After the Second World War, passenger car production commenced with the successful 170 V model, initially as an ambulance, police patrol car and delivery van. In July 1947, production of the Saloon variant also recommenced. At the same time a number of completely new vehicles were designed, some of which were very unusual creations. In 1948 a particularly small car, at least by Daimler-Benz standards, was created. It was a compact car with an overall length of 3.70 metres. It had two doors, a bench seat in the front for up to three people and another small bench seat in the rear for younger passengers. This two-door vehicle was driven by a four-cylinder engine with overhead camshaft and a displacement of 1.2 litres, derived from the 1.8-litre six-cylinder engine which was also in the project stage. Commenting on it in March 1949, chief engineer Fritz Nallinger said: “The design of a light, 2 to 2 ½-seater car (560 kg) decided on at that time has seen a great deal of progress in the meantime and is showing some promising results.” Nevertheless, the vehicle, along with the two engines, remained stuck at the project stage. The 1.8-litre unit was subsequently developed into the M 180 model series 2.2-litre engine for the Mercedes-Benz 220.
Mercedes-Benz W 122 model series
A good three years later – while the passenger car model portfolio had in the meantime once again come to comprise the full established range, from the 170 V model through to the luxury car – the Daimler-Benz board took the decision at its meeting of 2 February 1953 to design a car based on material and labour costs that were 15 to 20 lower than those of the 170 V model. It was to be the successor to the 170 V and 170 D models
(W 136 I model series), after replacing the 170 S with the 180 model (W 120) in the autumn of 1953. Nallinger described the new vehicle thus: “It is clear that the body must be new, with a smaller interior and smaller window areas compared with the W 120. Width and length will be like the 170 S, two-door body, bulkhead, dashboard, luggage compartment like the W 120, front seats like the 170 V.”
By 1956, the vehicle then referred to internally as the W 122 had reached a considerable degree of maturity. Based on all of the ingredients, it had the makings of a very successful future. Nevertheless, it did not make it into series production for two reasons: firstly, in 1958 Daimler-Benz took over Auto Union and as a result there was a certain conflict of interests between a large DKW and a small Mercedes-Benz. Secondly, shortly before their market launch the existing models of the W 111 series, as planned in their last version with their new safety concept of a W 122 series on the conventional platform of the W 120 series, were left appearing somewhat obsolete.
By today’s standards, the appearance of the W 122 model series is extremely interesting: experiments were already underway with the design of an SL-look saloon as early as the mid-1950’s. At the time, it was intended to replace the traditional Mercedes-Benz “face”. Many years later it was offered as an alternative in the C-Class (204 model series), as part of the Avantgarde equipment line.
Mercedes-Benz W 118/W 119 (1960’s)
Nallinger did not give up on his idea of an entry-level model, or lower end model, as he defined this vehicle group. With the purchase of Auto Union in particular there was a need for development in the medium term, since it was conceivable that the two-stroke vehicles under the Auto Union brand of DKW would not have a future, and there was still a need for a Mercedes-Benz product below the current model classes in order to achieve a coherent overall portfolio.
As a result, around that time the advance development department in Untertürkheim – headed up by Ludwig Kraus – designed a vehicle which was assigned the project designation W 118. For this the engineers planned to use a valve-controlled, horizontally opposed engine with a displacement of 1.5 litres and front-wheel drive. At the same time, a new highly-compressed four-cylinder inline engine (M 118), with a displacement of 1.7 litres, was also tested. The W 118 was developed further into the W 119. This had a new highly-compressed engine, called the “H-engine” by Daimler-Benz, which boasted a high compression ratio of 1:11.2 and was also very economical. With their SL face, low beltline, roof attachment clearance and rear design, the test vehicles produced were close to the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (W 113) in terms of style. Even when considered by today’s standards, the appearance of the model series is still considered to be very respectable.
In 1962/63, when problems arose with the two-stroke engines of the DKW F 102 at Auto Union, the Daimler-Benz subsidiary at the time, Nallinger dispatched Kraus to the town to help with damage limitation. In his luggage he had the plans for the W 119 model series and the H-engine. This came to be used from the mid-1960’s at Auto Union, where it was designated the “intermediate pressure engine”. As a result, Daimler-Benz provided the subsidiary with a solution to the two-stroke engines, which were no longer considered contemporary, in the form of more modern four-stroke engines. Auto Union was sold to Volkswagen in 1964/65.
Shortly before his retirement in December 1965, Nallinger said: “For his part he assumed that this model – which, as indicated, we were already testing – would possibly be produced at BMW or Auto Union.” And then continued to comment on the programme: “I believe that such a second car model, which can also be viewed as a collective model, must now [, many years later therefore,] be redesigned as quickly as possible and the issue of its testing tackled […].”
We should perhaps give a brief explanation of the reference to BMW here: at the end of the 1950’s, the company was experiencing financial difficulties which were to be addressed with the help of the Deutsche Bank and the involvement of Daimler-Benz.
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, as the latest Mercedes-Benz contribution to super-sports car history, harks back to a very special tradition of high-powered automobiles over the last four decades: the AMG era. The successful collaboration now operating as Mercedes AMG GmbH had also created two previous super-sports cars: the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR and Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG.
AMG was founded in 1967 by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, establishing a reputation as a pioneer in the motorsport and vehicle tuning sectors. After signing a cooperation agreement with Daimler-Benz AG in 1990, AMG became increasingly integrated with what was then DaimlerChrysler AG in the years from 1999. Its acquisition as a wholly owned subsidiary took place on 1 January 2005.
The collaboration has resulted in a number of racing sports cars and high-performance models, with many examples of cross-fertilisation between the two areas of AMG’s activity. For example, Team AMG 1997 won the FIA GT championship in 1997 with the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR racing sport prototype, and AMG then produced a road-registered model based on the racer – the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR super-sports car, presented in April 1997. The coupé was equipped with a 6.9-litre V12 engine, developing 450 kW. Innovative details implemented by the engineers in this vehicle included the carbon fibre composite body. The super-sports car also came with air-conditioning, a hi-fi system and leather upholstery, in contrast with the racing vehicle designed exclusively for power and handling attributes.
Yet the CLK-GTR remains true to its racing lineage at all times: the super-sports car delivers outstanding driving performance ratings, and the compact cockpit provides an authentic racing feel for both driver and passenger. This vehicle highlights all of AMG’s skills and experience in technology transfer from sports racing to sophisticated production cars with outstanding sports performance. A total of 25 CLK-GTR cars were made.
AMG repeated the feat of transferring purebred racing technology onto the public roads in 2004, with the Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG. As before, the road driving model is derived from one of the most successful racing cars of its time, the racing version of the Mercedes-Benz CLK. This is the car that gave Bernd Schneider the German Touring Cars (DTM) championship title in 2003.
The production version of the vehicle has a 428-kW AMG 5.5-litre V8 Kompressor engine, along with a new chassis design, optional sports tyres and aerodynamics optimised in the wind tunnel. The new super-sports car accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds, with a top speed electronically controlled at 320 km/h.
The interior features two leather-upholstered AMG sport bucket seats with four-point safety belts, an oval AMG racing deerskin-upholstered steering-wheel, and the AMG instrumental panel with speedometer reading up to 360 km/h. The production run of the Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG was limited to 100 units.
AMG is now established as the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars. Other standout high-performance vehicles in the AMG range since 2006 include the “Black Series” models, where AMG has been totally committed to its motto of “technology transfer from purebred motorsport”. This family of top performers so far includes the Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG Black Series (2006), Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black Series (2007) and Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series (2008), AMG’s most powerful car at that time at 493 kW.
Another high-performance sports car launched in the same year as the CLK DTM AMG was the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. First unveiled in 1999 at the Detroit Motor Show as the Vision SLR, it incorporates numerous innovations and features carried over from the Formula 1 vehicle. Standout features include the distinctive front end with its arrow-shaped tip and the characteristic double wing. Examples of functional refinements are the carbon-fibre body, ceramic brake disks and pneumatic brakes.
The Vision SLR proved such a sensation that it was decided to put the vehicle into series production. The first Mercedes-Benz SLR cars for sale to customers arrived on the market in 2004. Their AMG Kompressor engine developed 460 kW, for a top speed of around 334 km/h. The open-top version followed in 2007, and there were also two special models with engine power ratings boosted to 478 kW, the SLR 722 from 2006 and the SLR Stirling Moss from 2008. Production of the SLR McLaren ended in 2004.
Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR (C 297)
In production: 1997
Units produced: 25
Engine: 12-cylinder, V arrangement
Displacement: 6898 cc
Power: 450 kW
Top speed: 320 km/h
Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG
In production: 2004
Units produced: 100
Engine: 8-cylinder, V arrangement
Displacement: 5439 cc
Power: 428 kW
Top speed: 320 km/h
Mercedes-Benz Vision SLR
In production: 1999
Units produced: 1
Engine: 8-cylinder, V arrangement
Displacement: 5496 cc
Power: 410 kW at 6500 rpm
Top speed: 320 km/h
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)
In production: 2004 to 2009
Engine: 8-cylinder, V arrangement
Displacement: 5439 cc
Power: 460 kW at 6500 rpm
Top speed: 334 km/h
The “Gullwing” era began in 1952, when the Mercedes-Benz W 194 racing coupé notched up victory after victory. An enhanced version followed in 1953, with a petrol-injection engine delivering an extra 29 kW, bringing the power rating up to 158 kW. The transaxle design provided a more favourable weight distribution and better vehicle dynamics. The sharp corners of the front of the vehicle earned it the in‑house nickname of “Hobel” (or “plane”). This unique model was never raced, since all available capacity was diverted to the company’s entry into Formula 1 planned for 1954, but the car was a significant milestone on the path towards the 300 SL production sports car. And incidentally, the prototype with its transaxle construction also forms a parallel with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198) production “Gullwing” model was clearly a close relation of these racing vehicles, since it took the engineers just one-and-a-half years to create the new design on the basis of the W 194 racing sports car. This was the first true production sports car to be developed by Mercedes-Benz following the Second World War. The design project was started in September 1953, in response to requests from Maximilian Hoffman, Mercedes-Benz’s importer in the USA. The 300 SL was first presented to the public at the International Motor Sports Show in New York in February 1954.
The signs of the coupé’s allegiance to the racing sports car are clearly evident, from the ultra-light tubular lattice frame to the distinctive body contours and the “gullwing” doors, perpetuated in the popular name of the car in English-speaking countries. The decision to use this unusual form of access, more characteristic of racing-car designs, was no gimmick designed to grab public attention, however. The doors hinged on the car roof were a purely structural requirement, since the lattice frame carried over from the racing SL did not allow the use of conventional front-hinged doors.
Instead of the M 194 six-cylinder in-line carburettor engine with a displacement of three litres and 129 kW power rating, the W 198 model series had the 158-kW M 198 engine with mechanically controlled direct injection. This was the first Mercedes-Benz production vehicle to be fitted with a petrol-injection engine, which delivered 29 kW more power than the carburettor-based racing version of the engine.
The engine was set at an angle, resulting in a particularly flat front end with outstanding air-flow characteristics. The consistent focus on a lightweight structure helped to provide some extremely impressive performance characteristics, with top speeds of up to 250 km/h, according to the rear axle ratio. The chassis was essentially based on the 300 model saloon (W 186), but with suspension settings more focused on sporty performance qualities.
The appearance of the super-sports car has been refined to create a more elegant and dynamic look in comparison with the racing sports vehicle. The visual design qualities and concessions to passenger comfort did not, however, limit the car’s performance qualities. The 300 SL duly continued the motorsport tradition of its namesake, with top placings in many competition events. These included winning its class in the 1955 Mille Miglia race, and in that same year Olivier Gendebien and Pierre Stasse drove a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL to victory in the Liège–Rome–Liège rally.
The car also delivered championship titles for three drivers in Europe and America: Werner Engel won the European touring cars championship in 1955, and Walter Schock in 1956. And in the USA, Paul O’Shea won the category D American sports car championship in 1955 and 1956, finishing well ahead in the ratings.
Some 1400 units of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL were built at Sindelfingen from August 1954 to May 1957, including 29 cars with a light-alloy body, and even one experimental car with a plastic body.
In 1955, the company also built two coupé versions of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 R) racing sports car. These were specifically designed for long-distance races, to provide somewhat more comfortable conditions for the driver than in the open version. Externally, the car looked similar to the 300 SL, but with purebred Formula 1 technology under the bonnet. These cars did not find their way into any customers’ hands, but one fortunate individual was able to enjoy the attributes of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR: its designer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. On the cancellation of the sixth Carrera Panamericana race in 1955, in which the coupé was to be used for the first time, and since Daimler-Benz AG withdrew from racing at the end of that season, Uhlenhaut was allowed to drive one when travelling on business – and he made extensive use of this privilege. Accordingly, the car has become known as the “Uhlenhaut Coupé”.
Many fans of the 300 SL expected Mercedes-Benz to unveil the C 111 as a foretaste of the next generation of a super-sports car with a star on the bonnet in 1969, at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main. This breathtaking experimental vehicle was a lightning-fast, wedge-shaped car with gullwing doors, driven by a futuristic-looking rotary engine (Wankel engine).
Hopes of series production really started to rise for an enhanced version of the car, the C 111-II, which was unveiled just six months later at the Auto Show in Geneva, generating feverish enthusiasm among the automotive community. However, the vehicle with its super-sports car genes and 257-kW four-disk rotary engine was to remain a near-production concept study. Arguments against series production included the comparatively low efficiency of the engine and stricter exhaust regulations.
Similar reactions were prompted by the Mercedes-Benz C 112 in 1991. This amazing sports car concept study had a six-litre, twelve-cylinder engine delivering 300 kW. The C 112 anticipated some of the technical innovations that were to flow through to Mercedes-Benz series-produced vehicles over the next few years – including Active Body Control (ABC) and the DISTRONIC proximity control. The C 112 was influenced by the C 11 Mercedes-Benz racing sports car of the time, in which Jean-Louis Schlesser won the Group C sports car world championship for Mercedes-Benz in 1990.
