The smart

Over the last years people have got used to the sight of very small cars parked in tiny parking spaces. Smart is one of the world’s youngest car makers and yet the Smart Fortwo is such a distinctive car that it has already been included as an exhibit in the Museum of Modern Art in New York – one of only six cars to attain this distinction.

In April 1994, the Micro Compact Car AG was founded in Switzerland as a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Swatch. Nicolas Hayek, the inventor of the Swatch watch, brought his idea for an ultra-short small car and Mercedes-Benz contributed expertise and experience from more than a hundred years of building cars. Engineers devised a car which is not only extremely mobile and efficient, but also very economical. Its other key feature is safety, with its unique tridion cell.

After starting development, the Smart Fortwo celebrated its premiere at the Motor Show in 1997. Production in Hambach, France, started in 1998, and sales took off in other European countries. There is no doubt that it is a leader in urban mobility. All Smart vehicles embody the same brand values and have the same ‘DNA’: innovation, functionality and joie de vivre. They appeal to people who are sporty, independent and young at heart; people who love clever solutions and are open to new ideas.

3. Answer these questions:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Smart?

2. In which countries do you think small cars are most successful?

3. Do you think small cars will become more popular in the future? Why?

4. Complete the table:

The exterior	The interior
Bonnet, front bumper, …	Air vent, car seat (headrest), …

Airbag, speedometer, headlight, petrol cap or flap, sunroof, sill, ashtray, wheel arch, cigarette lighter, dashboard, wheel trim, logo, windscreen wiper, wing, aerial, boot, gearstick, number plate, glove compartment, rear window, handbrake, horn, ignition, wing mirror, rear-view mirror, seat belt, rear light, steering wheel, sun visor, engine oil temperature gauge, fuel gauge.

5. Read “The Mini Story”. Which three paragraphs are from the same article and which one is from a fashion magazine? Put the paragraphs from the article in the correct order.

A

There are 2,500 employees at the plant and the working environment is good. The car assembly line is designed ergonomically to be easy in use and comfortable for the operators. The car is raised, lowered and turned through 90 degrees so the workers can do their jobs easily. Old-fashioned, noisy, compressed-air tools have been replaced with more accurate electric tools.

B

The first Mini was made in 1959 and since then over five million people have owned one. BMW, a German car manufacturer, now owns the Mini and the newest model is being manufactured in England.

C

During the 1990s approximately £500 million was spent to change an old Oxford car factory into a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant. It now produces around 1000,000 Minis a year.

D

In Britain in the 1960s the only really cool car was the Mini. Everybody wanted one. It starred in advertisement and films and was as famous as the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Anyone who was young and rich, famous and fashionable had to be photographed sitting on, in or just near one. And those who were poor and unknown wanted one too. They were small and cheap and suited free generation.

6. Answer these questions:

1. When was the first Mini made?

2. Why is the Mini factory in Oxford so special?

3. How many new Minis are made each year?

4. How many people work at the Mini factory?

5. Why is the new factory better for the workers?

7. Here are some factors people consider when buying a car. Match the factors with the definitions.

price	the amount of money you get when you sell your car
resale value	how much petrol or diesel the car uses
size	when customers always buy their cars from the same manufacturer
interior features	the amount of money you pay when you buy a car
fuel consumption	the car’s capacity to go fast and accelerate quickly
performance	how big the car is
brand loyalty	items inside the car

8. There are several common car body styles:

ENCLOSED:	OPEN or PARTLY ENCLOSED:
Sedan, known as a Saloon	Roadster
Hardtop	Convertible
Coupe	Cabriolet
Limousine
REAR DOOR DESIGNS:	OTHER:
Station wagon or Estate car	Sport utility vehicle (SUV), Coupe Utility or Ute
Hatchback
Lift back

Automobile

mechanic		exterior design
traffic warden		interior design
corporate identity		cigarette lighter
assembly line		ashtray
technical requirements		bonnet (hood)
fuel consumption		boot (trunk)
customer demands		aerial
technical inclination		head and rear lights
streamlined look		cup holder
body style / bodywork		sun visor
four-wheel drive		glove compartment
frame and chassis		sunroof
floor pan		indicator (turn signal)
model ranges		logo, badge, brand image
colour and trim design		exhaust pipe
sound proofing		number plate
transmission		wing mirror
muffler		spare wheel
battery		mud flap, mudguard
steering wheel		sill, grill(e)
air vent		luxury-class off-road vehicle
cockpit		washer nozzle
windscreen (windshield) wiper		accelerator, brake pedal, clutch pedal
semi-automatic		dashboard / instrument panel
inlet and exhaust valves		to move backwards and forwards
chassis frame		handbrake
crankshaft		horn
camshaft		ignition key
cast iron		rear-view mirror
alloy		petrol cap (flap), petrol tank
piston,cylinder		to maintain
piston rings		fuel gauge
flywheel		spring
boot lid		anti-lock braking system
gearstick / gearbox		intake stroke
airbag		compression
shock absorber		power stroke
warm-up period		exhaust stroke
resale value		automated assembly process
first gear		lubricating / oiling system
reverse gear		internal combustion engine
neutral gear		drum and disc brakes
emery cloth		brake shoe
to cause wearing		wheelbase
propeller shaft		electrically operated pump
cooling system		float chamber
spark plug		needle valve
pressure gauge		choke tube
seat (safety) belt		throttle valve
air and petrol mixture		jet
driving shaft		roof-rack
driven shaft		cab
lay shaft		filling station
gear		hubcap
leaf spring		jack
coil spring		license plate
primary coil		parking lights
secondary coil		screwdriver
contract breaker		spanner
rumble seat		service station
rubbing / friction		trailer
window roller

British English	American English
accelerator	(also) gas pedal
aerial	antenna
aluminium	aluminum
bonnet	hood
boot	trunk
camper van	recreational vehicle (RV)
crossing	intersection
driving licence	driver’s license
engine	(also) motor
estate car	station wagon (SW)
gear lever/stick	gear shift / stick shift
gearbox	transmission
glove compartment	(also) glow box
gudgeon pin	piston pin
indicator	turn signal
kerb weight	curb weight
lorry	truck
motorway	highway, freeway
number plate	licence plate
oil sump	oil pan
MPV	(also) minivan
people carrier	MPV or minivan
petrol cap (flap)	gas tank lid
petrol station	gas station
roundabout	traffic circle
saloon	sedan
side light	parking light
silencer	muffler
subway	underpass
swept volume	piston displacement
tyre	tire
windscreen	windshield
wing mirror	side mirror
wing	fender