smart Logo

smart Automobile Co., Ltd.

The smart emblem expresses compact mobility through a lowercase wordmark and a forward-looking symbol rooted in the brand’s city-car origins. Its restrained, modern identity supports a shift from urban microcars to a new generation of electric vehicles.

Available as PNG and WebP from a stable Motomarks CDN URL at /img/smart.

Founded
1994
Country
Germany
Company
smart Automobile Co., Ltd.
Headquarters
Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
Parent
Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group
Official website

Updated Jun 29, 2026

Live logo URL
The preview and URL stay paired, so the asset you copy is the exact asset on screen.
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smart full

This preview uses a placeholder token until an API key is available.

Add an API key before using this URL

Create or manage a key, then return here to copy a working URL.

Choose the right smart asset

Start with the shape that fits the slot, then tune size and format in the URL.

Full logo

Best for directories, marketplace cards, comparison pages, and any surface where the complete mark has room to breathe.

Badge

Best for compact UI: filters, tables, saved vehicles, mobile lists, and favicon-like brand slots.

Wordmark

Best when the manufacturer name needs to stay legible in headers, partner lists, and editorial pages.

How to use the smart logo in an app

Add the published smart logo to a product with a Motomarks CDN URL, then keep the same asset across sizes, formats, and frameworks.

  1. 1

    Copy the CDN URL

    Start from https://motomarks.io/img/smart. That slug stays stable as Motomarks updates the published smart assets.

  2. 2

    Choose type, size, and format

    Set type to full, badge, or wordmark when that variant exists. Add size (xs through xl) and format (png or webp) as query parameters.

  3. 3

    Add a publishable API key

    Append your pk_ key for production CDN requests. Secret sk_ keys stay on the server for JSON API calls.

  4. 4

    Drop the URL into your UI

    Use the URL in an img, Image, or native image loader. Keep alt text specific, such as "smart logo".

Use it in any stack
One keyed Motomarks URL works in plain markup, component frameworks, native image loaders, and API-backed views.
logo.html
1<img2  src="https://motomarks.io/img/smart?token=YOUR_API_KEY"3  alt="smart logo"4  width="128"5  height="128"6  loading="lazy"7/>

Need more than the image?

Fetch the brand record when your UI also needs metadata, ordered colors, or attribution context.

GET https://api.motomarks.io/brands/smart
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY
Read the API docs

Reference

More about smart.

Brand history, logo changes, color notes, usage examples, and common questions.

What makes this mark recognizable?

Identity cues, heritage, and visual details to keep in mind before the asset lands in your UI.

The smart identity began with the small city-car project developed by Daimler-Benz and SMH, the parent company of Swatch, with the name commonly understood as Swatch Mercedes ART. Its early emblem paired a rounded lowercase wordmark with a circular "c" shape for compact and a forward-pointing arrow, often shown in silver and yellow.

As the brand moved from the original fortwo era into an all-electric portfolio, the visual identity became cleaner and more digital, retaining the lowercase name and compact, forward-looking symbolism. The current branding is closely associated with minimal black wordmarks, simplified emblem use, and a modern electric mobility positioning.

First color in the reference palette

Motomarks records #000000 as the primary smart reference color, with any alternate swatches listed in the color reference and API response.

How the mark got here

The identity shifts that explain the smart logo in use today.

Origins

The smart project grew from Swiss watch entrepreneur Nicolas Hayek’s idea for a highly compact urban car and Daimler-Benz’s engineering and manufacturing capability. In 1994, Daimler-Benz and SMH created Micro Compact Car AG to develop the vehicle. The brand name smart is widely explained as a combination of Swatch, Mercedes and ART, reflecting the early partnership and design-led positioning.

Launch of the city-car brand

The first production smart city coupe, later known as the smart fortwo, launched in Europe in 1998. Its short two-seat format, Tridion safety cell and interchangeable body panels gave the brand a distinct identity in dense urban environments. The logo supported that message with a compact, rounded form and a directional arrow.

Transition to electric mobility

smart became increasingly associated with electric city mobility during the 2010s and later shifted fully toward battery-electric vehicles. In 2019, Mercedes-Benz and Geely announced a joint venture for the next phase of the brand. Newer models such as the smart #1 and smart #3 repositioned smart from microcars toward premium compact electric vehicles while retaining a simple, lowercase brand identity.

When the logo changed

A compact record of redesigns, visual turns, and the reasons the mark moved.

1998

Compact car launch emblem

The early smart logo used a rounded lowercase wordmark with a circular "c" symbol and a forward-pointing arrow. The emblem was commonly rendered with metallic gray and yellow, giving the mark a technical and optimistic urban character.