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sport prototype (W 194 011)
In production: 1953
Units produced: 1
Engine: 6-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 2996 cc
Output: 158 kW at 5960 rpm
Top speed: 250 km/h
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198)
In production: 1954 to 1957
Units produced: 1400
Engine: 6-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 2996 cc
Output: 158 kW
Top speed: up to 250 km/h
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupé” (W 196 S)
In production: 1955
Units produced: 2
Engine: 8-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 2982 cc
Output: 222 kW at 7500 rpm
Top speed: 290 km/h
Mercedes-Benz C 111-I
In production: 1969
Units produced: 5
Engine: 3 rotary pistons
Chamber volume: 1800 cc
Output: 206 kW at 7000 rpm
Top speed: 260 km/h
Mercedes-Benz C 111-II
In production: 1970
Units produced: 6
Engine: 4 rotary pistons
Chamber volume: 2400 cc
Output: 257 kW at 7000 rpm
Top speed: 300 km/h
Mercedes-Benz C 112
In production: 1991
Units produced: 1
Engine: 12-cylinder, V arrangement
Displacement: 5987 cc
Output: 300 kW at 5200 rpm
Top speed: 310 km/h
The integral connection for Mercedes-Benz between motor racing and exclusive vehicles for the customer was still in evidence in the late 1920s. A good example is the Mercedes 24/100/140 hp model K, launched in 1926. Its top speed of 155 km/h made it the world’s fastest touring car, and it was also entered for motorsport events. “K” stood for “kurz”, the German word for “short”, since this high-performance sports car with a supercharged Kompressor engine had a shortened version of the 24/100/140 hp model chassis.
Soon afterwards, a whole family of special Kompressor sports cars was launched on the market, comprising the S, SS, SSK and SSKL models. The most sophisticated of all these racers also sold to customers was the SSK, presented in 1928.
The exclusive lineage of this super-sports car is clear even from its name, since SSK stands for the “super-sports short” in German. The SSK was a logical extension of the “S” model from 1927 and the SS (standing for “short” and “super-short”, respectively). Both of these models were already outstanding examples of exclusive and high-performance sports cars, but the SSK took these attributes to a whole new level.
Like the SS, it was propelled by a new 7.1-litre engine (with the in-house code M 06) with a mechanical supercharger. Power ratings rose from 147 kW at the start of the production period to 184 kW in the vehicle’s most sophisticated development stage. The SSK was designed for maximum manoeuvrability, with a shorter wheelbase than the SS (2950 millimetres rather than 3400 millimetres), and a correspondingly shorter chassis.
Technical innovations introduced in 1928 included wet cylinder bushes, which allowed the cylinder bore to be increased to 100 millimetres, bringing the displacement to 7.1 litres. Then crankshaft with four main bearings was fitted with an oscillation damper, and power was increased with a racing camshaft for racing purposes. A further power boost was provided with a Kompressor supercharger activated when the accelerator pedal was pressed right down to the floor. As a special option, it was also possible to order a Kompressor with larger vanes for even higher engine power. Private motorists could also order racing Kompressor devices and camshafts for their SSK.
Mercedes-Benz S, SS and SSK Kompressor cars notched up many victories in motor races, with the SSK proving particularly successful. In 1929, racing driver Rudolf Caracciola was the overall winner of both the Prague mountain race from Zbraslav to Jiloviste and the International Tourist Trophy in Ireland in a Mercedes-Benz SSK. In that same year, August Momberger and Max Arco-Zinneberg won the Grand Prix des Nations on the Nürburgring track in the class for the over three-litre displacement sports car category.
Caracciola then became the European sports car hill climb champion for the 1930 season in a Mercedes-Benz SSK. In 1931, the Mercedes-Benz engineers created a purely racing version of the SSK super- sports car, also known as the SSKL (super-sports short light). It was at the wheel of an SSKL that Caracciola won the Italian “Mille Miglia” long-distance race from Brescia to Rome and back in spring 1931 – the first non-Italian to achieve this feat.
As well as being raced by the works team, the Mercedes-Benz SSK was entered in many events by private drivers, with considerable success. This clearly validated the concept of designing a super-sports car that would also be competitive on the racetrack. However, not all customers buying an SSK intended to race the vehicle. Some wealthy clients wanting sports quality performance ordered the ex factory chassis with a cabriolet body, so they could enjoy driving their SSK as a fast sports car on the road.
According to the official factory records, a total of 33 cars of the legendary SSK and SSKL models were built from 1928 to 1932, twenty of them in 1929 alone. While the SSKL was never available to private customers, the SSK remained officially available through until February 1933. After that time, it no longer appears in the Mercedes-Benz price list.
Mercedes 24/100/140 hp model K
In production: 1926 to 1929 (including successor models)
Units produced: 150 (including successor models)
Engine: 6-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 6240 cc
Output: with Kompressor supercharger, 118 kW at 3100 rpm
Top speed: 155 km/h
Mercedes-Benz 26/120/180 hp model S
In production: 1927 to 1928
Units produced: 146
Engine: 6-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 6800 cc
Output: with Kompressor supercharger, 132 kW at 3000 rpm
Top speed: 160 km/h
Mercedes-Benz 27/140/200 PS model SS (W 06)
In production: 1928 to 1933
Units produced: 111 (all engine variants)
Engine: 6-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 7065 cc
Output: with Kompressor supercharger,147 kW at 3300 rpm
Top speed: 170 km/h
Mercedes-Benz SSK (W 06)
In production: 1928 to 1932
Units produced: 33 (including SSKL)
Engine: 6-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 7065 cc
Output: up to 184 kW
Top speed: up to 192 km/h
The first modern car was designed by Wilhelm Maybach, chief designer of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, in 1900. The state-of-the-art 1000-kilogram car with a characteristic low centre of gravity was made for Emil Jellinek, as the first vehicle to bear the “Mercedes” name. Standout features of the new car included the visionary contours, marking the final break from coach construction, and the powerful drivetrain. The Mercedes was propelled by a completely new 27-kW light-alloy engine, cooled by Maybach’s new honeycomb radiator. These ingredients combined to make the 35 hp the first super-sports car in the history of our brand, at least when fitted out as such, since the car was supplied in a range of body styles according to customer preference, as was normal practice at the time.
The car’s top speed was 75 km/h, or just under 90 km/h with the light sports body. These figures were superior to any other vehicle of the day – and the DMG 35 hp Mercedes proceeded to dominate the Racing Week event in Nice, winning the hill climb, street race and one-mile sprint titles.
Wilhelm Maybach’s design also created the culture of Mercedes-Benz super-sports cars, since as well as being a highly successful racing car, the vehicle was also sold as an exclusive car for customers looking for a superior sports car. Emil Jellinek clearly had such ambitions when he commissioned this outstanding car from DMG. He had been operating in Nice on the Côte d’Azur as an independent car dealer since 1897, selling Daimler automobiles to the rich and famous. His customers included members of the Rothschild family and other VIPs of the day. By the time of Gottlieb Daimler’s death in 1900, Jellinek had sold 34 cars in this way – a respectable figure in an age of very low production runs.
Jellinek finally convinced Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach to build him a powerful car. The new DMG vehicle was to enter the Nice races under the name of “Mercedes”. Jellinek and his team had entered races under this pseudonym since 1899. Even then, he realised that, as well as being powerful advertising tools for their manufacturer, high-performance sports cars also provided a foretaste of series-production cars of the future: “I want the car of tomorrow!”, he told the DMG engineers. He placed a bulk order for 36 cars for a total price of 550,000 Mark.
The first new 35-hp car was delivered to Jellinek on 22 December 1900, and already on 4 January 1901 there was a report in the Côte d’Azur car magazine “L’Automobile-Revue du Littoral” reading as follows: “The place to see the latest trends at the moment is not Paris, but Nice. The first Mercedes car built in the workshops at Cannstadt has just arrived in Nice, and thanks to the kindness of its owner, Mr Jellinek, all our motorists have been able to try it out. We make no bones about it: the Mercedes appears to be a very, very good car. This remarkable vehicle will be a fearsome competitor in the 1901 racing season.”
These words were borne out in no uncertain terms during the Nice Racing Week in March 1901. The new Mercedes returned home with four first places and five second places to their credit, in such diverse events as the endurance race, the hill climb and the one-mile race. After watching these successes, Paul Meyan, General Secretary of the Automobile Club de France, coined the phrase “Nous sommes entrés dans l’ère Mercédès” (“We have just entered the Mercedes era”).
Maybach’s conviction that there would soon be customers for the exclusive high-performance sports car was proved right, with a list of buyers for the DMG Mercedes during 1901 including a string of American billionaires: Rockefeller, Astor, Morgan and Taylor.
The Mercedes 35 hp marks the beginning of a creative process that led to the production of numerous powerful and exclusive cars over the next few years, particularly the the models in the Simplex family. These were the fruit of Wilhelm Maybach’s tireless efforts to produce an even better successor for the first generation of Mercedes models. This project started in autumn 1901 and resulted in the top model of the 1902 year: the Mercedes-Simplex 40 hp. This car dominated the Nice Racing Week in April 1902 just as the first Mercedes had done one year before.
The next development stage of the race-winning super-sports car was the Mercedes-Simplex 60 hp of 1903. This vehicle enjoyed its hour of stardom as a racing car, but only as the result of a disastrous accident. In 1903, the Daimler factory in Cannstatt was largely destroyed in a fire. The casualties included the three Mercedes 90 hp cars to be raced in the Gordon Bennett race. So DMG decided to replace its factory racing vehicles with Mercedes-Simplex 60 hp cars, which the manufacturer borrowed back for the race from customers who had already received cars. One of these cars was driven to victory against very strong international competition by the Belgian racing driver Camille Jenatzy. So it was that the Mercedes-Simplex 60 hp came to stand for one of the most legendary motorsport successes of the Mercedes brand.
Other outstanding DMG models that can be regarded as forerunners preparing the way for contemporary super-sports cars include the six-cylinder Mercedes 75 hp (1906), the Mercedes 37/90 hp featuring three-valve technology, double ignition and encapsulated drive chains (1911), and the Mercedes 28/95 hp, powered by a six-cylinder engine inspired by aircraft technology, with overhead camshaft, V-shaped overhead valves and steel turned cylinders (1914).
Benz & Cie., a competitor of DMG up until the merger of the two companies in 1926, also made a little piece of super-sports car history in 1909 with a very famous car: the Benz 200 hp, which as the “Blitzen-Benz“ (or “Lightning Benz”) set numerous records and entered the technology history books as the fastest car of its time. It had a 21.5-litre engine developing an output of 147 kW, and definitely belongs in the ranks of the super-sports cars. In contrast with the experimental cars and “record-breaking cars” of later years, the Benz 200 hp was both sold to customers and entered in motorsport events.
Mercedes 35 hp
In production: from 1900 to 1902
Engine: 4-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 5913 cc
Output: 26 kW at 1000 rpm
Top speed: 75 km/h
Mercedes-Simplex 40 hp
In production: from 1902 to 1903
Engine: 4-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 6785 cc
Output: 29 kW at 1100 rpm
Top speed: 80 km/h
Mercedes 75 hp
In production: from 1906 to 1911 (including successor models)
Engine: 6-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 10,180 cc
Output: 55 kW at 1300 rpm
Top speed: 95 km/h
Mercedes 37/90 hp
In production: from1911 to 1915 (including successor types)
Engine: 4-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 9,530 cc
Output: 66 kW at 1300 rpm
Top speed: 115 km/h
Mercedes 28/95 hp
In production: 1914 to 1924 (all models)
Engine: 6-cylinder, in-line
Displacement: 7280 cc
Output: 69 kW at 1800 rpm
Top speed: 130 km/h
The Mercedes-Benz Bad Cannstatt plant produces strong personalities: 125 years ago, just a stone’s throw from the plant, in the famous greenhouse, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach built their “grandfather clock” – the first single-cylinder engine. Today, the Bad Cannstatt plant is home to all Mercedes-Benz V6 and V8 petrol engines. With a workforce of around 900 employees, today the specialist V-engine production facility is a key part of the Mercedes-Benz Cars powertrain production network. In addition to traditional engine assembly, Bad Cannstatt is also responsible for the mechanical processing of key components such as crankcases and cylinder heads.
Volker Stauch, Head of Powertrain Production and plant manager of the tradition-rich Untertürkheim location: “This is where the roots of engine design and the Mercedes-Benz brand lie. We have been building high-tech components for our Mercedes-Benz passenger cars passionately at this location from the very start. This tradition compels us to keep on delivering top quality from Untertürkheim in future.”
Traditionally state-of-the-art production
The engine plant in Bad Cannstatt was officially opened in April 1997. At the time, this “factory of the future” had a production area of around 66,300 square metres. Numerous expansions and high levels of investment in recent years illustrate the success story of Bad Cannstatt and the deep-seated links with the location and the region: in 2004, the production area was expanded by just under 18,000 square meters to 84,200 square metres. The two millionth engine was built at Bad Cannstatt in 2003, followed by the three millionth engine in 2006. Since its official opening, over four million examples of the V-engine duo have come off the assembly lines at the Bad Cannstatt plant.
One billion euros for a new series
This success story is set to continue with the new generation of engines. The all-new V6 and V8 engines score top marks for efficiency in the premium segment. The new V8 engine delivers 320 kW (435 hp), around 12% more than its predecessor, whilst fuel consumption is down by up to 22%. The new V6 engine delivers 225 kW (306 hp) and uses just 7.6 litres per 100 km, making it 24% more economical than its predecessor.
From the third quarter of this year, the state-of-the-art V6 and V8 engines will make their debut in the new-generation CL-Class, and later in the S-Class. In total, over €1 billion has been invested in production of the new V-engines: around €600 million in development and around €400 million in production of the new V-engine series.
One new feature in production is the assembly line: despite different angles (60 and 90 degrees, and therefore an optimum design for performance), both V-engines can be produced on one line. The result is more efficient and more flexible production using as many common components as possible for the variants of the new engine series. With a high output of unit numbers, this means reduced costs, which ultimately benefits the customer. The components undergo rigorous technological enhancement in terms of weight optimisation. A good example of this is the revamped camshaft adjuster, which is now much lighter and more compact than its predecessors. The crankcases, pistons and cylinder heads are made of weight-optimised diecast aluminium. The crankshaft, connecting rod and valves are made of special forged steel and are lighter.
Production of the series is carried out in the proven powertrain production network, consisting of the Untertürkheim, Hamburg and Berlin plants. The camshafts, camshaft adjusters, water pumps, oil pumps and fuel components originate from Berlin. The exhaust manifolds, air manifolds and clean air lines are produced in Hamburg. The camshaft and connecting rod stem from Untertürkheim, whilst the foundry in Esslingen-Mettingen produces the cylinder head, oil pan, valve housing, crankcase and starter ring gear.
Innovative technology and exemplary approach to environmental protection
At the time of its official opening, the Bad Cannstatt plant was already viewed as proof that efficient production, ecological common sense and attractive jobs were not necessarily mutually exclusive. Here, minimum energy requirements go hand in hand with the optimum use of all resources. This involves, for example, minimising waste materials and recycling process fluids and chips from mechanical processing. With its closed-loop process recycling systems, Bad Cannstatt is almost completely free of wastewater and waste materials, and the plant falls well within legal limits for clean gas values.
