MY VISIT TO SMARTVILLE 2003

On the 10th May 2003, I set off with my lady friend in my smart car towards Dover for the start of our adventure.  We made our way towards the Travel Inn where we were to stay the night in order to catch the Hoverspeed Seacat early the next morning.  Many other ‘smarties’ were going in the same direction that cheerfully waved and flashed their headlights in recognition.  On arrival at the hotel others had already booked in and were making preparations to get a meal.  Having first filled up with fuel we then booked into our room and made ourselves comfortable.  On our way to the restaurant it was evident that it would be quite a sight seeing all these ‘smart’ cars driving in convoy as there were many parked up outside.  Having enjoyed a good meal and tasty wine the organisers gave a short briefing about the drive across France.  We then retired to our rooms for the night.

Sunday morning started early without breakfast as we all had to muster at 0715hrs.  Everyone appeared to have survived the evenings drinking and was ready to go on time.  The Seacat leaves promptly at 0800hrs and we all needed to be at the check-in area by 0730hrs.  Loading the cars was a swift operation and it was interesting how they squeezed over forty ‘smart’ cars plus other vehicles in.  The trip across was very smooth with the ‘cat moving at 35 knots and a crossing time of only fifty minutes.  Barely enough time to grab something to eat, drink and look round.  As we unloaded in Calais we all met up in a large car park to ensure everyone was together and ready to move.[pay]

We left the ferry terminal and were quickly on the motorway leaving Calais behind rapidly.  It was not long before we reached the first tollbooth.  I had visions of spending my euros straight away but it was only to pick up the first ticket.  Later of course we would have to pay the rate for the distance covered.  We continued at a fair pace and settled down to cruise at 80 mph, the car seemed happy at that speed.  We all had a comfort stop with some of us topping up our non-existent breakfast.  Later we stopped for lunch and fuel but my friend did not want a baguette but something more substantial.  So we crossed over the bridge to the café the other side of the motorway.  As we indulged ourselves the rest of the convoy moved off.  I was confident that we would be able to meet up with them later.  As it turned out, we did not see any of them until we found the hotel in Saarbrucken/Germany where we were staying for the two nights.  Apart from getting hopelessly lost in city, the rest of the journey went quite well.

The hotel room was classy and had the beds up on a mezzanine floor with a small staircase leading up.  The room had the usual shower/toilet/hand basin, wardrobe, television and a large settee.  There were no tea making facilities and you rang room service for any warm drinks you wanted.  Tucked away in the wardrobe was a fridge with a large selection of alcoholic drinks if you needed them.  Downstairs the dining area was laid out nicely and was comfortable and airy.  A large selection food was set out on tables where you helped yourself to whatever you wanted.  If you wanted wine, beer or spirits you paid for it in the usual way.  All other costs being included in the package price.  When the evening was over it was off to bed.

Smartville is located near the village of Hambach/France, which is just a few miles south of Saarbrucken.  When breakfast was finished we gathered together in groups for the convoy to the smart factory.  On arrival we noticed that the whole complex is surrounded with security fencing which stretches as far as you can see.  There are numerous fields covered in smart cars of all types waiting to meet their new owners.  We got caught up with the wrong group at the factory and went off to Cubic, the company that produces the special coloured panels.  It was fascinating to watch the robots doing their thing and to see the end results.  All this work is monitored by highly trained staff and requires their intervention at certain stages.  We were given a guided tour and many of the operations were explained in some detail.  We had some time to kill so a quick trip into Hambach for some refreshments was taken.

When we arrived back at the reception area we were given a short film show explaining how the factory works then enjoyed a very tasty lunch followed by a coach trip to the production line.  This is highly organised with all the parts arriving just in time for that particular vehicle.  Each car has a bar code with all the build details coded in.  This will trigger the controller to supply each individual item, just in time, for that car.  The suppliers of parts are located around the core of the production line and get the parts to the line by conveyor belts, hooks or forklift truck.  We were watching the cars being built from some ten feet away.  Any rogue cars are taken to the centre of the building for everyone to see then the problems are sorted out by a specialist team.  Quality checks are made on a regular basis by taking a car off the line and putting it through a series of tests.  Obviously these are non-destructive tests.  Any panels that are deemed unsuitable are ground down to make the non-visible black plastic trims such as wheel arch protectors.  All the time we were walking around we had an interpreter giving a description of events as they took place.  At the end of the visit we all thought that it was worthwhile.  Most of us made our way back to the hotel although some went to ‘smart’ at Saarbrucken on the way.  There we enjoyed dinner and a very good raffle followed by a good nights sleep.

When breakfast was finished the following day, the car was packed for the return journey.  Some of the group decided to go on alone whilst others travelled in convoy.  We left on our own and made our way back to Calais.  Apart from the heavy storms with hailstones the size of marbles, the journey was enjoyable.  There was little traffic and what there was drove with more respect than most motorists do over here.   We arrived back at the ferry terminal in plenty of time.  The trip back across the channel was bumpier than going because of a force four storm.  Everyone that tried to walk about the Seacat looked like they were drunk, not true of course.  Once we landed at Dover and cleared customs we made our way home.

I had covered a total of 940 miles and about £35.00 was spent on motorway tolls. The car averaged 46 mpg but you have to remember that a lot of it was done at 80mph.

My thanks go to all those that organised the trip, they worked hard to satisfy all the needs of others.

 

Submitted By:

Brian Gutteridge

Aka Black smartie[/pay]

 

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