Reason for redesign: The mark was created for the launch of the first production smart city car and emphasized compactness, mobility and forward movement.

2010s

Simplified digital-era identity

The smart identity was increasingly used in flatter, cleaner applications, with the lowercase wordmark and emblem simplified for digital media, vehicle badging and retail environments.

Reason for redesign: Automotive brands moved toward more flexible visual systems that worked across screens, apps, showrooms and vehicle interfaces.

2019

Electric-era brand repositioning

Following the Mercedes-Benz and Geely joint venture, smart branding adopted a more minimal premium electric-vehicle presentation. The lowercase wordmark remained central, supported by restrained black and white usage and a cleaner brand system.

Reason for redesign: The brand repositioned from primarily two-seat city cars toward a new global electric vehicle portfolio.

What to preserve in production

Shape, color, and type cues that keep smart recognizable at app scale.

Composition

The smart identity is built around a lowercase wordmark and, in emblem use, a compact circular element with a directional arrow. The composition is deliberately small-scale, rounded and approachable, matching the brand’s original role in city mobility.

Symbol

The circular "c" has long been associated with compactness, while the arrow suggests forward motion, progress and practical movement through urban spaces. Together, the elements communicate a small vehicle designed for efficient mobility rather than traditional automotive prestige.

Lettering

The lowercase typography makes the brand feel informal, modern and accessible. Its rounded forms reinforce the product idea of compactness, friendliness and ease of use.

Color

Current brand applications rely heavily on black and white for a clean electric-era identity. Earlier logo treatments often used gray or silver with a yellow arrow, linking the mark to engineering, energy and forward direction.

Shape

Rounded shapes dominate the identity, creating a compact and human-centered impression. The arrow introduces motion and purpose within an otherwise simple geometric form.

Heritage

The logo’s historical meaning is closely tied to the original Swatch and Mercedes project, where design culture, engineering and urban practicality were combined in a very small car.

Market context

The smart logo became associated with European city mobility, especially the two-seat fortwo, which was frequently seen in dense urban streets where parking space and maneuverability mattered.

Design logic

The identity follows the same philosophy as the original vehicle: reduce what is unnecessary, keep the form simple and make the result practical, memorable and urban.

Where teams place it

Common product surfaces where smart assets need to stay clear, consistent, and fast.

Vehicle badging

Vehicle owners and buyers

The smart name and emblem are used on exterior badging, wheels, steering wheels and model identification across the brand’s electric vehicle lineup.

Dealer and market websites

Dealers and customers

Official market websites and retailer pages use the smart wordmark to identify vehicles, configurators, offers and service information.

Charging and connected services

EV drivers

The simplified identity is suitable for app icons, in-car interfaces, charging information and connected mobility services.

Press and corporate communications

Media and business partners

The brand mark appears in official product announcements, media imagery and corporate communications related to smart Automobile.

Common questions about the smart logo

Format, usage, attribution, and history notes for the smart logo.

What does the smart logo mean?

The smart logo is commonly interpreted through its circular "c" and forward-pointing arrow. The "c" refers to compact, matching the brand’s original city-car mission, while the arrow suggests forward movement and practical mobility. The lowercase wordmark reinforces an approachable, modern identity rather than a traditional luxury-car tone.

What does the current smart logo look like?

The current smart identity uses a clean lowercase wordmark, often presented in black or white for digital and vehicle applications. Depending on the market and context, the compact emblem may also appear. The overall appearance is minimal and suited to the brand’s newer battery-electric vehicles.

How has the smart logo changed over time?

The early smart logo used a rounded wordmark with a circular compact symbol and a yellow arrow, reflecting the brand’s late-1990s city-car launch. Over time, the identity became flatter and simpler for screens, retail environments and electric vehicle branding. The lowercase name has remained a consistent feature.

Can product teams use the smart logo in apps or digital products?

Product teams should use an official smart logo asset when representing the manufacturer in vehicle listings, EV charging experiences, connected-car tools or editorial interfaces. Motomarks can help with consistent asset delivery, but trademark use should still follow smart’s official brand, partner or trademark guidance.

Where should teams check official smart logo and trademark guidance?

Teams should consult smart’s official website, press resources, partner materials or legal trademark notices for current rules on logo use. The smart name and emblem are brand identifiers, so usage in commercial products, marketing or integrations should not imply endorsement without appropriate authorization.

More logos from Germany

Nearby manufacturer pages in the Motomarks index, useful when a product needs more than one mark.

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