The Bad Cannstatt plant has set new standards with systems that combine the utilisation of waste heat and heat recovery with an advanced photovoltaic system. The solar panelling – which covers an area of 5,000 square metres and at the time was one of the largest systems found anywhere in the world – generates an annual energy output of 350,000 kWh. This is sufficient to meet the electricity needs of more than 120 homes. The electricity generated is fed directly into the plant grid.
For production of the new engine series, the plant adopted the award-winning principle of minimum-quantity lubrication. Previously, large amounts of cooling lubricants were used in “chip removal”, e.g. in drilling, milling and grinding, in computer-controlled CNC systems. These lubricants lubricate and cool tools and workpieces, thus reducing wear and helping to remove the chips. By converting conventional wet processing to minimum-quantity lubrication, the lubricants can in future be metered precisely where the heat is actually generated during processing. This process uses a fraction of the volume of cooling lubricant previously used. Since these substances are manufactured from petroleum and demand both energy- and cost-intensive preparation, the innovation of minimum-quantity lubrication represents an enormous cost advantage and a significant contribution to environmental protection.
In addition, a true eco-paradise has been created on the outskirts of the plant. The “Neckar gravel bed” concept was developed in collaboration with environmental and nature conservation associations. After replicating a Neckar meadow over an area of 4,000 square metres – complete with its own characteristic heat islands and warm microclimate – it has been shown that 40 species of wild bee have now found a new habitat.
Apprenticeship training at the company is almost as old as the automobile itself. When Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler invented the automobile independently of one another in 1888, they created something that was new and revolutionary. When the demand for skilled workers increased sharply at the end of the nineteenth century, however, the obvious solution was for the company to train and nurture its own young recruits.
Founded in 1890, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) in Cannstatt trained individual apprentices. Before the First World War they worked in production and in the evenings received tuition in skilled trades. Similarly, employees at Carl Benz brought their sons to the company to learn all about engines: these apprentices were assigned to the foremen of individual work groups, who were then responsible for training and educating the future workforce.
1916: Systematic training
During the First World War demand for trained workers was so intense that in 1916 both DMG in Stuttgart and Benz & Cie. in Mannheim set up their own training departments. In some cases these were specific to individual departments. In 1915, for example, DMG opened an “engine school” in Stuttgart-Wangen in 1915 to order to train technical staff in the maintenance of aeroengines.
There was a change to the systematic training of apprentices, however. Unlike previously, when apprentices underwent individual training, Daimler now set up systematic training in a dedicated apprentice workshop. Since experience and practical examples of such an approach were rare in the metal industry, the company was left to its own devices as to how best to implement the training. Initially in Stuttgart three trainers instructed approximately 60 to 70 apprentices. By 1918 the number had risen to 153 apprentices.
Over a period of four years apprentices were trained in the use of various machines and also in writing and drawing. In the final year of their apprenticeship they became acquainted with various plant departments, before sitting the final apprenticeship examination. Remuneration was graded: in the first year of the apprenticeship the rate was 6 pfennigs per hour worked, rising to 16 pfennigs in the fourth year. These sums were only fractionally higher than in 1903 – when the apprenticeship contract at Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft offered 6 pfennigs for every hour worked during the first year and 15 pfennigs in the fourth year of training.
“The first day of the apprenticeship was like a recruit’s first day in the barracks”, recalled one apprentice, who started his apprenticeship in Untertürkheim in 1918. “Roll call, assignment to the correct workplace and washroom, handing out of papers, a lecture on rules of conduct. Even on the first day, one or other of the new recruits would be shown the gentle art of Swabian persuasion. ” The apprentices were not treated with kid gloves. They had to work their way up from the bottom the hard way – even cleaning out the toilets from time to time. And after ten or eleven hours’ work at the plant, the young trainees would spend their evenings in the classroom learning the trades.
In the early years to be accepted for an apprenticeship at Daimler it was sufficient to have “in good health, of sound repute and with a satisfactory school leaving certificate”, as one company publication put it. But since the number of applicants continued to rise, by 1920 DMG had put in place an entrance examination. From this point on, apprentices were required to attend the Städtische Gewerbeschule Cannstatt in addition to their practical training at the plant. Since this proved overly time consuming, however, following negotiations it was decided that in-house apprentices would attend the “Daimler Department of the Gewerbeschule Cannstatt”, which was opened on plant premises. The state-qualified teachers adapted their tuition to the practical work of the plant. Apprentices now saved time and money, since they no longer had to travel to school.
In addition to obliging apprentices to remain loyal to the company throughout the apprenticeship period, the apprenticeship contract also listed a number of rules of conduct. Trainees were required to behave respectfully and with decency outside the plant, for example. They were only allowed to join associations with prior authorisation from their employer, and they were barred absolutely from attending any political events.
The term political here referred in particular to socialist groups or parties of a similar persuasion, for both the government and employers feared unrest if such ideologies were to become widespread. But this posed no significant problem among DMG apprentices: “The apprentice department emerged largely unscathed from the turmoil of the violent political conflict of the post-war years,” recalled one apprentice from the class of 1918. “Apprentices remained good friends despite differences of political opinion.”
Fined for “lying beneath the bench”
Reports and other important information about each apprentice were kept in a personal record book. But there was also a punishment book, in which misdemeanours were noted and for which apprentices were fined 20 pfennigs. Fines were imposed, for example, for offences such as “lying beneath the bench during morning break”, “unauthorised card games at lunchtime”, “smoking in the workshop”, “spending too long in the washroom”, “failure to clean the drill” and “failure to lock the clothes lockers”.
In 1925, nine years after setting up the apprentice workshop in Stuttgart, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft expanded its apprenticeship department with a three-tier vocational school contained within plant premises. On average, this school trained 200 apprentices over four years of apprenticeship. One exception to this were the years 1927 to 1930, when the global depression reduced the annual number of new admissions to 25 or 30 trainees. In 1928 no fewer than 588 apprentices were trained at Daimler-Benz AG, as the company now called itself following the merger between Benz & Cie. and DMG in 1926. This represented 4.8 percent of the entire workforce.
Benz & Cie.: Learning by copying
From March 1916, Benz & Cie. in Mannheim also had an in-house apprentice department equipped with fulltime staff. When wartime production forced the introduction of series production on assembly lines, plant management was led to the view that apprentices were no longer receiving adequate training in basic skills. At this time Benz employed around 80 apprentices, each learning their craft in part by replicating the construction of older vehicles – a training principle that was still in use 50 years later, as confirmed by the head of the Mannheim training department during celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the apprentice department in 1966.
Like the rest of the workforce, apprentices at Benz worked a 52-hour week. On two half-days they attended the trade school. During the first year of their apprenticeship they received wages of 4 pfennigs an hour, in the third year 10 pfennigs. During the first 50 years of its existence, the apprentice department in Mannheim trained 2,790 apprentices; of these, almost half (1,246) were still employed by the company in 1966 – nine from the very first class of 1916.
National Socialism: “Education for personal output”
When the National Socialists came to power, apprenticeship training had to be adapted to a new set of guidelines. Along with the trainers from other companies, instructors employed by the automotive manufacturer were brought into line at training camps organised by the German Labour Front (DAF), the trade union for employers and employees founded in 1933.
In addition to the teaching goal of disseminating National Socialist ideology, the educational principles also attached importance to such concepts as “punctuality and thrift, comradeship and personal output”. “The first day of work for new comrades has a ceremonial aspect,” stated the brochure Unser Nachwuchs (“Our future workforce”), published in 1941. “In the presence of all instructors and current apprentices, each new entrant commits himself to allegiance to the plant with a handshake and is formally presented with the Mercedes star as an outward symbol of this allegiance.”
Each apprentice was required to keep a plant logbook, in which he noted the weekly Nazi slogans and the jobs he had been assigned each week. At regular intervals the apprentices were required to produce pieces of work as part of vocational tests in order to demonstrate the progress they had made. One of these tests involved participation in the “Reichsberufswettbewerb” (Reich Vocational Competition), in which apprentices were asked their opinions on ideological issues and demonstrated mastery of the various skills they had been taught.
Another element of vocational training in those days involved gymnastics, swimming and open-air games. These were often accompanied by the Untertürkheim Apprentice Orchestra, thus helping to promote “friendship, education, good spirits and entertainment.” The National Socialists believed these exercises not only developed physical toughness but also prepared youngsters for future military service. Such activities were carried out not just at Untertürkheim; apprentices at the plants in Mannheim, Gaggenau, Sindelfingen and Marienfelde underwent almost identical training.
The individual Daimler-Benz plants were commended on numerous occasions for their exemplary apprentice training in line with Nazi standards. For example, in April 1937 the DAF awarded the Untertürkheim plant the Badge of Merit for Exemplary Vocational Training in recognition of its “development of trainees who were not only skilled but also models of national, socialist and human principles.”
Apprentices help with reconstruction
Reconstruction and the restart of passenger car and commercial vehicle production were the most immediate priorities for Daimler-Benz AG after the end of the Second World War. But the automotive manufacturer also soon began training apprentices again. Nevertheless, it would be a long time before the apprenticeship system recovered fully from the effects of the Second World War. In 1946, for example, only two instructors were available to teach 330 students in eleven vocational classes, since many teachers had been suspended from duties or imprisoned, according to records kept by the Technisches Schulzentrum for the Gottlieb-Daimler-Schulen in Sindelfingen, responsible for apprentices at the Sindelfingen plant.
The new apprentice workshop in Untertürkheim was completed in 1949. As before the war, vocational training took place partly on plant premises, partly at the Wilhelm-Maybach-Schule in Bad Cannstatt. Commercial apprentices were trained at the administrative headquarters in Untertürkheim. The figures made for positive reading: by 1966 the automotive manufacturer had 1,600 apprentices at its training facility. Moreover, since 1954 there had also been intake from abroad – so that by the 50th anniversary of the apprentice workshop in 1966 roughly 10 percent of all apprentices came from countries other than Germany.
From the mid 1960s Daimler-Benz began developing new training methods in Untertürkheim that also attracted critical interest from outside the company. From 1965 to 1969, for example, pilot schemes were carried out for graduated training for skilled fitters. Here, the three-year apprenticeship was divided into a common basic training phase, a general professional training phase and finally specialist training in a chosen trade. This graduated approach proved effective and was retained.
“What Daimler-Benz does for its apprentices is also recognised well beyond our national borders,” wrote the newspaper Stuttgarter Nachrichten on the occasion of the apprentice workshop’s 50th anniversary on 4 July 1966. “For example, for the last year it has featured a graduated scheme designed to ensure a differentiated, systematic and contemporary approach to vocational training. The first year allows apprentices to decide their professional and educational course and is concluded with a preliminary examination. The second stage trains apprentices as production fitters. Stages three and four take training to an advanced level. This phase involves the professional examination before the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.” The idea behind this graduated training was that each apprentice should receive “training that is tailored in terms of theory and practice to his ability and nature.”
In addition to skilled training, the automotive manufacturer attached importance to the social competence of its apprentices in the post-war period. So from 1956 participation in a two-week socio-pedagogical seminar at the Lämmerbuckel training facility was made obligatory. “Twice a year the apprentices underwent behaviour and personality analysis. The curriculum also embraced appropriate conduct, early morning exercise and general educational skills,” it was stated in a press release.
The plot of land for the training centre that Daimler constructed on the Lämmerbuckel hill immediately after the Second World War dates back to pre-war years. Work on building the two-lane “Lämmerbuckeltunnel” beneath the Wiesensteig on the Swabian Alb was started in autumn 1937; the carriageway was completed in 1942. Shortly afterwards, however, iron gates were mounted at its entrances when the tunnel was converted into an armaments factory for superchargers and aeroengines. The location was ideal, since the factory was virtually invisible from the air and safe from bombardment. A heating facility for production as well as living quarters were constructed above the tunnel. After the Second World War, Daimler-Benz systematically converted Haus Lämmerbuckel into an education and training centre.
In 1968 – by which time Daimler Benz had a total of 3,750 apprentices at company headquarters, eight plants and 34 sales and service outlets throughout the Federal Republic of Germany – Haus Lautenbach was added as a further training facility dedicated to the social education of Daimler-Benz-trainees.
One of the methods employed by Daimler-Benz in the late 1960s to recruit commercial apprentices for training was a project entitled the “virtual company”. For half a day each week young commercial trainees, under the supervision of the relevant instructor, managed a company that existed only on paper. In this way the automotive manufacturer aimed to highlight “the operational context and basic workflows,” giving apprentices the specialist training they needed on the way to becoming future experts.
1970: A new training centre
A new training centre was opened in Untertürkheim in September 1970, and further expanded in 1977/78. In addition to a new apprentice workshop, it included a teaching building, a sports hall, a cafeteria and canteen. The new training facility also accommodated an extension to the Wilhelm-Maybach-Berufsschule, in which apprentices were schooled in the metalworking trades. In the evenings the rooms were used for advanced training and further education events for adults. In 1970 Daimler-Benz trained approximately 4,500 technical and commercial apprentices.
In the 1970s Daimler-Benz also trialled new approaches with a view to further improving apprenticeship training. For example, it took part in the “pilot scheme for first-year vocational basic education in the field of metalworking”. This preliminary year involved a broad-based general training before subsequently leading to job-specific skilled training. Furthermore, for people with learning difficulties and youngsters without a school leaving certificate, in 1975 the company began offering metalwork training courses in Untertürkheim which included the possibility of a conventional apprenticeship. In 1976 this opportunity was taken up by 94 young people. In addition, the manufacturer invested in the Berufskolleg Baden-Württemberg, which established a dual vocational training course for intermediate secondary school leavers. 70 Daimler-Benz trainees took part in 1978.
Training knows no limits
In the 1970s the automotive manufacturer also set itself the goal of improving integration of foreign apprentices in Germany and of doing all it could to promote the German language among trainees with just a limited knowledge. But the traditional German company also played a committed role in the education of young people outside its borders. In 1970, for example, new training centres were set up at general distributors in Iran and the Philippines.
“We have continued and expanded the systematic vocational training of young skilled workers for our foreign general distributors through internship training programmes at our domestic plants and the development of new training facilities abroad,” explained the Board of Management in the annual report of 1974. “A training facility with a training manager from Daimler-Benz AG was opened in Ghana in 1974, for example. Other projects of this type are ready to be implemented.”
The annual report for 1977 picked up the theme again: “Our training work abroad has been further intensified. In developing countries alone, many of which do not yet have systematic vocational training, 1,974 young people received training in 17 training centres.”
Education policy à la Daimler: the “Stuttgart Model”
By the late 1960s and early 1970s the political mood in Germany was one of new educational horizons. Schools providing a general education were rapidly expanded and new schools were built. With education to be made accessible to all, there was a concomitant rise in the number of those staying on at school and those permitted to continue their education to university level. While universities faced the challenge of meeting the training needs of young people, employers feared a skills gap.
