Summary: In this article we cover the Smart car and how it was named. The Smart car obviously gets great gas mileage, however with it’s miniature size how does it hold up in a crash? The Crash test video shown in this article helps to reveal how it measures up when it’s involved in a collision. Our exclusive pictures show how small the Smart car really is, we couldn’t resist the temptation to compare it with a golf cart.
An interesting fact is how the Smart car was actually named. The Smart car was originally a project of the Swatch company (a Swiss watch maker). Prior to it’s final naming, Swatch approached GM and then VW for for possibly teaming up to produce then nicknamed Swatchmobile. GM and VW ended up declining the proposal to produce the Swatchmobile. Daimler-Benz and Swatch ended up coming to an agreement to produce the car. That’s when the name “Smart” was created as an acronym from Swatch Mercedes (SM) ART.
This YouTube Video Shows a Classic Auto Assembly Line
Automotive assembly lines sure have changed, I didn’t see one robot! They were pretty advanced though considering this was in the 60’s. One of the most automated tools I saw in this car assembly line video was the spot welder for welding the body panels together. The spot welder was kind of similar to the Miller spot welder that we sell.
Metal Stamping. The huge metal stamping press, for creating and shaping the metal body panels is just cool. Assembly line processes have always been a curiosity of mine. I worked on cars for years and have found myself asking, How did they do that? Thanks to video sites like YouTube, it’s easy to have many questions answered.
7,000 Gallons of Paint. I like the fact that these VW cars were submersed completely in paint. I know that when the Ford Mustang was built in the 60’s they were certainly not dipped. My 1967 Convertible Ford Mustang Cowl Repair was needed mainly because the body wasn’t dipped or rust proofed in any way on the backside of the body panel. That was a nightmare auto repair for me, since I’m more of a mechanical repair guy and not a body or paint man.
What’s Old is New Again. Who knows Mexico and maybe Cuba could possibly be using this assembly line footage in their VW manufacturing plants as a new employee training film!
