Some Smart spin from Mercedes-Benz on their collaboration with Nicholas G. Hayek Sr. & the Swatch Group in the development of the Smart Car.

Ever the visionary, Hayek pushed for the compact vehicle to be electric, presenting R&D from Switzerland's Biel Polytechnic at his second meeting with Mercedes in 1993. When Mercedes made the call to go full steam ahead with a gasoline-powered drivetrain in 1997, Hayek pulled out. Rather than fess up to their own lack of vision and financial scope to pursue an all-electric drivetrain, in this press kit from Mercedes-Benz the company frames the fallout as Hayek not having sufficient "financial scope" to proceed with production.