Didn't buy; awkward shifting?

[WRBlue]

Originally Posted by BailOut

Let's also not forget that Smart is owned by Daimler-Chrylser-Benz, which is in the process of being bought by Cerebrus, who has already promised to shake up what's left of that conglomerate as soon as the transaction completes. No one knows what their stance on the Smart line will be. They may just eliminate it, leaving you with some half-assed 3rd party service contract in place of a warranty.

DaimlerChrylser, as the company used to be known, has only sold the Chrysler Group, which only includes Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler. All other portions of Diamler stay German - Mercedes, Maybach, Freightliner, MitsubishiFuso, Sterling, and Smart. The new, Chrylser-less Daimler will be known as Daimler AG.

Smart cars, which are not being sold to any other manufacturer, will be sold through United Auto Group dealers. United Auto is Penske's dealer network. Its huge (253 dealerships), and based in Bloomfield Hills. You can see Chrysler's HQ from their design center - I interviewed there last summer.