So in 1971 Daimler-Benz delivered a proposal to the Ministry of Culture for the State of Baden-Württemberg to increase the attractiveness of training for high-school leavers by means of a kind of university course system. During that year talks were also held on this topic with the Stuttgart-based companies Robert Bosch GmbH and Standard Elektrik Lorenz AG. In cooperation with the Württembergischen Verwaltungs- und Wirtschaftsakademie in Stuttgart and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for the Mittlerer Neckar region, these three companies developed a new educational initiative for high-school leavers that was officially launched on 15 July 1972 – the “Stuttgart Model”.
Just why the Group saw a fundamental responsibility to help structure the education system was an issue set out clearly by Hanns Martin Schleyer, the member of the Board of Management with responsibility for human resources, at a press conference on the topic of “new approaches to educational work” in 1973: “This is not about holding on to a training system – simply because that is what has been done for decades – or otherwise giving up. It is about making an effective pedagogical contribution to improving vocational education. And in the first instance our educational field is business as a place of learning. A place of learning that is defined by its immediate relationship to practical work, that is defined by its close relationship to competition, to new processes in production and organisation. Learning is a function of operational routine. It is about coming face-to-face with concrete responsibility and the social environment of the manufacturing process.”
The Universities of Cooperative Education opened their doors in Stuttgart und Mannheim on 1 October 1974 to a total of 164 students and 51 training centres in the fields of commerce and engineering; the final qualification offered in each case was a Diploma (BA). By 1981 there were further Universities of Cooperative Education in Villingen-Schwenningen, Heidenheim an der Brenz, Ravensburg, Karlsruhe, Mosbach and Lörrach. The “Law on Universities of Cooperative Education in the State of Baden-Württemberg”, which was passed by the State Parliament in April 1982 and which came into force on 26 May 1982, ended the pilot phase of this innovative training and study model. Since then they have been a regular part of the state’s educational institutions, with a total of 3,768 students in 1982. Today there are around 21,000 students studying at the eight Universities of Cooperative Education in Baden-Württemberg; these are based at eleven different locations and cooperate with around 7,500 businesses.
Daimler – a family tradition
Expansion of the apprentice workshop in 1979 meant there were now facilities to train 1,056 trade apprentices. Statistically, this was equivalent to 5.2 apprentices per 100 employees out of a total workforce of 20,000 in Untertürkheim. Moreover, 45 percent of all trainees taken on in 1979 were the offspring of plant employees: “We can be proud of the fact that we have plant employees working here who already represent the fourth generation,” said a delighted Hans-Wolfgang Hirschbrunn, highlighting what he saw as the continuity and trust of employees during a speech to mark the expansion of the training centre. “In concrete terms, this means we now have apprentices whose great-grandfathers also worked at Daimler.”
Moreover, he was “pleased to be able to announce, that 60 to 70 percent of all apprentices stayed with the company in the long term – as skilled workers, clerical staff and as managers. Two have even become members of our own Board of Management.”
The numbers of trainees was going up not only in Untertürkheim, however. In Germany as a whole there had been a rise of 50 percent in under three years. Around 2,500 young people started a commercial or trade apprenticeship at one of the plants or sales and service outlets operated by the Stuttgart company in 1979. That brought the total number of trainees to approximately 7,000. The numbers also rose significantly at individual plants. At the Bremen plant in 1971, for example, there were 116 trainees, by 1984 the figure was 462. In its report for 1964, the Wörth plant gave the number of trainees, interns and final-year students as 20, then 211 in 1970 and 396 in 1980.
From the mid 1980s, following the multiple acquisitions of companies such as MTU Motoren- und Turbinen-Union, Dornier, AEG and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm, Daimler-Benz became Germany’s largest industrial Group. Accordingly, the number of trainees throughout the Group rose abruptly: “Over 4,000 young people started their vocational training at the Daimler-Benz Group in the last few days,” wrote the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in September 1990. “According to figures supplied by the Group’s administration department, that brings to more than 13,000 the number of apprentices employed by Mercedes, AEG and Deutsche Aerospace; when apprentices working abroad and interns are taken into account, that figure rises to over 17,000 young people. As in previous years 75 percent of boys and girls started vocational training in one of the skilled trades. The others opted for a commercial apprenticeship. Once again in 1990, the large majority of trainees – over 80 percent – were young men, confirmed the Daimler-Benz administration department.”
Nevertheless, by the late 1980s Mercedes-Benz was viewing dwindling applicant numbers with concern – long before the consequences of demographic transformation resulting from the introduction of the contraceptive pill became a topic for public discussion. For from the 1970s this led to an abrupt decline in birthrates: “The training place market in the Federal Republic of Germany has been characterised in recent years by the baby-boom generation. Demand for training places has been exceptionally high, with the number of applicants rising twofold in just a few years by 1985,” stated an information brochure on vocational training at Mercedes-Benz in 1990.
It went on: “Demand is now in serious decline and in 1995 will reach only 50 percent of the figure for 1985. We have also been concerned for some years now about the structure of applications. A steady two thirds of these are for commercial professions. However, current demand for commercial trainees represents roughly only one fifth of all places available. Consequently, the proportion of applicants to places for commercial apprenticeships is around 1:30; for trade apprenticeships the ratio is just 1:4. We must take steps to further improve human resources marketing – particularly for apprenticeships in the skilled trades – and interest a greater number of school leavers in our company’s training programmes.”
Apprentice training reached a milestone in 2004 with the opening in Esslingen-Brühl of a central technical training centre by the then DaimlerChrysler AG. It was part of the nearby Untertürkheim plant and had capacity for around 1,100 trainees, predominantly in the disciplines of production mechanics, industrial mechanics, mechatronics and motor vehicle mechatronics.
Minor differences no obstacle
Traditionally job titles have been associated with specific genders in Germany. For example, in a promotional brochure for training year 1969, alongside advertisements for “technical draftsmen and women” as well as “detail draftswomen”, the only apprenticeship offered explicitly to girls was for a “shorthand office clerk”.
In the 1970s, however, the New Women’s Movement placed previous gender models under scrutiny and in its 1978 publication Können hat Zukunft (“Ability has a future”) Daimler-Benz devoted a chapter to the new generation of female workers: “Qualified girls are in demand – more so now than ever,” ran the company advertisement for female trainees seeking jobs in industrial and office management, as shorthand office clerks, technical draftswomen, graduates in business management (BA) or in certain sales and service outlets as wholesale and export merchants. “But that was not the end of the story. A growing number of girls were also becoming qualified experts in the technical and skilled trades, realising that traditional role allocation by gender was often no longer tenable. So in some of our plants we opened professional metalworking routes for girls, for example as machine fitters or tool and die makers.”
In a press release of 1979, Richard Osswald, the Daimler-Benz Board of Management member responsible for human resources, confirmed that the Group would be investing greater interest in girls. He was quoted as saying: “Of all girls aged between 15 and 18 in Germany, only around 30 percent are in industrial vocational training.” He turned away from “the prejudice of typically male vocations. Daimler-Benz had already been offering girls training in the skilled trades for some time. The experience gained by the Stuttgart automotive manufacturer had been positive in every respect and proved the value of continuing these efforts.”
In the annual report of 1980, in a chapter entitled Training and Further Training, the Daimler-Benz Board of Management explained just why it was so important to invest in female recruitment. “For socio-political reasons, but also in view of the falling numbers of school graduates, we are increasingly addressing new applicant groups in order to secure our supply of junior staff. This includes, for example, an increased number of apprenticeships for girls in technical disciplines.”
Since the launch of Girls Day in Germany in 2001, Daimler has also taken part in the official “Mädchen-Zukunftstag”, aimed at introducing school-age girls to apprenticeships in technical and technology-related jobs. And with considerable success, as one participant from the class of 2008 described, who since September 2009 has been one of two new toolmakers in the first year of training at the Mercedes-Benz Gaggenau plant: “Gradually we are seeing an increasing number of young women here in the technical apprenticeships – and that’s good news. I haven’t regretted my choice for a single day. I often have to explain to my friends what I’m learning here – but they’re interested in what I do too!”
Moreover, the fact that girls are keen to tackle previously male-dominated jobs at Daimler-Benz is not limited solely to Germany. Mercedes-Benz Turkey, for example, is also cooperating with the Turkish organisation CYDD: “The prize-winning training programme “Each girl is a star” is primarily intended to encourage financially disadvantaged young women to find employment in occupations traditionally dominated by men. 850 Turkish women between the ages of 15 and 18 have meanwhile passed through this programme,” stated Daimler’s annual report of 2009.
Shaping a common future
Today Daimler AG offers training in 22 technical and 14 commercial disciplines. The consequences of the sudden drop in the birthrate that came with the introduction of the contraceptive pill are immense: “Demographic transformation presents a challenge to the company,” wrote the Board of Management in its 2009 annu al report. “We have been analysing the effects of demographic developments on workforce capacity and workforce aging at several Group sites, and we have simulated and compared future workforce and capacity requirements. This has enabled us to identify how the workforce will develop over the medium term. We have also been able to evaluate the capacity requirements resulting from this development in terms of the number of employees we will need, the qualifications they must have and an appropriate age structure. We are using these findings to determine which professions should be included in our training portfolio and which policies we need to adopt in relation to continuing education, occupational retraining and recruitment practices.”
The Board of Management also made it clear that in-house training was a top priority. “We view training and further training as indispensable elements to ensure our company’s long-term business success. At the end of 2009, the Group had 9,151 trainees worldwide. In Germany, we took on 2,341 new trainees in the year under review. Trainees who perform well subsequently receive fair job offers; Daimler hired 89% of its trainees in 2009.”
The final stage of the 2010 Mille Miglia saw participants travel from the Italian capital of Roma back the starting city of Brescia. The day started at 7:00 AM to rainy conditions, but as the group progressed north through Siena and Firenze, rain soon gave way to beautiful sunny weather. Rich cultural heritage, gorgeous Tuscan landscapes and scenic mountain passes greeted drivers along their journey, and after roughly 660 miles and 15 hours, entrants began making their way across the finish line back in Brescia. In total, drivers travelled roughly 1,400 kilometers with times of about 35 hours, and all 15 of the Mercedes team vehicles successfully completed the race. One participant, Uschi Glas, who made the journey with her husband in a 300 SL Gullwing, said she was blown away by the atmosphere in Italy during the Mille Miglia, and the entire Mercedes team looks forward to competing again next year in the 2011 Mille Miglia.
The second stage of the Mille Miglia 2010 saw participants make their from Bologna to the Italian capital of Roma. Drivers began the day early, around 7:00 AM, and travelled through Imola and the Rebupbblica di San Marino through beautiful country roads and winding mountain passes, before making lunch stops in Urbino. Due to heavy Italian traffic in some areas, Italian motorcycle police escorts were necessary to make way for the drivers. After lunch, the second half of the stage commenced, with participants tackling a 2000 meter high snowy mountain pass en route to Roma. After 520 kilometers and 15 hours, drivers reached their destination – Piazza de la St. Angello in Roma. All Mercedes have successfully completed the journey thus far, with our coverage of the longest, final stage – Roma to Brescia – coming up later tonight.
It’s Friday ladies and gentlemen, and I must preface this article with a brief disclaimer: if you’re at work reading this, your mood is almost certainly going to get a bit more somber, because right now, as we speak, a caravan of incredibly gorgeous historic Mercedes-Benz models are traversing the beautiful Italian countryside in the 2010 Mille Miglia, and you (we) are missing it. All is not lost, however, because despite our unfortunate placement, we’ve still got firsthand coverage for you from the event, and believe me when I tell you, the Mercedes models on hand are truly a sight to behold.
The festivities for the 2010 Mille Miglia actually kicked off yesterday in Italy, after heavy rain finally gave way to sunny conditions. A total of 15 classic Mercedes-Benz models made the journey to Italy – nine Mercedes 300SL Gullwings, three Mercedes SSK’s, one Mercedes SS, one Mercedes 220A and one W194 prototype I – the largest factory team turnout for the event. Also on hand for Mercedes are ex-Forumla 1 drivers Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard.
The first leg saw the drivers get underway from the norther Italian city of Brescia, with the teams traveling a total of 193 kilometers through Sirmione, Castel D’Ario and Cento before reaching Bologna, thus ending the first stage. Next up is the longer, second stage of the journey – one that will see drivers make their way from Bologna south through Repubblica Di San Marino and Rieti before they eventually conclude at the Italian capital of Roma.
We’ll keep you updated throughout the Mille Miglia 2010 with additional photos and details; but in the meantime, check out the first wave of photos from the Mille Miglia’s first stage in the gallery below.
When the 190 was first presented in December 1982, it didn’t look particularly revolutionary. Yet the Mercedes-Benz mid-size sedan, known within the company as the “compact class” and positioned below the E-Class, S-Class and SL-Class, became a milestone for the future development of the Mercedes-Benz model portfolio. Its strong, clear lines matched its product claim as a genuine Mercedes-Benz, an embodiment of progress, about to step out into a new car category.
With its clearly defined wedge shape and finely chiseled light-catching contours, there was nothing reticent about the new model series, proudly taking its place in the Mercedes family. The man responsible for the fresh linear design was Bruno Sacco. The first models in the W 201 series were the 190 and 190 E which quickly became a major success and role models. As well as providing the basis for subsequent C-Class generations, the 190 sedan, known affectionately as the Baby Benz, also became the first shot in Mercedes-Benz’s product drive.
The Mercedes-Benz compact class – or C-Class as it became known as from the subsequent W 202 series, according to the nomenclature introduced at the time – clearly aimed to replicate the virtues of its bigger relations in terms of handling, passive safety and reliability. Along with its smaller size, the new Mercedes-Benz was also lighter and very economical.
To reduce fuel consumption, the Mercedes engineers optimized the aerodynamics of the body and also used high-strength sheet steel and other innovative materials to reduce the weight of the car. As a result, the 190 weighed just 1180 kilograms, without any reductions in passive safety. One of the features providing passive safety commensurate with the S-Class sedans was the forked-member structure of the front end. This design, taken from the S-Class from the 126 series, ensured that the 190 also met the requirement for an asymmetrical frontal collision at 55 km/h with 40 percent overlap.
New standards set by the multi-link independent rear suspension
The 190 also had a revolutionary new chassis design, developed specifically for the new model, which proved a great success. The main feature was the multi-link independent rear suspension. Each of the rear wheels was located by five independent links for optimum wheel control, with lateral and longitudinal forces effectively balanced in all driving situations. This improved steering precision and ensured very well-behaved handling characteristics. The new rear axle design was also lighter and more compact than its predecessors. The front axle featured shock-absorber struts located by individual triangular wishbones and anti-dive control. This gave the W 201 excellent straight-line stability, and being a relatively flat structure it also left a lot of space under the hood.
