“Never buy a French car unless you in fact live in France,” I remember a journalist writing during the ‘80s, when Renaults and Peugeots were tossing parts, reliability, and market share like shucked snail shells. This echoed in my head as I went online last year, swiped $99 off my debit card, and ordered a German-engineered, French-built, Smart ForTwo. They were a sight in Paris, Florence, and Rome when I traveled there and I wanted to take some Euro va-ca home. One year later, here I am – in very-middle-America Indianapolis – driving a French car. [...]