Who's behind the badge
smart
A 50:50 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely. Designed by Mercedes, engineered and built by Geely in China.
smart was a Mercedes-Benz (Daimler) brand, building small city cars at Hambach in France and Novo Mesto in Slovenia.
In 2019 Daimler and Zhejiang Geely Holding agreed to own smart 50:50. Mercedes-Benz styles the cars and Geely engineers them, and production moved to a new electric-car factory in China. The #1, #3 and #5 sold in the UK all come from there.
Timeline
- 2019 Daimler and Geely sign a 50:50 joint venture for smart (March).
- 2022 First China-built smart models go on sale globally.
Sources
Checked 9 Nov 2026. Ownership changes: if something here is out of date, tell us.
