450 1998–2007 1st-gen Fortwo
1998–2007 Smart Fortwo (450, 1st gen)
Gas (M160 0.6L 3-cyl, later 0.7L on facelift), naturally aspirated or turbo (Brabus), RWD, 6-speed Getrag single-clutch automated manual ("softip") — plus 0.8L CDI diesel in EU
Is this you? If your Smart was sold 1998–2007, has the engine sitting behind the rear axle, and feels like a city scooter on four wheels, you're in the right place.
About this generation
The 450 is the original Smart — the car that started the brand in 1998 and ran in two visual eras (pre-facelift 1998–2002, facelift 2003–2007) before the 451 replaced it. It was never officially sold in North America. If you're reading this in the US, your 450 came in under the 25-year rule via grey-market importers like G&K Automotive or ZAP, and you already know your car is rarer here than a Bentley. The volume audience for this page is UK, EU, Japan, and Australia, where the 450 was a normal everyday small car for a decade.
Mechanically the 450 is the chassis where Mercedes was still figuring out the formula. The engine sits behind the rear axle — not between the seats and the rear axle like the 452 Roadster, and not amidships like a sports car. Behind it. That layout is why the 450 oversteers more eagerly than the 451 or 453, why the front feels eerily light at speed, and why it's so unbelievably easy to park. It's also why early 450s had genuine high-speed crosswind issues that Mercedes spent years tuning out.
The transmission is the great-grandfather of the 451's notorious single-clutch mta. It's a 6-speed Getrag automated manual — one clutch, a robot pulling it, the same forward-nodding pause at every upshift. If you've read about the 451 trans, the 450 is that, but earlier and arguably less polished. The lift-off-the-throttle technique helps the same way. Manual mode (paddle or shifter, depending on year) is your friend.
Good news: the M160 three-cylinder is a tough little engine, parts in the UK and EU are plentiful, and most maintenance is owner-friendly. Bad news: the 450 has its own well-known weak points — alternator soft-seize that immobilizes the car, water leaks that have generated entire forum subsections, headlight motor failures, ignition lock cylinder wear, and on the EU CDI diesels, particulate filter and turbo issues. The car is honest about what it is. Buy with eyes open and stay current on the small stuff and a 450 will run for many more years.
Quick specs
- Engine options
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- 0.6L M160 3-cylinder turbo (45–55 hp) — pre-facelift 1998–2002 base
- 0.6L M160 3-cylinder turbo Brabus (~70 hp) — pre-facelift performance
- 0.7L M160 3-cylinder turbo (50–62 hp) — facelift 2003–2007 base
- 0.7L M160 3-cylinder turbo Brabus (~75 hp / 101 hp on Roadster-shared variants)
- 0.8L CDI diesel 3-cylinder (~40–45 hp) — EU only, never sold outside Europe
- Gearbox
- 6-speed Getrag single-clutch automated manual ("softip" — sometimes called softouch). The direct ancestor of the 451's mta. NOT a torque-converter automatic. One clutch, one robot, one pause at every upshift. A real manual was offered as a kit/conversion in some markets but was never volume.
- MPG / Range
- 52–60 MPG (UK gallons) gas · ~70 MPG (UK) on the CDI diesel — small tank, surprisingly good range
- Length
- 8 ft 2 in (2,500 mm) on pre-facelift, 8 ft 8 in (2,640 mm) on facelift — the smallest of any Fortwo
- Weight
- 1,610–1,830 lb (730–830 kg) depending on year, trim, and CDI vs gas
- Fuel
- Premium unleaded (95 RON / 91 octane) for gas variants; standard diesel for CDI. Mercedes-spec.
- Built in
- Hambach, France
- Seats
- 2
- Cargo
- 5.3 ft³ behind the seats, ~9 ft³ with the seatback folded flat — the smallest Fortwo cargo of any generation
- Safety
- Tridion safety cell, dual front airbags, ABS standard from 2001, ESP standard from facelift (2003), side airbags optional from facelift
Downloads & resources
The manuals, diagrams, and quick references that ship with this chassis. PDFs open in a new tab; on-site pages are owner-to-owner walkthroughs.
Missing a manual you'd expect to see? Email us — if it exists, we'll add it.
Trims & variants — what each one meant
Smart's trim names look interchangeable across generations, but they mean slightly different things on each chassis. Here's what the labels actually got you on the Fortwo (450, 1st gen).
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City-Coupe (early branding, 1998–2002)
The original name. Pre-facelift cars were sold as 'smart City-Coupe' before Mercedes consolidated the naming to 'Fortwo' in 2004. If your title or registration shows 'City-Coupe', it's just an old 450.