These chassis innovations delivered their benefits only once the car was on the road, but there were some other surprises in store for Mercedes drivers used to the S-Class and mid-series as soon as they entered the car. Instead of having a foot-operated parking brake, as used in all Mercedes passenger models made in Stuttgart from 1968, the W 201 model series had a conventional parking brake, operated by means of a lever between the front seats. The engineers saw this as a way of saving space in the foot well, and in any event, little effort was required for applying the parking brake in the compact class car because of the latter’s lighter weight.
The 190 was built in Sindelfingen and Bremen. Production began in Sindelfingen, with the assembly line in the Bremen factory starting up later, in November 1983. The plant had had to be modernized for production of the Mercedes-Benz compact class in a long and expensive process. The mid-series station wagon (S 123) had been manufactured in Bremen from early 1978.
Production of the new compact class was organized as a joint operation between the two locations – the first time in the company’s history that such an arrangement was used to this extent. One of the routine requirements for this cooperation at a distance of several hundred miles was the exchange of body components. For example, Bremen produced the engine hoods, floor assemblies, fuel tanks and doors, while all other sheet metal components came from Sindelfingen. Along with this interchange of components between the two locations, engines, transmissions, and axles were shipped to both plants from Untertürkheim, and the steering gear assemblies were sourced from Düsseldorf.
Start of production with the 190 and 190 E
Mercedes-Benz started production of the 190 and 190 E models in 1982; the 190 D and 190 E 2.3-16 followed in 1983 and 1984, respectively. The first two models, both gasoline-powered, were fitted with four-cylinder engines with a displacement of 1997 cubic centimeters, delivering 66 kW and 90 kW, respectively. The units from the M 102 family of engines were based on the engine used in the Mercedes-Benz 200 (W 123) introduced in 1980. For the 190, engine power was trimmed back from 80 kW to 66 kW by reducing the size of the intake and exhaust ducts and fitting a modified camshaft and smaller valves. At 90 kW, the engine of the 190 E delivered significantly more power thanks to gasoline injection. This was the first time the Mercedes-Benz engineers used the mechanical electronically-controlled Bosch KE-Jetronic injection system, giving the compact 190 E a top speed of up to 195 km/h, and “Mercedes-style spiritedness,” as the 1982 brochure put it.
Just one year later, the 190 D came along with a completely newly developed four-cylinder diesel engine with a displacement of 1997 cubic centimetres – a configuration that intrigued people. With its exemplary encapsulation, this engine prepared the ground for state-of-the-art diesel technology in Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Known as the “whisper diesel,” the engine emitted only half the noise of comparable power plants. The new diesel, which also had a respectable power output of 53 kW and low fuel consumption, proved to be a highly successful innovation and was soon in high demand. A total of 452,806 units of the 190 D were built over the ten years it remained in production.
In 1984 the new 190 E 2.3-16 made its debut at the top end of the model series. Even in appearance, the new model was very different, with a clear profile as a compact sports car highlighted by features such as the wing-type spoiler at the rear. For the engine, the company’s engineers went back to the W 123 series. The four-cylinder engine with 2299-cc displacement as used in the 190 E 2.3-16 had a newly designed cylinder head with two intake and two exhaust valves. These and other modifications boosted engine power from 100 kW to 136 kW, with acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h in just 7.5 seconds. The car’s top speed was 230 km/h.
World long-distance records in Nardo
The 190 E 2.3-16 had been able to show what it could do as early as in 1983 the year of its presentation at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. Four weeks before the launch, three prototypes of the model had set several world long-distance records over 25,000 kilometers, 25,000 miles, and 50,000 kilometers, with average speeds of almost 250 km/h, in Nardo, southern Italy. These results were a foretaste of the 190’s subsequent career as a sports car. The new Mercedes-Benz racing car made its debut in the official opening race on the new Nürburgring on May 12, 1984. The road-going version of the 16-valve model went into production in September 1984, in two metallic finishes: blue black and smoke silver.
Two more compact class models came in 1983 for export to North America only. These US versions were the diesel-engined 190 D 2.2 and gasoline-engined 190 E 2.3. For the diesel version, the displacement volume was increased to 2197 cubic centimetres by lengthening the stroke. This compensated for the loss in power resulting from the fitting of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system. This feature was essential for a car exported to the US, particularly in view of the stringent emission limits in California. The modified diesel engine delivered 54 kW, practically the same as in the standard version.
The closed-loop emission control system initially made the gasoline-engined 190 E 2.3 significantly less powerful than the 230 E (W 123). The rating of 83 kW instead of 100 kW put the larger-displacement export version even below the standard 190 E. This problem was solved in 1984 with a modified intake manifold, a redesigned camshaft and a newly tuned injection system. The 190 E 2.3 now delivered 90 kW, on a par with the two-liter model.
The 190’s engine with carburetor had its performance boosted just two years after being launched into the market. The derated version was replaced with an engine without any performance restrictions, and the Mercedes-Benz design engineers also raised the compression ratio. The basic model of the series, internally known as the 190/1, now delivered 77 kW, an increase of 11 kW. The more effective exhaust silencers were the only thing that prevented the engine from matching the output of its W 123 counterpart.
The refinement package for the 190 and 190 E included single-belt drive, hydraulic valve clearance compensation and hydraulic engine bearings. At the time of the market launch of the new mid-sized W 124 series in January 1985, the specifications of the compact class were extended by the addition of new wheels (diameter: 38.10 centimetres), electrically heated windshield wiper nozzles and an eccentric-sweep windshield wiper with a significantly larger swept area. From September 1985, power steering and electrically heated exterior mirrors were fitted as standard on all models. But as well as introducing technical improvements to the compact class, the arrival of the mid-series W 124 also changed perceptions of the 190. The latter had previously been stylistically completely distinct from the profile of other Mercedes-Benz models, but the introduction of the W 124 with features consistent with the brand profile made it quite clear that the compact model series had become the trendsetter for a new design language of Mercedes-Benz cars.
Mercedes-Benz added two new models to the series in 1985, starting with the 190 D 2.5, a sedan powered by the five-cylinder diesel engine from the 250 D, with a displacement of 2497 cubic centimetres and output of 66 kW. As well as providing the same impressive fuel economy as the 190 D, the compact diesel also had impressive performance and a top speed of 174 km/h.
Six-cylinder engines provide new qualities
The follow-up to the five-cylinder diesel engine came in the fall of 1985 when Mercedes-Benz actually installed a six-cylinder in-line engine in the 190. The 190 E 2.6 was displayed at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September of that year. In combination with a five-speed manual transmission, the 2566-cc engine delivered 122 kW and accelerated the car from standstill to 100 km/h in just 8.2 seconds. The top speed was 215 km/h. Visitors to the motor show were impressed by the design skills employed to fit a large six-cylinder engine into the limited space available under the hood of the 190. The Mercedes-Benz engineers had come up with a masterpiece of made-to-measure automotive packaging. The external indications of the higher power of the 190 E 2.6 were twin exhaust pipes and the deeper and more steeply angled front apron with wider louvers. Just a few weeks after the 190 E 2.6 had made its debut, the 500,000th 190 rolled off the assembly line. The new model with gasoline injection engine had not yet contributed to this milestone. Production of the 190 E 2.6 started in April 1986, and the new model was finally launched into the market in October 1986, together with the 190 E 2.3. The main difference between this variant of the W 201 and the export version of the same name was the four-cylinder engine with normal compression ratio and a power output of 100 kW.
From that time, all gasoline-engined models were available with the option of a closed-loop emission control system with a three-way catalytic converter, except for the 190 with carburetor. As an alternative option, Mercedes-Benz also offered cars which were prepared for retrofitting, with a multi-functional mixture preparation and ignition system, but without catalytic converter or lambda sensor. Older cars could also easily be retrofitted with the closed-loop catalytic converter. These alternatives gave vehicle owners the flexibility to decide when to switch to a closed-loop emission control system. From September 1986, the carburetor model was also available with an emission control system, and the closed-loop catalytic converter became standard equipment on all gasoline-engined Mercedes-Benz passenger car models. Cars prepared for retrofitting were still available on request until August 1989, at a lower price than the equivalent version with catalytic converter.
A sprightly diesel makes its debut
In 1987, the compact class continued on its course towards diesel cars with sporty performance. In September of that year, Mercedes-Benz presented the 190 D 2.5 Turbo at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. The engine was a 90-kW five-cylinder turbodiesel compression-ignition unit, derived from the proven naturally aspirated engine. The exhaust-gas turbocharger boosted power by 24 kW, resulting in a top speed of 192 km/h and acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds. The visual trademark of the new model, exported to the USA from as early as fall 1986, was the six louvers in the front right fender, between direction indicator and wheel cut-out. These were not a decorative feature with martial connotations, but were vital in supplying the turbocharger with the amount of air it required. Another difference between the turbodiesel and its sister model with naturally aspirated engine was the twin-pipe rear silencer.
The one-millionth W 201 rolled off the assembly line in Bremenin March 1988. By now, the compact class had established itself as Mercedes-Benz’s third major model series. The company also fundamentally revised the 190 in 1988. The refined compact class was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September 1988, six years after the presentation of the first 190. The main focus was on the restyling of the body and the new-look interior. The most striking feature of the refined models was the protective side strips with integrated side skirt paneling, similar to those in the coupes from the 124 model series.
The front and rear spoilers reached further down and were combined with larger bumpers, with new support elements and modified impact absorbers designed for increased energy absorption. The new front apron had been adopted from the 190 E 2.6 and was now used on all models to reduce the lift at the front axle. The purpose of new spoiler at the rear was to optimize the airflow outflow. The refinement package also included the nearside exterior mirror as part of the standard equipment. The new interior design made the 190 more spacious and more comfortable for both driver and occupants, with more knee and head room in the rear and improved seats at both front and rear.
Simultaneously with the refinement, Mercedes-Benz also introduced its new top-of-range model for the compact class: the 190 E 2.5-16, replacing the first 16-valve engine with a 2.3-liter unit after four years. The engine was actually based on its predecessor, benefiting from a longer stroke. The new engine, with catalytic converter, developed 143 kW – 18 kW more than its predecessor. Even with the catalytic converter, the performance of the new model matched the 190 E 2.3-16 without emission control system. The new 16-valve model was also identified as a descendant of the Nardo record car by its visual appearance. Two new paint finishes were now available, complementing the blue black and smoke silver finishes by the addition of the metallic finishes almandine red and astral silver.
The 190 E 2.5-16 as a racing car
The 190 E 2.5-16 also became the basis for the sports cars entered in Group A of the German Touring Car Championship (DTM). The type-approved base model was the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution with the M 102 E 25/2 engine, further modified for racing. The next development stage came one year later with the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II model. In its production version, this car, again presented for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show, delivered 173 kW, with performance boosted still further.
From February 1989, in the context of the “Diesel ‘89” initiative,
Mercedes-Benz started fitting all its diesel-engined passenger car models with reworked engines with particulate emissions reduced by 40 percent through optimization of the combustion cycle. The optimized diesel models were virtually smoke-free and met the stringent particulate emissions limits in the U.S.A. even without a particulate trap. This was made possible by newly designed prechamber combustion with oblique fuel injection for more efficient combustion. The injection pumps in all naturally aspirated diesel engines now also had an altitude correction unit (vacuum cell) to keep emissions down even when driving at high altitudes. A favorable side effect of the new diesel technology was a power increase of two kW in the 190 D and three kW in the 190 D 2.5. From as early as September 1988, cars with turbocharged diesel engines were fitted with comparable technology – which meant that the output of the 190 D 2.5 Turbo was boosted to 93 kW.
A sophisticated emission control system introduced in 1990 further reduced pollutant emission levels. To achieve this, Mercedes-Benz opted for an oxidation catalyst specially developed for diesel engines and combined with an exhaust gas recirculation system. This highly efficient system was available as optional equipment from October 1990, initially for cars with naturally aspirated diesel engines, then six months later for turbocharged models as well.
The Sportline package, a new equipment variant for the 190, came onto the market in June 1989. The package was available for all models and featured a suspension lowered by 21 mm, tauter springs and shock absorbers, 7J x 15 alloy wheels with wide tires in 205/55 R 15 format, and seating as in the 16-valve model. This did not apply to the 190 E 2.5-16 which already boasted sporty equipment in its standard version.
The era of gasoline engines with carburetors at Mercedes-Benz ended in 1990. In the case of the W 201 model series, this meant that the 190 E 1.8 model replaced the 190 that had been in production for over seven years. The new engine had a displacement of 1797 cubic centimeters and delivered 80 kW with catalytic converter. It had been derived from the two-liter engine in the 190 E by reducing the stroke, and used the same mechanically/electronically controlled Bosch KE-Jetronic injection system.
Final refinement
The 190 was refined for the last time in 1991. Among other things, all models now featured the ABS anti-lock braking system, except for the 190 D and 190 E 1.8 entry-level models. The 190 E was now called the 190 E 2.0, and was three kW more powerful, thanks to a lower-resistance exhaust system.
Mercedes-Benz presented another three special models of the W 201 in 1992, the last full year of production of the series. These AVANTGARDE versions of the 190 E 1.8, 190 E 2.3 and 190 D 2.5 were primarily designed to have a more youthful look, including pearl coat finishes in strong colors. In all, 4,600 units were built of these special models.
Production of the 190 ended in Sindelfingen in February 1993 and in Bremen in August that same year. A total of 1,879,629 vehicles had been manufactured. This underlines the success of the compact class, and the wisdom of the decision to extend the product range of the Mercedes-Benz brand into lower segments of the market.
Production Figures
| Model | Designation | Production period pre-series – end | Unit numbers |
| 190 | W201 V 20 | 1982 – 1984 | 35,021 |
| 190 E / 190 E 2.0 | W201 E 20 | 1982 – 1993 | 638,180 |
| 190 E 2.3 | W201 E 23 | 1983 – 1993 (before Sept. 1986 export model for North America only) | 186,610 |
| 190 D | W201 D 20 | 1983 – 1993 | 452,806 |
| 190 D 2.2 | W201 D 22 | 1983 – 1985 (export model for North America only) | 10,560 |
| 190 (new engine) | W201 V 20/1 | 1984 – 1991 | 83,540 |
| 190 E 2.3-16 | W201 E 23/2 | 1984 – 1988 | 19,487 |
| 190 D 2.5 | W201 D 25 | 1985 – 1993 | 147,502 |
| 190 E 2.6 | W201 E 26 | 1986 – 1993 | 104,907 |
| 190 D 2.5 Turbo | W201 D 25 A | 1986 – 1993 (before Sept. 1987 export model for North America only) | 20,915 |
| 190 E 2.5-16 | W201 E 25/2 | 1988 – 1993 | 5,743 |
| 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution | W201 E 25/2 | 1989 | 502 |
| 190 E 1.8 | W201 E 18 | 1990 – 1993 | 173,354 |
| 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II | W201 E 25/2 | 1990 | 502 |
| Total | 1,879,629 |
The W 201 series in the press
Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, November 19, 2006: “The compact class was the first herald of what the future had in store.”
