When Jürgen Schrempp met investors and analysts in London last month, the first question was about the problems at Smart. "He went ballistic," remembers one participant.

His anger was because the small car brand represented only €1.5bn ($1.9bn) out of DaimlerChrysler's €142bn total revenues last year. But Daimler's chief executive was reminded at the meeting that "not every part of his business is losing €500m a year".