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Pure
Base trim. Steel wheels, manual A/C (or none on early cars), cloth seats, base radio. The volume seller across UK and EU.
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Pulse
Mid-trim. Alloys, upgraded interior trim, sometimes automatic A/C in later years. Coupe and Cabrio body styles.
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Passion
Top non-Brabus trim. Glass panoramic roof on Coupe, leather wheel, full equipment. The 'comfortable Smart' spec for UK and EU buyers.
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Brabus
The factory hot-rod. Turbocharged M160 in higher-output tune, Brabus wheels and bodykit, sport exhaust, sport interior. On facelift cars the 75 hp Brabus is the most desirable 450 in the UK enthusiast market.
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Cabrio (body style, all trims)
Power-folding cloth roof with removable rails. Same chassis as the Coupe with body modifications. Roof and seal wear is a real long-term issue on any 450 Cabrio — factor in eventual roof service.
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CDI (diesel, EU only)
0.8L turbodiesel three-cylinder — sold in Europe only. Tiny power output (40–45 hp) but legendary fuel economy. DPF and EGR issues are well-documented. If you find a CDI, it's an EU car and it should be treated as a diesel with all that implies.
The first 30 days
If you just bought a Fortwo (450, 1st gen), this is the order to do things in. Stay ahead of these and you'll save yourself a lot of money.
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Learn to drive the 6-speed softip transmission
The 450's gearbox is a single-clutch automated manual — the same family as the 451's mta but earlier and shorter on polish. It pauses at every upshift unless you help it. Lift off the throttle just before each upshift the way you would in a stick shift; the pause shrinks dramatically. Drive in manual mode (paddle or shifter, depending on year) when the auto pauses get tiring. After a week this becomes muscle memory. Without it, you'll hate the car. With it, you'll get along with it.
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Check the alternator before it strands you
The 450's most-known electrical fault is alternator soft-seize: the bearings drag, the engine struggles to crank, and eventually you get a no-start. See [alternator soft-seize / no crank](/fault-codes/450-alternator-soft-seize-no-crank/). If your 450 has any cranking weirdness, slow starts, or odd belt squeal, get it checked early — replacing an alternator on a maintenance schedule is far cheaper than replacing one in a parking lot somewhere.
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Confirm fluid levels and quality
Engine oil (Mercedes 229.1/229.3 spec, 5W-40 typical for the M160), coolant (Mercedes spec, ~5L total), brake fluid (DOT 4), and the Getrag transmission fluid. The trans uses a specific Mercedes-spec fluid — don't substitute. On CDI diesels, also check the fuel filter age and the EGR system condition.
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Hunt for water leaks
Every 450 leaks somewhere eventually. Open the doors, check the passenger and driver footwells, look at the carpet under the rear cargo floor, and run your fingers along the rubber seals around the doors and rear hatch. Damp carpet, a musty smell, or rust forming on the seat rails are all early signs. The seals around the windscreen and the rear hatch are the most common culprits. Catch it early — water in the wrong place can kill the SAM module.
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Find the service history
On UK cars, look for a stamped service booklet or use the DVLA's MOT history tool to see mileage progression and advisories. EU cars vary by country — Germany has TÜV records, France has the contrôle technique, etc. Watch for skipped 10k oil intervals, missing brake fluid flushes, no clutch service. Cars with no history are not unbuyable but you'll inherit some unknowns.
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Register for recall alerts
Use the [DVSA recall lookup](https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall) for UK-registered cars or your national EU portal. The 450 has had recalls for steering items and various electrical campaigns. Recall repairs are free at any Mercedes-authorized dealer regardless of how many owners back the campaign was issued.
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Find an indie before you need one
The 450 is old enough that mainstream Mercedes dealers in the UK and EU often don't want to work on it anymore. The independent specialist network is who keeps these cars on the road today. Use the [Mechanic Directory](/mechanic-directory/) and the smart-club.co.uk regional threads to find your two or three best options on a map before something breaks.
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Take a baseline scan
A cheap iCarsoft i980 (UK/EU) or a Foxwell NT530 reads Smart-specific modules (engine, transmission, ABS, SAM, airbag/SRS) the way a generic OBD2 reader can't. Pull all module faults once, save the report, and you have a baseline. Generic OBD code lookups will mislead you on this car — Smart-specific tools are worth the £150–£200.
Join the communities
Smart left North America in 2019. The communities below are how owners keep these cars on the road today — tribal knowledge, shop recommendations, parts swaps. Join two or three and lurk for a week before posting.
