that lives in the fuel fill pipe.

The 2 CV while not a smart, certainly had some interesting engineering for it's day. The clutch actually has a centrifugal clutch inside the normal clutch for those who forget the pedal when stopped or shifting. The wipers are driven from the speedometer cable, wipers increase speed as the car does. The seats are canvas suspended on rubber o-rings in a tube lawn chair type frame, very effective. The suspension is absolutely unreal but the rougher the road the smoother it rides, dirt roads are unbelievable.

Again not a smart but still quite an interesting little car.

[Winnetou]

I own a 1956 BMW Isetta, a 1962 Austin Mini, a 1966 Austin Mini-Cooper 1275S, a 1967 Saab 96 2-stroke, and a 1973 Saab 96 V-4.

The mechanical layout of the smart is closest to that of the Isetta, with the engine and transmission at the rear (engine somewhat to the right, if one is facing forward, and the transmission somewhat to the left). While the geometry of the smart is similar to that of the original Mini, the handling and driving experience are entirely different. The standard Mini-Cooper 1275S has about the same horsepower as the smart, but is six hundred pounds lighter, so is quicker (my Mini-Cooper has racing modifications and is considerably faster). An original Mini-Cooper, when driven by an expert, will still out-handle most cars of any kind on small roads, though the smart is delightfully sporty while being vastly more comfortable and luxurious.

Of my vintage micro and mini cars, and others I have driven, the smart driving experience most closely resembles that of the Saab 96, an extremely solid and refined motor-car, especially for its size. The power and weight of the smart are almost identical to those of the Saab 96 V-4, with consequently very similar performance. The high, upright seating position of the smart is also very reminiscent of the Saab.

Overall, however, the smart is wonderfully unique and not directly comparable to any of the vintage motor-cars under discussion.

[2smartArizona]

Funny to read of the Yugo mentioned here, as I just saw one going down the road in Hollister, California over the weekend. I didn't think any of them were still running.

I currently have have two Renault R5 (LeCar), very interesting but tin cannish cars. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. Cooling system has a bit of trouble keeping up here in Arizona.

I had the pleasure, over 20 years ago, of driving a Citroen Ami 8 while I was living in France. It was a lot of fun to drive, and one of the best cars for driving in the winter over there. It had a top speed of about 100 kp/h but got great mileage with it's two cylinder air cooled motor. The car leaned a lot in the turns, but I never managed to overturn it, although a neighbor of mine did one winter. That was the end of that car. Sad to see it go as I had repainted it in the basement with a friend just before.

I have also had a great number of Peugeots, a couple 106's in diesel, a 205 Junior Diesel, and most recently a 2005 Peugeot Partner Diesel which was great for camping.

The ones that I always wanted and never had though...

BMW Isetta

Citroen 2CV or Dyane 6

smart car.....hopefully this will be remedied in December, and I hope I will not be disappointed.