Bruno Sacco, head of Design at Mercedes-Benz from 1975 to 1999, said this about the W 201 in 2000: “The Mercedes 190 was specifically designed to be provocative. We wanted to attract new customers, so we had to get their attention – for example, with a rear-end design that was highly unusual at that time, and with very distinctive contours. When I look at this car today, I still find it very attractive.”
auto, motor und sport, July 14, 1982, on the W 201: “With all its sports performance features, the 190 is still an outstandingly comfortable sedan.”
auto, motor und sport, December 1, 1982, on the new W 201: “The 190 comes with features which have been highly unusual in this class to date: the anti-lock braking system, for example, or the driver airbag and the automatic belt tensioner for the front passenger.”
auto, motor und sport, December 1, 1982, on the multi-link independent rear suspension of the W 201: “This is truly a rear axle unlike anything the world has ever seen.”
auto, motor und sport, December 15, 1982, on the multi-link independent rear suspension of the W 201: “A veritable dream of an axle.”
Auto Zeitung, December 20, 1982, on the debut of the W 201: “Everyone’s talking about the new small Mercedes, the 190/190 E.”
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, December 22, 1982, on the W 201: “A refreshingly and unconventionally styled modern car that can be expected to attract new, and particular young buyers.”
auto, motor und sport, January 12, 1983, on the public reaction to the W 201: “No other car is so much at the center of attention, no other car has generated anything like the curiosity as this new development from the world’s oldest motor manufacturer.”
auto, motor und sport, January 12, 1983, on the design of the W 201: “The W 201 body surrounds the driver like a well tailored suit, proving that you can be comfortable even in a relatively small space.”
auto, motor und sport, March 23, 1983, on the 190 D: “The diesel engine is encapsulated, which means less exterior noise emissions and lower noise levels inside the car.”
Auto Zeitung, October 21, 1983, on the 190 D: “This car continues a diesel tradition going back 47 years, providing ample scope for the development of future generations of compression-ignition engines.”, November 1983, on the 190 2.3: “We think the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3 is an outstanding four-door sedan – perhaps the best in the world in its size class.”
Road & Track, November 1983, on the design of the W 201: “The styling of the 190 is head-turning.”
The rear-positioned engine was the driving force behind the earliest pioneering vehicles. Created independently of one another in 1886, the world’s first two automobiles, the Patent Motor Car of Carl Benz and the Motor Carriage of Gottlieb Daimler, both had rear engines. The construction principle of the four-wheeled rear-engine car was widely used up to the turn of the twentieth century, above all in two-seater sports vehicles. Thereafter it became the exception, and the great majority of cars had engines positioned in front of the passengers.
The concept was revived in 1934, when Mercedes-Benz presented the 130 model. This was the first fully-developed mass-produced rear-engine car both in brand history and indeed in the entire history of the automobile – a tradition that now spanned almost half a century.
The starting point for the development of the 130 model was the difficult economic situation of the early 1930s and, in particular, the hoped-for mass motorisation, in which all automotive manufacturers were keen to have a slice of the action. This forced all of them to develop smaller and more affordable vehicles – the Mercedes-Benz brand, in particular, was reputed for producing mainly elegant and expensive models. Germany increasingly focused on the concept of the Volkswagen or ‘people’s car’, a designation which at the time denoted a category and general orientation rather than a specific vehicle.
Daimler-Benz AG did not blind itself to the requirements of the day, however, producing instead a fundamentally new concept, the rear-engine car. The principle reasons, viewed from its own perspective, were documented in the original sales brochures of the 1930s: a rear-mounted engine permitted better use of space. In cars with a relatively short wheelbase, this not only afforded passengers more leg room, it also improved comfort by creating optimum springing between the axles. In addition, the entire drive unit could be focused in a single unit and required no propshaft, giving vehicles the additional benefit of reduced weight and transmission losses.
It was perhaps to be anticipated that although the concept underwent continual refinements over the years, finally reaching maturity in the shape of the Mercedes-Benz 170 H of 1936, ultimately the rear-engine car never really caught on. What follows on these pages, therefore, is a fine example of the consistent application of progressive vehicle concepts throughout the long history of Daimler AG.
Launched by the then DaimlerChrysler AG in 1998, the smart city-coupé, known from 2004 onwards as the fortwo, was also based on the basic idea of a rear-engine vehicle, with optimum use of space and rigorously advancing the concept in the form of a two-seater city vehicle.
The 130 model has the honour of being the concept that took rear-engine design to a new level and made it more widely known, following its earlier implementation in a few individual mini cars – even before the car that would later achieve fame as the “VW Beetle”. The first Beetle prototype did not get under way until October 1935. In 1937 Daimler AG was commissioned to build a further 30 prototypes at the Sindelfingen plant for the purpose of more intensive testing. Volkswagenwerk GmbH was founded in 1938, although with the outbreak of war, series production of the Beetle did not begin until 1945. The rear-engine vehicle finally went on sale to the public in 1946, around twelve years after the Mercedes-Benz 130.
A successor to the 130 model appeared in 1936. As the only rear-engine model available, the Mercedes-Benz 170 H was unique in carrying the letter “H” (for “Heckmotor”) in its model designation, in order to distinguish it from the front-engine Mercedes-Benz 170 V presented at the same time. The 170 H, which remained a part of the model range until 1939, put an end to many of the disadvantages of its predecessor, and offered much improved handling characteristics.
The two-seater Mercedes-Benz 150 with coupé body was also entered for the “2000 km through Germany” event of 1934. This car was based on a mid-engine concept, but nevertheless ranked alongside these distinctive vehicles. Designed specifically for sports events, it played a special role, since the 130 and 170 H models were passenger cars for everyday use. The open-top variant of the competition car, the Mercedes-Benz 150 Sport Roadster, subsequently made its debut at the IAMA in Berlin in 1935. It became part of the official sales range and was offered until 1936 – although built only in extremely small unit numbers.
The rear-engine models were the rigorous realisation of a technical vision. Part of this rigour also involved body design, for with a front radiator no longer required the entire vehicle could now take on a different shape. The models therefore differed fundamentally in appearance from the traditional front-engine vehicles, which – particularly in the case of Mercedes-Benz – had traditionally been heavily determined by the classical, almost iconographic radiator grille. Now, the front end of all rear-engine vehicles appeared rounded, some with three-pointed star mounted inside a circle (130 model), others with a three-pointed star without circle (170 H model), and yet others with the free-standing Mercedes star (150 model) still familiar today.
Without doubt, these divergences from traditional design concepts played a significant part in the failure of rear-engine vehicles to gain the expected foothold in the market. But when one looks at these cars today, particularly the 170 H model, it is impossible to deny their progressive nature – all the more apparent when they stand alongside other cars of their generation.
As a result of their weight distribution, rear-engine cars are often criticised for poor handling characteristics. If corners are taken too quickly, there is a tendency for the vehicle to oversteer – in other words, for the rear end to slide towards the outside of the turn. Since the laws of physics are at the root of the phenomenon, it is a tendency that exists in rear-engine vehicles of all manufacturers. Contemporary driving reports on Mercedes-Benz vehicles tested this tendency and were not sparing in their criticism. But they also said that drivers could – and indeed had to – adjust to this phenomenon in order to drive safely at all times. It was also noted that in the 170 H, a late evolutionary stage of the rear-engine vehicle, handling characteristics were more balanced thanks to a comprehensive range of design measures. And compared with its counterpart with front-mounted engine, the 170 V, the 170 H even came off better in terms of suspension comfort, noise, drag and performance.
In the sum of their qualities, the rear-engine vehicles were also in line with the traditional Mercedes-Benz claim of giving customers the best whatever the vehicle model. As such, these vehicles offered active proof of the technological leadership of Daimler-Benz AG.
The call for a smaller Mercedes-Benz
The second half of the 1920s was a period of innovation in automobile technology. Many engineers began freeing themselves from the still popular designs based on the model of the horse-drawn carriage, with box frame, rigid axles and leaf springs. Instead, they strove towards new solutions such as independent suspension and high-rigidity frames.
The plans of Daimler-Benz AG fitted into this period of technological progress, for shortly after the merger of Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft in 1926, the new company returned once again to a latent topic – development of the bottom end of the model range. Several designs for smaller vehicles with displacements of 1.3 litres and 1.4 litres were created under Ferdinand Porsche’s leadership as chief engineer; some of these were also built for testing purposes. In 1926 these included eight prototypes (W 01 series) with a 1.4-litre six-cylinder engine and an output of 18 kW, and in 1928 a total of around 30 test vehicles (W 14) with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine, which also developed an output of 18 kW. However, both cars toed the conventional line with side-valve engines and rigid axle chassis. They never reached the series production stage for economic reasons.
In 1931 Daimler-Benz AG then brought to market the Mercedes-Benz 170 (W 15) developed by Porsche’s successor Hans Nibel. Although this car proved a great success, there was still a long way to go. Europe did not escape the impact of the global economic crisis during the early 1930s, and realising the pressing need for an even more affordable vehicle, the company once again opened up a serious internal debate on extending the model range further downwards. Chairman of the Board of Management Wilhelm Kissel and chief engineer Hans Nibel, in particular, warmed to the challenge of this issue, since before the merger at Benz & Cie. the two had enjoyed success with smaller vehicles, including the 6/18 hp Benz of 1911. They were also supported by Max Wagner, Head of the Design Office, and his designer Josef Müller.
Smaller vehicles already in the family for some time
In his memoirs, published in 1990, Müller wrote: “Questions had been raised within the company for some time [about the possibility of a smaller car], since the days when we could sell only large and prestigious vehicles seemed to be gone for good; we were on the brink of a new type of popular motoring. The four passengers deserved to be given the best suspension possible between the axles.”
The young Josef Müller was one of the avant-garde of automotive engineers striving for fundamentally new technological innovations. After completing his diploma at the Technical University in Munich, he joined the “CB”, as Max Wagner’s construction office (Construktionsbüro) was known, and set about tackling new challenges with creativity. In 1932, for example, he pressed ahead with the advance development of a design for cars with a 1.2-litre engine.
Between late 1931 and 1934 the department also came up with numerous designs for small four-seater rear-engine cars with air-cooled boxer engines and liquid-cooled three- and four-cylinder engines, some of which were transverse-mounted above the rear axle. At the same time, however, vehicles were also produced in the same size category with front-mounted engines and front-wheel drive – a pioneering combination at the time. Kissel authorised the front-engine designs in order to have a replacement for the rear-engine car if required.
Lofty claim of technological leadership
Kissel’s lofty claim of technological leadership applied to his company as a whole; but if a smaller Mercedes-Benz was to live up to the claim, it had to provide actual proof of the technological leadership of Daimler-Benz. This became plain in fundamental comments made by Kissel on another occasion: “Although we have to be prudent with our money in these critical years, it is necessary, now more so than ever, to show the world that the spirit of Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz lives on in us, and to prove that Daimler-Benz AG is determined to defend its inheritance.”
The level of urgency accorded the project is today evident from discussions that Kissel had with the Board of Management and other key figures during the International Automobile and Motorcycle Exhibition (IAMA) in Berlin in 1933. He said: “We are facing the situation that our position this year [1933], as well as our plans for a 1.3-litre car, would be considerably enhanced, particularly if the general outlook does not significantly improve and instead the trend towards smaller, more economical and cheaper cars sooner or later becomes more marked than hitherto. The benchmark remains the position that our sharp focus must be on developing technological progress, because otherwise another company may succeed in producing a car with driving qualities at a price that could thwart our intentions in respect of the 1.3-litre car.”
So the decision to build the Mercedes-Benz 130 had already been taken some time earlier. It made its debut in 1934 and was based on what was for the time a revolutionary concept. As a rear-engine car, it almost literally turned back to front most of what until then had been considered conventional basic car design.
In June 1933 Kissel predicted a change in the market situation. The minutes of a meeting of the Board of Management noted: “On the issue of whether the larger models will suffer as a result of the 1.3-litre model, Mr. Kissel observed that model orientation was moving downwards and that customer numbers for cars priced over 4,400 Reichsmarks were becoming increasingly smaller. Larger cars, including the six-seaters, would therefore inevitably become less important.” Another of Kissel’s remarks is also particularly striking set against the historical context: “As a further aspect for present considerations, it should not be forgotten that a price code is to be introduced. Dealing will disappear, just as haggling will be eliminated. But with fixed prices our share in the RM 4,400 car class will probably drop from 10 % to 6 % without the 1.3-litre. Therefore, if we are to maintain and consolidate our current market share, the 1.3-litre car must be produced.”
Kissel also justified the decision in favour of the new model on a different occasion, saying that: “in view of the rapidly sinking market, there were two possibilities: Either to so cheapen the 170 model that the sales price could be set much lower, or to reach out at the bottom end of the sales range by creating a new model. The second solution – to introduce the 1.3-litre car – was the only logical option.”
But voices calling for practical small automobiles could also be heard in the public arena. One of the untiring advocates – along with the designers Edmund Rumpler, Hans Ledwinka, Béla Barényi and Carl Slevogt – was the journalist and editor-in-chief of the trade magazine Motor Kritik, Joseph Ganz, who had himself designed and built a number of mini cars with rear-mounted engines and independent suspension, such as the Standard Superior. Ganz, who maintained close contact with Kissel, but also with Nibel and Jakob Krauß, the head of the test workshop, wrote in an earlier observation: “In Untertürkheim, where I have been pressing for the design of a larger rear-engine car since 1930, the matter was taken in hand in earnest. In order to overcome the most recent preconceptions, in winter 1931 the Maikäfer [Ganz’s rear-engine mini car design] was brought by truck to Untertürkheim and given a thorough workout for a day by the Board of Management. At the same time, following completion of the uprated Maikäfer, the Standard Superior, at the Standard-Fahrzeugfabrik in Ludwigsburg, the Mercedes rear-engine car, the current 130 model, was developed along basically the same principles by designers at the plant.”
In 1930s Germany there was also another project that was the talk of the automotive industry – the Volkswagen or People’s Car. This term was used at the time to denote a category and desired orientation rather than a specific model. Volkswagenwerk GmbH only started series production of the vehicle that would later become famous as the “Beetle” in 1939.