Global
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Evilution.co.uk
Forum
The deepest enthusiast-run Smart resource on the web — hundreds of code-by-code DIY breakdowns. UK-based, founded in the early 450 era, and still the single best 450 reference anywhere. Worth subscribing.
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smartcarforums.com
Forum
Long-running multi-region forum. Slower than Reddit but the search index is gold for older 450 threads — much of the early grey-market US import knowledge lives here.
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@SmartCarVideos (this site)
YouTube
670+ curated videos organized by generation and job type — the playlist library that goes with smartcarmanuals.com.
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Evilution YouTube
YouTube
Companion channel to the website. Concise, hands-on, no filler. Strong on 450-era content because Evilution's owner has been in the chassis since launch.
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Smart E.R.
YouTube
Practical owner-friendly tips, repairs, and reviews — covers Fortwo across generations including the 450.
North America
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Smart Car of America
Forum
North-American-skewed forum. The 450 was never officially sold here — what 450 content exists is in the grey-market import threads (G&K, ZAP, and 25-year-rule). Smaller than the UK groups but useful if you imported a car to North America.
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r/smartcar
Reddit
Mixed-region subreddit. Most 450 traffic comes from European users; the rare US grey-market 450 owner shows up periodically.
UK & Europe
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smart-club.co.uk
Forum
UK-focused and the spiritual home of the 450. Founded around the early City-Coupes and still active two decades later. Strong technical archive, regional meet-ups, and a real community of long-time owners.
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smartclub.de
Forum
German-language equivalent of smart-club.co.uk. Vast archive on the EU CDI diesel specifically — anything you need to know about 0.8 CDI lives here.
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Smart Car Owners UK (Facebook)
Facebook
login required — worth it
Login required, worth it. UK indie shop recommendations and Brabus/Cabrio enthusiast posts. The 450 nostalgia content is its own genre here.
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Smart 450 Owners (Facebook)
Facebook
login required — worth it
Login required, worth it. EU-skewed 450-specific group — most direct match for this page.
Australia
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Smart Car Australia (Facebook)
Facebook
login required — worth it
Login required, worth it. AU-specific imports, RHD parts sources, regional indie shops. The 450 came to AU in small numbers as RHD UK imports.
Watch this stuff before you wrench
A handful of videos that'll save you an afternoon — @SmartCarVideos first, then the deep enthusiast channels.
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Smart Fortwo 450 not starting — 9 times blinking, key teach-in procedure
LM Auto Repairs
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2005 Smart Fortwo C 450 0.7 Brabus 75 PS — top speed Autobahn drive POV
TEST DRIVE FREAK
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How to remove the centre dash console / radio on Smart Fortwo 450
powerfulukltd
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Smart Fortwo 450 starter motor change — first remove everything
HubNut
Top maintenance items
The owner-friendly jobs that keep this chassis running. Each card is a deeper guide on this site.
Common problems & what to watch
The things that actually fail on this chassis. Cards link to deep guides with cheap-first checks and parts pricing.
Recalls
Recall repairs are free at any Smart-authorized Mercedes dealer regardless of how many owners back the campaign was issued. Look up your VIN below.
Outside the US?
The NHTSA database only covers US-market Smarts. For other regions:
Buying one? Look at these first.
Known weak points
- Alternator soft-seize causing no-crank. The 450's signature electrical fault. Bearings in the alternator drag, the engine struggles to crank, and eventually you're stranded. Diagnosis is straightforward — pull the belt and see if the alternator pulley spins freely or drags. Replacement is a half-day DIY with a few special tools. See the dedicated [fault-code page](/fault-codes/450-alternator-soft-seize-no-crank/) for the full procedure.
- Water leaks (the famous 450 affliction). Body sealing on the 450 is fussy. Rear hatch seals, windscreen seals, A-pillar drains, and the rubber gaskets around the side panels all eventually leak. Symptoms: damp carpets, musty smell, rust on the seat-rail bolts, dead SAM module from water finding the wrong electronics. The cheapest fix is fresh sealant on the suspect joints. The expensive fix is replacing a soaked SAM. Catching it early matters.
- Headlight motor failures. The 450's headlight self-leveling motors fail at high mileage. Symptoms: lights pointing too high or too low, lights stuck mid-cycle, MOT failure for beam aim. Replacement motors are inexpensive and the swap is a 30-minute DIY behind each headlight assembly.
- Plastic body panel sun-fade. Smart famously made the body panels removable and cheap to replace. The flip side: 20+ years of UV on a colored thermoplastic panel and the color goes flat and chalky. Reds and blues fade hardest. The fix is a panel swap (used panels are cheap on UK breakers) or a respray. Tridion-color cars (silver/black on the safety cell) hide age better.
