Man's small vehicle is a Smart one

Source: Dallas Morning News

When Richard Riccardi zips through Collin County in his Smart car, heads turn so fast that some could get whiplash. Then the zingers start flying.
"What is it?" wise guys ask. "What's your car going to be when it grows up?" "Where's the other half of your car?"
I guess the tiny Smart car makes the Volkswagen Bug and Mini Cooper seem large.
The gas-powered, fuel-efficient vehicle is popular in Europe but rarely seen in the U.S.
Mr. Riccardi couldn't find one in Texas so he got his two-seater from a dealership in Pennsylvania.
The McKinney businessman and Fairview family man has wanted a Smart car ever since one caught his eye in Italy four years ago.
Maneuverability and parking are a snap, but the car's real advantage, he said, is the gas mileage.
Made by DaimlerChrysler and imported by Zap, it's supposed to get 45 miles per gallon. But Mr. Riccardi only got 35 mpg while running the air conditioning full-blast on his first tank last week.
Not bad compared with the 14 mpg on his other car – a Lincoln Navigator.
"It's fantastic," he said. "And you're not cramped at all."