Mercedes’ Smart counts on 20,000 sales at the outset

The head of Smart USA believes he has 20,000 American buyers lining up for Mercedes' boxy Smart two-seaters. "There are more than 30,000 reservations with a $99 down payment, and we expect 70 percent of those to convert to sales," Dave Schembri, president of Smart USA, said at the North American International Auto Show. The Smart, designed by Mercedes and built in eastern France, was launched in 1998 but Americans have not been able to buy them until now. Deliveries of Smart cars to U.S. customers begin this week. High gas prices are expected to increase demand for the quirky cars. In a cross-country trek of three Smart cars from Los Angeles to Detroit, a gas-powered Smart got 49 miles per gallon, while a diesel version managed 59.8 mpg.