DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Added to my fairly eclectic collection last week and bought myself a Smart Brabus Roadster.

I had a highly modified one last year but this is completely standard- 700cc and 101 bhp and absolutely wonderful to drive.

It was advertised on eBay and by major coincidence the seller Ian Donkin is a long term member of DDK and a great guy to buy a car from. He drove it up from Surrey to Yorkshire to deliver it, went through everything in great detail, we went for lunch and lots of Porsche chat and I dropped him at the railway station afterwards- the perfect way to buy a car!

I’ve wanted a standard roadster for some time, I think the fact that Gordon Murray, one of my heroes, has had one for fourteen years speaks volumes about how good the car is !









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Nice one

Not seen Ian for years now since he abandoned Yorkshire ..

Ian and charlottes were the first and only Ddkers to get wed

sng45 wrote:
... and by major coincidence the seller Ian Donkin is a long term member of DDK and a great guy to buy a car from

- & married to another original DDKer, Charlotte.

I even think I had a hand in their first encounter when Ian called in to one of our early meetings at the Fairmile to collect some parts he'd bought from me ...

Not only that but Barrie (Carter) was best man at their wedding !

.

I've always quite liked these but heard the gearbox is really slow changing between gears. What's your opinion?

A good friend of mine has had 7 Smarts, from Brabus to Deisel last, the D being the worst.
His stock Roadster was great, great to hurtle round in.
The first boxes were awful, Brabus was better programmed.
He put a Toyota MR2 engine in one and fitted AA yellow and black panels and hill climbed it for several years. I raced it twice, surprisingly good.

His last was the very latest 2 seater and the drive train is infinitely better, esp that auto box.

In semi auto you can time the change to the engine and the box works well on the early cars.
MBenz sponsored his hill climb car!

nrc914 wrote:I've always quite liked these but heard the gearbox is really slow changing between gears. What's your opinion?

Gearbox was the thing I was concerned about as I'd never driven a standard Roadster. Of course the technology is sixteen years old so very different to a new paddle/sequential box. I've had the car a week and done around 200 miles, whilst the gearbox is slowish it's something you can work with and the more I drive the car the better it becomes as my gear changes get "slicker" - I view it as part of the cars character and it certainly wouldn't put me off buying. I've had a lot of cars and "pound for pound" this is one of the best I've had - buy one you'll love it !

I’ve got a similar era ForTwo and it’s great. I tend not o let it sit in auto as keeping it higher up the Rev band is huge fun. Auto and speed bumps is a terrible combination as the traction control really kicks in.

Fantastic little cars and I’d love a Roadser but seem to recall that a big galoot like me would struggle in and out of one with any dignity

Ian2.2s on here bought one last year as well - not a Brabus but a black roadster