Smartville is a purpose-built factory complex in Hambach, France, established in 1994 as a joint venture of Daimler-Benz and the Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch to produce the Smart car. In 2020 the plant was 100% owned by Daimler AG (at that point comprising both the Mercedes-Benz and Daimler Truck companies)[1][2] and was taken over by Ineos[3] for production of the Ineos Grenadier 4x4.[4]
The "Smartville" production site in Hambach (France) with its 2,000 workers was among the most modern automobile production plants. It had been built for 450 million Euros and started production in 1998. In order to achieve optimized production processes the plant is arranged in the shape of a cross; in each of its four extensions different assembly works are provided. The centre, the so-called market place, serves as a test room for completed vehicles and for refinishing operations. The centre is multi-storied; thereby all the administrative, IT and changing rooms could be implemented in one central place.
Approximately 1,300 jobs would be safeguarded following the purchase by Ineos.[5][4]
- ^ "Daimler completes Mercedes-Benz rename after truck split".
- ^ "Daimler To Split Into Two Companies, Luxury Carmaker Mercedes-Benz Group And Daimler Trucks". Carscoops. 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
- ^ "Ineos Grenadier".
- ^ a b Neate, Rupert (2020-12-07). "Ineos boss opts to build 'British' heir to Land Rover Defender in France". Guardian. Retrieved 2020-12-07.
Jim Ratcliffe … build … successor to the Land Rover Defender 4x4 in France … the Ineos Grenadier vehicle will be built at a former Mercedes-Benz factory in Hambach, close to the French-German border. The deal will "safeguard" 1,300 jobs at the factory
- ^ "INEOS Grenadier".