Kissel pushed for involvement in the Volkswagen project and demanded that “[…] in spite the 1.3-litre car, design of the so-called Volkswagen and the necessary preliminary studies should be pursued with all due despatch.” The project was still exerting a grip on the Board of Management nine months later, when it was observed: “During discussions concerning the creation of a cheaper and smaller car, it transpired that Daimler-Benz AG was indeed in a position to perhaps bring out a vehicle in the 2,000 – 2,200 Mark price range, but that it would be inconceivable that our company could produce an even cheaper car. The question of whether we should concern ourselves with the development of such a car was thus for the time being decided, to the effect that it must first commit itself to the Volkswagen problem. Since, in relation to the Volkswagen problem, Daimler-Benz AG had certain employment obligations and declarations concerning these from the Führer, our company must maintain its role at the centre of this matter. As experience to date has shown us unable to create something positive ourselves, the decision was made to bring together all German passenger car manufacturers in order to see whether, by pooling all resources, a solution to the Volkswagen problem might be found.”
At the core of this statement by Kissel is the recognition that it was impossible for a single company to manufacture and produce for sale a vehicle with a price tag of 990 RM (Reichsmark), as demanded by Adolf Hitler, by going down the private sector route. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that vehicle sales also involved the manufacture, stocking and distribution of replacement parts and the provision of a service network. This was particularly true in view of the imminent rationing of raw materials and the segmenting and assignation of specific vehicle categories, in which individual companies would be required to operate.
These were difficult times. But Daimler-Benz confronted them by going on the offensive. The new small Mercedes-Benz with rear-mounted engine was a courageous step forwards. Based on a fundamentally innovative concept, it injected important new ideas into the automotive world of the 1930s.
Since their inception Mercedes-Benz super sports cars have symbolised three things: high performance, dynamic appearance and spectacular racing success. From April 27th to August 29th, 2010 the Mercedes-Benz Museum is devoting a unique exhibition to the topic, while Mercedes will also be presenting its historic high-performance vehicles at many Classic Events later this year. According to Michael Bock, Managing Director of the Mercedes-Benz Museum and Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic: “Super sports cars symbolise fascination and perfection. These vehicles have influenced generations and continue to excite people today. Their uniqueness is tangible for every visitor to the special exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum and can be experienced by at first hand at our driving events this season.”
As the elite members of the automotive world, super sports cars must find the ideal balance of competitive use on the race track and dynamic driving on public roads. Their hallmarks are extreme performance and innovative technology, and with high-performance automobiles such as these, Mercedes-Benz has been setting new standards of automotive engineering for decades.
Super sports cars at the Mercedes-Benz Museum
The Super Sports Car special exhibition from 27 April 2010 to 29 August 2010 presents the unique super sports car tradition of the brand with the three-pointed star. Visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Museum will be able to experience at first hand eight vehicles that are the realisations of dreams – including the SSK of 1928, the C 111 design study of 1969 and the CLK-GTR of 1998. Also present is the most recent addition to the family, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The other vehicles in the exhibition are the 75 hp Mercedes of 1906, the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL of 1954, the Mercedes-Benz C 112 of 1991 and the Mercedes-Benz Vision SLR of 1999.
What accounts for fascination on four wheels? Which models are the antecedents of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG? Historic vehicles illustrate the various development stages and multimedia elements bring to life the passion that super sports cars generate. As a world exclusive, visitors are also able to undertake a virtual spin in the new SLS AMG. The special exhibition can be found in Collection 5 and forms the climax of the themed tour of the permanent exhibition. The bilingual exhibition is open daily, except Mondays, from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Admission is included in the price of a Museum day ticket. The Super Sports Car special exhibition is also part of the regular guided tours.
Super sports cars in motion: pre-season warm-up on the test track
ADAC Eifelrennen, Le Mans Classic or Goodwood Festival of Speed – for Mercedes-Benz Classic the 2010 season is all about super sports cars. And this year’s technical preparations were in the hands of some distinguished guests. Six drivers demonstrated the capabilities of these historic jewels during today’s track test around the test circuit at the Untertürkheim plant:
The ranks of super sports cars from Mercedes-Benz include vehicles from the recent past such as the CLK-GTR of 1998 and the CLK DTM AMG that appeared in 2004. This segment also saw the market launch in 2004 of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG continues the fascinating tradition of super sports cars in 2010.
Historic icons include the 300 SL and SSK models. But the history goes back further still. The great-grandfather of the super sports car chronology is considered the 35 hp Mercedes. This car dominated the races of Nice Week in 1901, and was followed a year later by its successor model, the 40 hp Mercedes Simplex. Both these models were bought by customers as regular road-going vehicles, as was the 60 hp Mercedes Simplex, which in 1903 achieved similarly significant motor racing successes. A number of extraordinary near-series experimental vehicles and racing prototypes have also enriched the gene pool of these super sports cars from Mercedes-Benz. These include the closed version of the 300 SLR racing sports car, the so-called “Uhlenhaut-Coupé”, the experimental and record-breaking vehicles from the C 111 family and the C 112 experimental car. More information about the Super Sports Car special exhibition and Mercedes-Benz Classic Events are available for visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Customer Center online at www.mercedes-benz-classic.com/supersportscars.
In June 1995, the Mercedes-Benz mid-series was given an entirely new appearance: its future-oriented new face, incorporating four elliptical headlamps, had been presented for the first time in the Mercedes-Benz coupe study car at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1993. Two years later, the dynamic front section entered series production in the W 210 E-Class models.
It was not only the face of the W 210, but also its flowing rear section reminiscent of a coupe, that ushered in an excitingly new language of form. The new E-Class was immediately awarded the renowned design prize “Roter Punkt” (red spot); over the course of its seven-year production period, the E-Class received more than seventy awards in all – above all for occupant safety, design, environmental compatibility and efficiency.
The E-Class as innovation leader
The new E-Class included over thirty technical innovations. The standard features of the W 210 included the electronic traction system (ETS), electrically operating front and rear windows, exterior temperature display, dust filter and a third brake lamp on the rear sill: these had previously either not been available at all in the E-Class or only as optional extras. The rain sensor for the windscreen wiper unit, an air quality meter for the climate control system, and the PARKTRONIC (PTS) parking aid based on ultrasound were first realized in the new E-Class. 1997 saw the addition of the driver authorization system ELCODE, operated by means of an electronic key for the doors and ignition, along with Brake Assist (BAS), which recognizes emergency braking maneuvers and automatically builds up the maximum available brake booster force as required.
The sedan is particularly impressive with its excellent drag coefficient (Cw) of 0.27 and its high standard of inherent safety, which was achieved with large deformation zones and even more effective retention systems in the interior. In the W 210, Mercedes-Benz was the world’s first brand to incorporate belt force limiters as a standard feature. Newly developed side airbags further improved lateral impact protection. The W 210 series, which superseded the successful W 124 in 1995, thus stands uncompromisingly in the tradition of the Mercedes-Benz mid-series as innovation-bearers.
The mid-series as a model of success
The history of the mid-series can be traced back to the Mercedes-Benz 170 V from 1947 (W 136 series). The 180 and 190 models from the W 120 and W 121 series, which became known as the “Ponton” Mercedes, followed in 1953 before being superseded in 1961 by the W 110 “four-cylinder tailfin”. From 1968 onwards, the W 114 and W 115 series, known as the “Stroke Eight”, set their hallmark on the brand’s mid-series, and for the first time the range also included a long-wheelbase sedan and a coupe.
The next model series from the medium category was the W 123, introduced in 1976. For the first time, the Mercedes-Benz product range included a so-called T-Model (T for “touring & transport”) – a station wagon. The W 124 was finally launched on the market in 1984, and the range was extended in 1991 to include an elegant four-seater convertible. The W 124 was also the first Mercedes-Benz to bear the new “E-Class” designation following the 1993 model update.
“Classic”, “Elegance” and “Avantgarde”: three variants for the E-Class
The concept of offering a model as standard in different variants known as “lines”, thus catering for individual customer wishes, had already proved successful in the W 202 C-Class. The E-Class W 210 also appeared in 1995 in three distinct guises, differing in design and appointment details. Customers could choose between the three variants “Classic”, “Elegance” and “Avantgarde”. Each line was available with a choice of any engine, without restriction.
“Classic” is the basic version of the new E-Class, a fully equipped Mercedes-Benz automobile with numerous technical innovations; the exterior design is somewhat more reticent. The “Elegance” line includes light-alloy wheels in ten-hole design along with extras such as wood trim, leather shift-lever and steering-wheel covers and ventilation for the rear seat area. This design and appointment variant is clearly distinguished from the “Classic” line by its chromed door handles and bumpers and its lateral protective strips.
The “Avantgarde” models set themselves even more clearly apart from their siblings: with an exclusive radiator grille incorporating five horizontal chrome bars, this line has its own characteristic profile. It also includes xenon headlamps featuring gas discharge lamps and dynamic illumination range regulation. These automobiles have a standard lowered body, a sports chassis and wide tires on 16-inch light-alloy wheels in five-hole design, which are also available on request for other variants. The exclusive AMG variant of the W 210 was launched on the market a year after the series launch. The E 50 AMG was available only with eight-cylinder engine and five-speed automatic transmission.
E 200 or E 420, E 220 diesel or E 290 turbodiesel: the W 210 models
In 1995, the W 210 sedans were initially available with a choice of eight engines, five of which ran on gasoline: the E 200 and E 230 four-cylinder models, the E 280 and E 320 six-cylinders and the E 420 eight-cylinder. These were complemented by the four-cylinder E 220 diesel and six-cylinder E 300 diesel models, along with the E 290 turbodiesel.
Most of these engines were based on power units that had already proved highly reliable in the 124 (old E-Class) and 202 (C-Class) series and were installed as modified versions in the new E-Class. An entirely new development, on the other hand, was the five-cylinder OM 602 DE 29 LA engine (displacement 2.9 liters) with direct injection, exhaust turbocharger and intercooler. In the E 290 turbodiesel, this engine concept was installed in a Mercedes-Benz passenger car for the first time. In comparison with the six-cylinder induction engine with an almost identical displacement of three liters, the newly developed power unit with conventional two-valve technology was characterized by considerably higher torque and lower fuel consumption. The new engine constituted Mercedes-Benz’s first step in the introduction of direct-injection passenger-car diesel engines for comfort-oriented customers.
Reducing fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and combustion noise even further is also a prime objectives in the development of diesel engines, such as the new 2.3-liter four-cylinder unit. The larger displacement of this engine, based on the previous 2.2-liter power unit, is put to use above all to generate increased torque. The engine’s higher compression ratio and modified combustion chamber geometry reduce both consumption and noise. This power unit, with a displacement of two liters, was also given a new combustion chamber geometry along with a modified injection unit incorporating a hot-film air mass (HFM) sensor. The injection unit of the V8 engine (displacement 4.2 liters) was also given HFM management. Both this E 420 model and the E 50 AMG were available exclusively with the new electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission.
Continuous further development
Throughout the production period, the engines for the various W 210 models underwent constant improvement and received numerous innovative features. Particular mention should be made, for instance, of the two V6 engines presented in 1997. The E 280 and E 320 models were powered by engines from the new M 112 series, which replaced the proven six-cylinder in-line units of the same displacement. The new engines were one-fourth lighter than their predecessors. Fuel consumption and noxious emissions were drastically reduced thanks to lightweight materials and further innovations such as three-valve technology and twin-spark ignition.
In the long manufacture period of this successful model series, the E 430 – powered by the V8 engine from M 113 series – was the production vehicle with the largest engine, with an output rating of 205 kW (297 hp) at 5,750/min. This V8 unit, incorporating three-valve technology, twin-spark ignition and low-friction light-alloy cylinder liners, included the same innovative design details as the six-cylinder units from the M 112 series. Nevertheless, the most powerful E-Class vehicle of all came from AMG: the E 55 AMG, presented in 1997, developed an imposing 260 kW (354 hp) from its 5.5-liter V8 engine.
With the E 200 CDI and E 220 CDI automobiles, two engine variants were released on the market in 1998 whose diesel power units were fitted with common-rail direct injection; these cars replaced older models powered by prechamber induction engines. Finally, in 1999 – three years before the market launch of the next E-Class generation (W 211) – the series was subjected to extensive model update measures.
4MATIC: four-wheel drive for the E-Class
The E-Class models with the 4MATIC four-wheel drive system were already familiar from the W 124 series. However, the drive concept was subjected to fundamental further development. The permanent four-wheel drive was now combined with the electronic traction system (ETS), which replaced the differential locks familiar from conventional four-wheel drive vehicles. ETS cuts in automatically as soon as at least one wheel shows a tendency to spin on a slippery surface. The brake force on this wheel is steadily increased until the speed difference between the wheels falls below a predetermined maximum. The drive moment at the wheels with good ground contact is thereby increased and traction maximized. The new 4MATIC models were developed and manufactured in traditionally reliable cooperation with Steyr-Daimler-Puch Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH in Graz, Austria.
The E-Class station wagon and special versions
One year after the market launch of the sedan, Mercedes-Benz presented its mid-series station wagon (S 210) in 1996. This vehicle had a larger rear overhang than the sedan. Its load space was considerably larger than that of its predecessor from the 124 series. Like the sedan, the station wagon is also manufactured in the “Classic”, “Elegance” and “Avantgarde” design and appointment variants. In addition to the sedan models, AMG produces top-quality, high-performance sporty E-Class station wagons.
Also based on the station wagon are the chassis with partial body (VF 210), which are offered for subsequent completion as ambulances or for other special versions – such as the long-wheelbase E-Class sedans. The VF 210 chassis is 737 millimeters longer than that of the station wagon. These chassis with partial bodies are produced by the Binz company in Lorch. A highly exclusive E-Class variant was built for the royal court of Thailand in 1996: an E 320 with a full third row of seats, and with a wheelbase 970 millimeters longer than that of the station wagon.
In 1995, Mercedes-Benz also began to offer the new E-Class in a special-protection version – the first time in the brand’s history that mid-series models were ordered directly ex-factory in a bulletproof version. This introduction was warranted by increasing demand. The special-protection variant of the E-Class is intended above all for those customers who have need of enhanced protection, but who prefer to drive their own vehicles.
The first such automobile to become available was the special-protection variant of the high-performance E 420 model. In 1997, a less comprehensively protected version in accordance with protection category B4 was added to provide all-round protection against small arms; this model was available with a choice of eight- or six-cylinder engine. In addition to Mercedes-Benz’s many years of experience, it is above all the fact that the protective elements can be integrated directly into the body during the manufacturing process that speaks in favor of production of factory-made special-protection models. Mercedes-Benz can thus provide a standard of safety ex-factory that cannot be attained with subsequently fitted protection packages.
