Penske takes his Smarts on the road
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| Motorized microcar marketing makes multiple marks |
AutoWeek | Published 05/07/07, 3:39 pm et |
Traditional car dealer Roger Penske is pulling out all the stops to introduce consumers to the smaller-than-expected and larger-than-life Smart microcar.
Not only must Penske create a distribution company from scratch and establish an automotive brand in a crowded arena, but he must convince sport/utility-vehicle-driving, truck-loving America that these cars are not a safety hazard. Oh, and he has to sell more than a few boatloads to turn a profit.
Few observers believe the Smart will be anything but a success.
To help establish Smart USA, a 56-city national tour of trailers stuffed with the cute, fuel-efficient German minicars—they’re less than 9 feet long and only 5 feet tall—will canvass America. Each trailer
carries two cars for test drives, plus a cutaway Smart skeleton to emphasize its safety capabilities. The tour kicks off this month on the West Coast and concludes in November in Miami, visiting each city where Smart will have a dealership. The company expects the Smart tour will put some 70,000 people behind the wheel.
Overseeing Smart’s launch are Dave Schembri and Russell Hill, two auto industry veterans with decades of import factory and retail experience. They have devised plans to make Smart a household name.
“It’s ‘discovery marketing,’” says Schembri, Smart USA president. “People like to discover things and take ownership. It happens when you are on the highway and people wave at you to slow down and so they can take a picture. They’ve ‘discovered’ the car.”
Four groups have shown interest: first-time car owners, urban dwelling “metro-cools,” commuters and empty-nesters. The Smart website also has helped identify strong geographic areas of interest, which will help channel product to the right markets as well as prepare for service support down the road.
Three models will be sold in the United States: Smart Fortwo Pure, an entry-level coupe starting at less than $12,000; Smart Fortwo Passion, a coupe with comfort and style items (such as a panoramic roof and paddle shifters) for $14,000; and Smart Fortwo Passion Cabrio for less than $17,000. Each has antilock brakes, electronic stability control and four airbags. Each is powered by a 1.0-liter engine that delivers 84 hp, an estimated 40-plus mpg in the city and more than 60 mpg on highway. Top speed is near 90 mph.
Is America ready for microcar ownership? Absolutely, say Schembri and Hill, and they have the data and advance orders to show it. “If we get credit for inventing the microcar in America, then we become the Coke and everyone else is Pepsi,” says Schembri. “We can live with that.”
Consumers interested in test drives can find the tour itinerary at www.smartusa.com. Buyers can plop down $99 to make a reservation to order a car, with the first deliveries starting in January 2008.
Not only must Penske create a distribution company from scratch and establish an automotive brand in a crowded arena, but he must convince sport/utility-vehicle-driving, truck-loving America that these cars are not a safety hazard. Oh, and he has to sell more than a few boatloads to turn a profit.
Few observers believe the Smart will be anything but a success.
To help establish Smart USA, a 56-city national tour of trailers stuffed with the cute, fuel-efficient German minicars—they’re less than 9 feet long and only 5 feet tall—will canvass America. Each trailer
carries two cars for test drives, plus a cutaway Smart skeleton to emphasize its safety capabilities. The tour kicks off this month on the West Coast and concludes in November in Miami, visiting each city where Smart will have a dealership. The company expects the Smart tour will put some 70,000 people behind the wheel.
Overseeing Smart’s launch are Dave Schembri and Russell Hill, two auto industry veterans with decades of import factory and retail experience. They have devised plans to make Smart a household name.
“It’s ‘discovery marketing,’” says Schembri, Smart USA president. “People like to discover things and take ownership. It happens when you are on the highway and people wave at you to slow down and so they can take a picture. They’ve ‘discovered’ the car.”
Four groups have shown interest: first-time car owners, urban dwelling “metro-cools,” commuters and empty-nesters. The Smart website also has helped identify strong geographic areas of interest, which will help channel product to the right markets as well as prepare for service support down the road.
Three models will be sold in the United States: Smart Fortwo Pure, an entry-level coupe starting at less than $12,000; Smart Fortwo Passion, a coupe with comfort and style items (such as a panoramic roof and paddle shifters) for $14,000; and Smart Fortwo Passion Cabrio for less than $17,000. Each has antilock brakes, electronic stability control and four airbags. Each is powered by a 1.0-liter engine that delivers 84 hp, an estimated 40-plus mpg in the city and more than 60 mpg on highway. Top speed is near 90 mph.
Is America ready for microcar ownership? Absolutely, say Schembri and Hill, and they have the data and advance orders to show it. “If we get credit for inventing the microcar in America, then we become the Coke and everyone else is Pepsi,” says Schembri. “We can live with that.”
Consumers interested in test drives can find the tour itinerary at www.smartusa.com. Buyers can plop down $99 to make a reservation to order a car, with the first deliveries starting in January 2008.
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