Dominica's Smallest Car

If you walk, or drive, along Great George Street in Roseau, most likely you will set your eyes on one of Dominica's smallest cars, the Mercedes Benz Smart ForTwo.

Owned by Nyerere John, the proprietor of Vampire Tattoo Shop, the Smart ForTwo is a great idea especially in extremely congested Roseau where packing is as scarce as honest men and sidewalks have become packing lots.

The tiny two-door two-seater car is not even nine feet long and is also ideal for driving along Dominica's narrow roads. It is cheap on gas too.

"The other day I filled up with $90 gas, drove to Thibaud and back to Roseau and the gas needle had not even moved," John said. "I have had many offers but I'm not selling that car."

John said he bought the Smart ForTwo from Japan for EC$21,000 and it's worth every cent.

The mini car seems to be the wave of the future, the exact opposite to the craze of the large SUV or the massive gleaming vans that clog Dominica's roads.

"No other car packs in so much into so small of a space," Smart CEO Dr. Annette Winkler said. "The beginning of smart was the thinking that cities would need electric cars."

So the Smart Fortwo lingers on as a relatively tiny (not even 9-feet long), rather tall and odd-looking two-seater. Its main purpose is function. Despite seating for just two and a motor mounted under your cargo, there's sufficient room for two adults and a couple of bags, or a suitcase if you're picking someone up on an airport run.

John said he recently carried two kids at the back in addition to the two adults at the front.