Lot #1578 - In early 2008, America will be introduced to the phenomenon that has graced the rest of the world since 1998: the smart car by Mercedes-Benz. The smart car was styled by world famous Swiss Watch designer, Swatch, and engineered by Mercedes. This 8' 2.5" car is the smallest in the world. It is within 10" of the smallest BMW Isetta from the 50's and almost 4' shorter than the Mini Cooper. It fits on top of a pool table. Though not legal to do so, it can park perpendicular to the curb. It is that short. It has a 3-cylinder, 0.7 liter, 61hp Mercedes Turbo-charged gasoline engine. The top speed is 85 mph. It has a unique Mercedes engineered and designed safety frame, a roll bar style body that protects its passengers. Dual airbags continue that safety element. The transmission is a combination 6-speed clutch-less manual transmission that converts to automatic with the push of a button. Rear Mercedes engine, rear wheel drive with wide rear wheels makes this car's handling a joy to experience. This 2007 model represents the culmination of improvement to the original 1998 Smart Car's design. The German auto industry viewed this car's dependability with low incidence of repair as the top in the country in it's testing of the 2005 model. This 2007 model year is the same essential car as the 2005 tested models. The Smart Cars have been featured on the big screen in the past year or so, including "The Davinci Code", "The Pink Panther" and most recently in "The Bourne Ultimatum". The 2008 cars will be slightly redesigned and the Mercedes engine will be replaced with a Mitsubishi. The 2008 smart cars will be 7" longer and have a more powerful 1.0 Liter engine. This 2007 represents the last of the Mercedes engine Smart Cars and one of only two 2007 Mercedes-engined Smart Cabrios in the US. There are no 2007 Mitsubishi-engined Smarts in the US. In 2003, an automobile converter applied to the EPA and Department of Transportation to convert the original designed European Smart Car to US legal use. In late 2005, he was approved and the first cars sold in the US in early 2006. There have been a little over a 1,000 of these rare cars converted since then. Of those cars, only 2 of them are recognized by the Department of Transportation as 2007 Smart cabrios (convertibles). Though sold throughout the world since 1998, the official release in the US by Mercedes will be in 2008. The converted European design cars have been sold here since 2006. No 2007 car has been sold in the US until this Barrett-Jackson auction. There are no other known 2007 cabrios, either with the Mercedes engine or the Mitsubishi engine. Department of Transportation paperwork will be provided as proof of the model year with the sale of the car. Jack Black and silver tridion. 2007 Cabrio DOT Release 0001. ***MAY NOT BE EMISSIONS COMPLIANT IN ALL 50 STATES***