- Ignition lock cylinder wear. On high-mileage 450s the ignition cylinder wears and the key starts feeling loose, sticky, or refuses to turn. Mercedes-style replacement involves matching the cylinder to the existing key code. Indie locksmiths who know Mercedes can often do it cheaper than a dealer.
- EU CDI diesel — DPF and turbo issues. On the 0.8 CDI diesel only: the diesel particulate filter clogs on cars driven mostly short journeys, and the small turbo runs hot and eventually fails. If you're considering a CDI 450, drive a 30-mile motorway loop and watch for excess smoke or limp-mode. EU forums (smartclub.de in particular) have decades of DPF and turbo knowledge specific to this engine.
- Rear subframe and exhaust mount rust. On UK and northern-EU cars exposed to road salt, the rear subframe brackets and the exhaust mounts rust visibly. The Tridion safety cell itself (the silver/black tube structure) is well-protected and usually clean. Underneath is the problem area. Have the underbody inspected at any pre-purchase inspection — heavy subframe corrosion can fail an MOT.
- Glow plugs (CDI only). Standard diesel item but worth flagging on the CDI 450: glow plugs fail and cold starting suffers. Replacement is straightforward but the plugs can seize in their threads on high-mileage engines, and breaking one is a serious repair. Worth doing on schedule.
Pre-purchase test drive checklist
- Cold-start the car yourself. Diesel CDI cars in particular tell you a lot in the first 30 seconds — listen for glow plug delay, exhaust smoke (white = coolant, blue = oil, black = fuel), and idle quality.
- Check every footwell and the rear cargo floor for damp carpet or a musty smell. A 450 that's leaking water somewhere is a 450 with a problem you'll be chasing.
- Have someone hold the key in the start position briefly (no crank) and listen near the alternator. Drag, slow rotation when the belt's pulled, or a no-crank with a healthy battery is the alternator soft-seize warning.
- Drive a full mixed loop including a 50–60 mph stretch. The 450 is loud at highway speed but listen for trans pause length, slipping (clutch wear), or shuddering on lift-off.
- On a Cabrio: cycle the roof open and closed at least twice. Listen for the sliders and the seal mechanism. If it pauses, slows, or won't fully cycle, walk away or budget for repair.
- Cycle every electrical accessory: windows, mirrors, A/C, all radio functions, both turn signals, headlight self-leveling. Headlights that don't level are a known wear item.
- Check the chassis underneath for rust at the rear subframe and the exhaust mounts, especially on UK and northern-EU cars. The Tridion cell stays clean — the subframes don't.
- Pop the engine cover. Look for oil seepage around the valve cover and any visible water marks on the SAM module under the passenger floor.
- Plug in an iCarsoft i980 or Foxwell NT530 and pull all modules. Stored history codes — alternator-related, SAI on petrol, or DPF/EGR on CDI — tell you what the seller cleared.
- On grey-market US imports specifically: verify the title was correctly imported under the 25-year rule and that the car has a clean DOT/EPA exemption record. Some early grey-market cars have title problems that surface years after the sale.
- Verify any service history you can — UK MOT history via the DVLA tool, German TÜV records, French contrôle technique, etc. Consistent records are gold on a 20-year-old car.
Accessories & aftermarket
Pre-filtered searches at the big vendors. We don't take a cut on these clicks today — if you'd rather we did, tell us.
Where to buy parts
Region-by-region. OEM via Mercedes is always available; the alternates below are owner-vetted.
United States
- Pelican Parts (Smart catalog) OEM and quality aftermarket. Limited 450 coverage because the chassis was never sold in the US, but worth checking — they sometimes have crossover parts that fit.
- RockAuto Cheapest aftermarket prices when 450 parts are listed. Confirm fitment in the workshop manual first — US catalog is patchy on this chassis.
- G&K Automotive (legacy importer) The original US grey-market 450 importer. Still useful for documentation history if your imported car came through them.
United Kingdom
- smartmania.co.uk UK Smart specialist. Genuine + aftermarket. Strong stock for 450 service items, including 0.6 and 0.7 engine parts and ignition components.
- Cosmic Cabrios Roof / Cabrio specialist worldwide. Will ship 450 Cabrio parts internationally — they hold stock the OEM no longer makes.
- Mercedes-Benz UK Parts OEM via UK MB dealer network. Parts availability for the 450 is shrinking but the major service items are still in the catalog.
- smart-spares.co.uk UK-based 450/451 breaker. Used and reconditioned parts when new is unavailable.
European Union
- AutoDoc Pan-European. Wide aftermarket catalog with EN/DE/FR/IT/ES/NL/PL UI. Strong 450 catalog including 0.8 CDI diesel parts.
