When Mercedes-Benz offshoot Smart first revealed its City Coupe, later known as the ForTwo, its engineers were already working on ideas of how the Smart brand could be expanded.
A logical move would be to use the City Coupe’s turbocharged 698cc engine and rear wheel drive configuration and fit it into a lightweight sports car body, using the same Tridion safety cell construction as the city car but in a slightly longer and lower package.
The result was the Smart Roadster, introduced in 2004. It was offered as either a full roadster or a ‘Roadster Coupe’, which had a lift-up rear tailgate and more luggage space. And that's what we have here - an early Roadster Coupe in the imaginatively named ‘Light Yellow’.
It also has to be one of the very best examples on the road.
This Roadster Coupe was supplied new in 2004 to a Mr Holt, who had the original registration number changed to one with his and his wife's initials. That registration number has stayed with the car.
Mr Holt owned the car until 2016 and covered just over 7,500 miles in that period, keeping the car in a garage and only using it on dry and sunny days.
The second owner has treated it in a very similar manner, again keeping it in the garage and also only using it in the dry. In five years he has increased the mileage by around 1,800 miles.
Despite its minimal use, the Smart has always been regularly serviced and properly maintained.
Supplied in the original plastic wallet are the driver’s handbook, quick guide, audio manual, dealer directory and service history booklet, which is stamped through till 2012.
After that, there are individual receipts for servicing carried out on the car on an annual basis. It also comes with a selection of old MOTs and tax discs, which build up a picture of diligent and careful ownership and accurately backup the car’s tiny mileage.
The bold yellow paint is one of the best colour schemes for the Smart Roadster. It's a fascinating car with all of the plastic body panels mounted onto a graphite grey Tridion safety cell, which is essentially the car’s main body frame that includes the engine and sub frame mounts, all to keep weight to a minimum.
Thanks to a life of being garaged then used infrequently, the Smart is in incredible condition with no damage, scrapes or marks to any of the panels, while even the wheels are in excellent original condition.
If you are being really picky, you may notice some very light crazy on the outer rear window panels but this is barely noticeable and would be highly unlikely to put anybody off what is an otherwise splendid car.
Being a Roadster Coupe, the car has two removable glass roof panels which are easily detached and stored in their own mountings inside the cars tailgate, for that full wind-in-the-hair experience.
We very much doubt there is a better example of the Smart Roadster in existence, such is the lovely and unspoilt appearance of this one.
A similar story unfolds inside, with the original fabric seats still looking almost as new. The carpets have been protected throughout their lives by Smart accessory overmats, so as a result they’re in perfect condition beneath.
There are no marks or scuffs to the door cards or any of the switchgear, while the original radio works perfectly - as do all of the dials.
82bhp might not sound a lot, but because the Smart doesn't weigh very much it's plenty enough to power it along and put a huge smile on your face, especially as the turbo delivers a cheeky little kick in the back when it spools up.
The power is fed to the rear wheels via a sequential automatic gearbox, which can be used in either fully auto or semi-manual modes. Smart owners love the transmissions and they can be made to perform brilliantly once you get the hang of them, but they can be slightly odd to drive if used to a more conventional gearbox.
But then this is an unconventional car - and that is core to its appeal. This one is in truly superb order and it has some really nice touches, including the original part number stickers on both the gearbox housing and the rear brake back plates - items that have usually long since disappeared on more well-used examples.
The owner reports that the Smart is absolutely fantastic to drive - tight and responsive and feeling very much like a new car.
This has to be one of the nicest, brightest and lowest mileage Smart Roadsters in the UK and it's in truly fabulous condition.
Not only does it have the mileage you expect of a car less than a year old, but it's also in a comparable condition, yet it is already well into its second decade.
If ever there was a definition of a collectible future classic this is it. It's in stunning condition and it's also a fascinating car that’s hugely entertaining to drive. What's not to like?
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2004 Smart Roadster Coupe
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