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1915 General Ericsson & Fletcher Company "Smart" Car.

In the year 1901 Employee No. 711 described the people's car of the future. It was to be between 8 & 9 ft long, and roughly 6 feet wide. It would hold two people, and have room for light cargo.

By 1910 The General Ericsson & Fletcher Company saw the success of the Tin Lizzie and were wishing they had thought of that. A few employees found the 1901 descirption and realized it would be a good start for a new automobile. They organized a team to do one thing. Undercut the Model T. To do this, they decided to make a car meant only for cities. When pondering how to make a cheap body, a fellow the name of Felix C. Hans proposed making it a single stamped piece that was bent into shape. This proved to be effective, and so they settled on it. They also spent a lot of time removing what they considered superfluous features. A small rear engine also simplified the construction of the frame, but this meant the gear lever would have to poke out the engine compartment. Employee 711. Himself was able to supply a cheaper wind powered speedometer.

The "Smart" Car was finally released in 1915. It was fairly successful at first, but sales quickly became just mediocre. As it turns out, the "Smart" Car was just a bit too barren of features. Things like horsepower, headlamps, a sensible gearshift placement, having more than one gear in a direction, and being able to fuel without opening the hood. However, the real deal breaker for most was the complete lack of suspension. At the time most roads were still brick, which made rides quite bumpy. The power plant being a large and loud motorcycle engine was also maligned. The "Smart" Car was discontinued in 1920.

Overall while the "Smart" Car was revolutionary in some aspects, it was severely lacking in others.

-W.W.