- Mister-Auto France-based, ships across EU. Useful for the French parts numbering on early Hambach-built cars.
- smartfreaks.de German Smart specialist. Strong on 450 CDI diesel parts and EU-only items.
Australia
- Mercedes-Benz Australia Parts OEM via AU MB dealer network. Limited 450 stock locally — most parts are special-order from Europe.
- Auto Parts Direct (AU) AU-based aftermarket; check 450 catalog availability before ordering.
Find a Smart-experienced mechanic
Curated directory of 130+ shops across the US, Canada, UK, and Europe that actually work on Smarts — not just every Mercedes dealer that took the franchise. The map is owner-recommended, vetted before listing, and updated as shops open and close.
Stuck? Ask SmartDiag-AI.
Tell SmartDiag what your Fortwo (450, 1st gen) is doing — or paste a code. It'll work the cheap-first checks with you, weight likely causes against community-known patterns, and cite the workshop manual for each suggestion. The link below pre-fills your chassis.
Frequently asked questions
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Was the 450 ever sold in the US?
No. The 450 was never officially imported by Mercedes or DaimlerChrysler. The Smart cars you saw at US auto shows in the early 2000s were imports for press purposes. The 450s on US roads today came in via grey-market routes — most famously G&K Automotive in California — or under the 25-year DOT/EPA exemption (so 1998 cars became legal in 2023, 1999 in 2024, and so on). If you have a US 450, it's a rare car and you should treat parts and service as a UK/EU sourcing exercise. -
What's the difference between pre-facelift and facelift?
Pre-facelift cars run from 1998–2002 and use the 0.6L M160 with smaller bumpers and the original 'City-Coupe' branding. Facelift cars run from 2003–2007, use the 0.7L M160 (same engine, larger displacement), restyled front/rear bumpers and lights, and were rebadged as 'Fortwo' from 2004. Facelift cars handle better at speed (Mercedes spent the gap between gens tuning out the early crosswind issues) and have ESP standard. If you're shopping today, facelift is usually the better buy. -
How does the 450's transmission compare to the 451's?
Same family, earlier execution. Both are single-clutch automated manuals — one clutch, a robot operating it, a pause at every upshift. The 450 is a 6-speed Getrag and the 451 is a 5-speed. The 450's shifts feel a touch slower because the box has more gears to step through, but the lift-off-the-throttle technique works the same way. If you've owned a 451, you can drive a 450. Some long-time owners actually prefer the 450's box because it's slower but more consistent. -
Is the 0.8 CDI diesel a good buy?
If you're in the UK or EU and you do enough motorway miles to keep the DPF happy, yes — the fuel economy is genuinely 70+ MPG (UK gallons) and the engine itself is durable. If you're a city-only driver, no — the DPF will clog and the small turbo will run hot. If you live somewhere CDI parts are scarce (most of North America), the answer is no. CDI ownership rewards motorway use and punishes short-trip use. -
Can I work on a 450 myself?
Most surface jobs — oil, filters, spark plugs, brake pads, body panel swaps, even headlight motor replacement — are owner-friendly on the 450. The harder stuff is the transmission and the alternator. The Getrag mta can be teach-in'd at home with patience and the right scan tool, and the alternator is doable on a Saturday with a couple of unusual tools. Anything inside the gearbox or deep into the engine sits behind the rear subframe and becomes a Smart-experienced shop job. -
Where do I buy 450 parts in 2026?
UK: smartmania.co.uk, smart-spares.co.uk, and Cosmic Cabrios for any roof or trim work. EU: AutoDoc and smartfreaks.de. The Mercedes UK and EU parts catalogs still list most major service items but availability on cosmetic and trim parts is shrinking. For US grey-market owners, ordering from the UK or EU is normal — most US-side Smart parts catalogs don't cover the 450. -
Are 450s reliable?
For their age, mostly yes. The M160 engine is tough, parts are still available (especially in the UK and EU), and most known weak points have well-documented fixes. The big asterisks: 20+ years of weather has taken its toll on body seals (water leaks), the Getrag mta is a love-or-tolerate item, and the alternator soft-seize is a real stranded-on-the-side-of-the-road risk if you ignore early signs. Cars that have been kept dry, kept current on small maintenance, and driven by owners who learned the trans technique go a long way. -
Will smart come back?
Not as the 450's brand. Smart in 2024+ is a Mercedes-Geely joint venture building Tesla-fighter SUVs (the #1 and #3) — completely different cars from the Fortwo you're driving. The original Fortwo line ended production in 2024. Treat your 450 as a piece of automotive history and a usable city car.