However, exclusive special models such as these cannot detract from the fact that the W 210 series E-Class is following in the tradition its predecessors: as the most successful vehicle of the upper medium category, this sedan, presented in 1995 and produced up until 2002, secured an even greater market share than its predecessor. In all, 1,374,199 sedans and 279,238 station wagons had left the production line by the time the 210 series was superseded by the 211 in 2002.
Covering a floor space of 16,500 square meters and nine levels, the Mercedes-Benz Museum offers visitors the ability to witness firsthand 160 vehicles and over 1,500 exhibits. The Mercedes-Benz Museum is the only museum in the world that can document in a single continuous timeline over 120 years of auto industry history from its very beginnings to the present day. Through this timeline, Mercedes demonstrates that history can point the way ahead.
The exhibition not only presents the unique history of the Mercedes-Benz brand, but it also offers a unique insight into its future. This dual function is reflected in the architecture of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, designed by the UNStudio of Dutch architects van Berkel and Bos, Amsterdam. The building’s interior is inspired by the double helix structure of the DNA spiral that carries the human genome. This in turn is aimed at illustrating the Mercedes-Benz brand’s philosophy of originality – to continuously create radically new products to advance the cause of human mobility.
During a two-hour tour of the exhibition, visitors experience a unique journey through automotive history. Transported by lift to the uppermost level of the museum, the visitor arrives back in the year 1886, where two museum tours gradually spiral their way down through the extensive collection and back to the museum exit.
The first of the tours consists of seven Legend rooms which narrate the chronological history of the brand. The second tour groups the wealth of vehicles on display into five separate Collection rooms, which thematically document the breadth and diversity of the brand portfolio and collection. The visitor can switch from one tour to the other at any time. Both tours finish at the banked curve entitled Silver Arrows – Races & Records. The exhibition is rounded off by the Fascination of Technology display, which offers a glimpse into day-to-day work at Mercedes-Benz and also presents topics concerning the future of the automobile.
For the complete details of what to expect when visiting the Mercedes-Benz Museum, be sure to view the official press release below, which offers a comprehensive look at its highlights and key facts.
Fifteen years ago, a milestone in active handling safety was incorporated in the large-scale production of the Mercedes-Benz S 600 coupe: the Electronic Stability Program, ESP. ESP reduces the risk of skidding during cornering and keeps the car on course even under extremely difficult conditions such as black ice or wet roads. The system today forms part of the standard equipment of all Mercedes-Benz passenger cars.
“If all cars were equipped with the Stability Program, more than 20,000 serious traffic accidents with over 27,000 accident victims could be prevented in Germany every year,” says Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management with responsibility for Research and Technology and head of Development within the Mercedes Car Group. According to a representative random analysis of the latest accident statistics, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars have been involved in serious accidents much less frequently than cars of other brands ever since ESP was incorporated in large-scale production. While in 1998/1999, the share of newly registered Mercedes-Benz models in the total number of cars involved in accidents was 20.7 percent on average, this figure had declined by more than 42 percent by 2002/2003 thanks to ESP. By contrast, the proportion of cars from other brands in the number of cars involved in accidents declined by just 13 percent. Weber: “Alongside the seat belt, airbag and ABS, ESP is by far the most significant safety system of modern passenger cars.”
ESP improves handling safety by selectively decelerating individual wheels, thereby counteracting the car’s tendency to skid near the critical limits and retaining the driver’s control of the car. Oversteering on corners is corrected by the deceleration of the outer front wheel, understeering by the deceleration of the inner rear wheel. In addition, ESP is capable of throttling engine output with the aim of reducing the car’s road speed.
The history of ESP
Arjeplog, northern Sweden, March 1994: On the frozen Lake Hornovan, two Mercedes-Benz test cars drive lap after lap. While one of them remains dead on course in completing the circular course, the driver of the second car clearly has problems in staying on course. Time and again, the rear of his car breaks away on the black ice, forcing him to countersteer and accelerate anew. Standing at the edge of the track, journalists from all over the world watch the tests, witnessing the world premiere of a milestone in automotive engineering, one that has jointly been developed by Mercedes-Benz and Robert Bosch GmbH. The test car that remains on course is equipped with the active handling safety system ESP. Less than one year after the press presentation in Arjeplog, this ground-breaking new system is incorporated in large-scale production at Mercedes-Benz: The S 600 coupe (C 140) is the world’s first car to feature this system, followed a few months later by the S-Class sedan (W 140) and the SL roadster (R 129).
First patent as early as 1959
As early as 1959, Professor Fritz Nallinger, Chief Engineer and a member of the Board of Management of Daimler-Benz AG, filed a patent for a “control device” that was to prevent the spinning of the driven wheels through engine, transmission or brake intervention. His idea was good but remained theory for a long time to come because the relevant prerequisites – sensors and control units capable of intervening with a stabilizing effect in split seconds – simply did not exist. It was not before the advent of microelectronics that progress became possible. Microelectronics proved its suitability for everyday use in the anti-lock braking system (ABS) which made its debut in the S-Class (W 116) in 1978. At the same time, the ABS created the foundation for the development of additional systems. It served as the basis for acceleration skid control (ASR, production start in 1981), which controls the longitudinal forces between tires and road surface not only during braking but also, and for the first time, during acceleration, acting on both the brakes and the engine. This was followed by the automatic locking differential (ASD, 1985) and the innovative permanent four-wheel drive 4MATIC (1985). A common feature of all these systems is the recording and limiting of wheel slip by means of advanced microelectronics and hydraulics with the aim of improving the so-called longitudinal dynamics of the car.
Handling safety under all conditions
But the Mercedes-Benz engineers were still not satisfied. Their next goal was to improve handling safety under all conditions, i.e. also during cornering, in evasive maneuvers or in other transverse dynamic vehicle movements with a high risk of skidding. They therefore launched another ambitious development project. Under the working title “transverse acceleration control”, the engineers investigated technical means of identifying skidding movements of a passenger car and reducing them by means of selectively controlling running gear, engine and transmission. After extensive computer simulations and preliminary investigations, the first tests with such a system were staged in 1987, and in subsequent years, thousands of test kilometers were driven.
At the same time, the system proved its suitability for everyday use in the driving simulator in Berlin, where the Mercedes-Benz engineers sent 80 male and female drivers onto a trip along an imaginary country road at a speed of 100 km/h, incorporating treacherous black-ice traps with tire-to-road adhesion reduced by over 70 percent on four corners. The result of the tests: without ESP, 78 percent of the drivers had no chance of keeping the car safely on course and skidded off the road up to three times in succession. With the active handling safety system engaged, however, all tests were completed without skidding and without accidents. Small wonder, therefore, that the Mercedes-Benz engineers did not hesitate to test ESP on real-world roads. Series development began in 1992. More than 40 engineers from Mercedes-Benz and Bosch worked together on this ground-breaking project which was completed with the incorporation of the system in large-scale production in 1995.
In the design of new vehicles, a lot can be simulated satisfactorily on the computer these days – with the exception of human behavior. This was the main reason for Daimler Benz AG to build the driving simulator. It was inaugurated on May 10, 1985 at the Research Center in Berlin-Marienfelde. The company had invested DM 25 million to be able to research the behavior of driver and vehicle in road traffic even more intensively.
The engineers had been convinced of the driving simulator’s significance and its wide range of uses even before it was built, but obtaining approval of the investment required something of a plot. This was because the then chairman of the board of management, Gerhard Prinz, was not entirely convinced of the idea and its expensive consequences. So, before setting out on a flight, he was persuaded by two people from Daimler-Benz Research to pay a visit to Lufthansa’s flight simulator at Frankfurt/Main airport, get into the cockpit of a jet and experience the “feeling” of such a facility. After the experience, Prince was thoroughly convinced, and the board of management approved the investment.
Simulators did already exist at the time for airplanes but not for motor vehicles. So Daimler-Benz Research had to develop the simulator from scratch all by itself. In the process the developers were faced with new challenges time and again, arising from the highly complex system and its elaborate interaction of mechanics, hydraulics and electronics. And they had to observe a tight timeframe. They were still putting on the finishing touches during the night from May 9 to 10, 1985. Rumor has it that the last members of staff collapsed into their beds at two in the morning. But their commitment paid off: in the morning of May 10, 1985, the simulator functioned in exactly the way it was meant to do in demonstrations to invited guests. A new era in vehicle and traffic research had begun.
The driving simulator’s functioning can be described as follows. The test chamber is mounted on extendable and controllable hydraulic legs. Inside the chamber, a 180-degree projection wall shows simulated road scenes, realistically complemented by houses, traffic signs, pedestrians and oncoming traffic. A vehicle is placed in front of the projection wall, and its controls are connected to the simulator’s complex computer control system by means of data lines. And off we go: whatever the person at the wheel is doing in the way of steering, accelerating and braking is sensitively registered – and responded to – by the computer control system. The depicted scene changes constantly, and the chamber on its extendable hydraulic legs simulates the position of the car relative to the ground, for instance by simulating a nose dive under heavy braking or side tilt.
This sounds simple but in fact requires an extremely complex computing process. The driving simulator’s hydraulic system performs all assumed movements of the car in real time: when the car is steered into a left corner, the platform must tilt outwards to the right at the same moment and to the extent that corresponds to the car’s lateral dynamics. The illusion becomes perfect when the driver feels the corresponding return forces at the steering wheel and hears the squealing of the tires. All this and much more is produced by the driving simulator.
As a result the artificial trip is highly realistic – and has one big advantage over real-world driving: the reactions of the persons at the wheel can be watched closely, and specific tasks can be set to them as well, of course.
Let’s take the example of an evasive maneuver in a critical situation. How do the majority of drivers react? In the driving simulator, the Mercedes-Benz engineers established that the majority of test drivers stepped on the brake pedal quickly but not hard enough, thereby sacrificing valuable meters of stopping distance. This finding led to the development of Brake Assist (BAS) which identifies the situation and automatically increases brake pressure.
Such developments are time and again triggered by research work in the driving simulator which is subsequently also used for testing the relevant new technologies. In a series of tests made with Brake Assist, 55 test persons drove through a town at 50 km/h when suddenly a child ran out onto the street, requiring emergency braking in order to prevent an accident. BAS reduced the accident rate by 26 percent. It was first installed in a Mercedes-Benz production car in 1996 and today forms part of the standard specifications of all Mercedes-Benz passenger cars.
The driving simulator can also be used for testing cars which are still at the design stage and merely consist in the form of a collection of data. Engine, gearshift, suspension and brakes can be tested even before the first test cars are set up – under all weather and road conditions, in city traffic, on the motorway, in the mountains, in fog and facing a low sun. The tests are made in real time, with all the movements a car would make in normal operation, i.e. when negotiating bends at high speed, accelerating and braking.
And that’s still not all. The researchers also look into issues such as the most reasonable routing of a planned road, the “inviting” design of the entrance to a tunnel, or the stresses to which drivers are subjected in different traffic conditions. The scope of research using the driving simulator is very wide indeed.
Super sports cars form the focus of the Mercedes-Benz stand at the 2010 Techno Classica, the world’s largest classic car fair, staged in Essen from 7 – 11 April. Ten super sports cars are represented, ranging from the Mercedes Simplex of 1903 to the most recent vehicle in this long tradition, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. They will be showcased at the Techno Classica on a display area of approximately 1100 square metres. Also planned at Essen are panel discussions with record-breaking DTM champion Bernd Schneider on all aspects of super sport cars.
“Mercedes-Benz stands for fascination and perfection – and that is exactly what we are bringing to the Techno Classica with these super sports cars,” says Michael Bock, Managing Director of the Mercedes-Benz Museum and Director of Face-to-Face Communication Mercedes-Benz Cars. “Our vehicles have shaped entire generations and continue to inspire people today.”
Elsewhere on the stand the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center demonstrates its expertise and experience from almost 125 years of automotive history with a selection of extraordinary vehicles and offers. The rare 500 K Cabriolet B on display represents outstanding quality from the pre-war era. Another exceptional offer is the 300 SL Coupé, which can be purchased with a complete participant’s pack for the Mille Miglia 2010. This includes full logistics details for vehicle and participant during the event, as well as Mercedes-Benz Service throughout the 1600-kilometre drive from Brescia to Rome and back. And with a 300 SL Roadster, pictured during three phases of restoration, the Classic Centeralso proves its comprehensive expertise in the restoration of high-quality classic cars. It is aided in this by being in a position in most cases to supply genuine Mercedes-Benz parts for almost all models – the Classic Center alone has around 40,000 parts in stock.
Another illustrious display piece is the Mercedes-Benz SSK of Evert Louwman – one of the most authentic SSK models in existence anywhere in the world. As part of the super sports car exhibition, the vehicle is a symbol of unique and unbroken provenance. The authenticity of the Louwman vehicle has been documented and certified by a
Mercedes-Benz manufacturer’s expert assessment. The Classic Center took care of the technical aspects of these authentication examinations, including a description of condition and documentation, while the expert assessment itself was drawn up by Archive & Collection.
Mercedes-Benz Young Classics will be presenting for the first time at Techno Classica a range of classic vehicles from the 1970s to the 1990s. The vehicles, all of which are on sale with 12 months warranty and insurance, have been factory-inspected and meet Mercedes-Benz quality standards. Young Classics bridges the gap between new vehicle sales and the specialised classic car trade of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center. This allows the company to offer customers a continuity for Mercedes-Benz vehicles of all eras that is unique in the classic car tradition. It is underpinned by the brand promise that a Mercedes-Benz not only perfectly meets its owner’s requirements today, but will continue to do so as a classic in the years ahead – while offering unique value retention into the bargain.
A number of Mercedes-Benz Classic partners are also presenting their vehicle ranges in Essen. These are dealers with a special expertise in classic vehicles. They – and above all their customers – depend upon the brand’s ability to provide a reliable supply of replacement parts. Virtually every part can still be ordered through the
Mercedes-Benz service organisation. Not for nothing do we make the claim: “Service for a lifetime.” The slogan has virtually become a classic itself in an industry that lives by longevity.
As in previous years, the Mercedes-Benz Clubs have also been firmly integrated into the trade fair presence of Mercedes-Benz Classic. Sixteen of the German brand clubs and the Mercedes-Benz Club of Great Britain are showing a selection of impressive vehicles from their members’ ranks under the title “Fascination”.
Customer-owned high-performance sports cars: Super sports cars from Mercedes-Benz
Super sports cars are the elite athletes of the automotive world – noted for extreme performance, innovative technology and small unit numbers. At the same time, they achieve a balancing act between competitive use on the race track and dynamic driving on public roads. With such high-performance automobiles, Mercedes-Benz has been setting standards and enflaming passions for decades.
The ranks of super sports cars from Mercedes-Benz include vehicles from the recent past such as the CLK-GTR of 1997 and the CLK DTM AMG that appeared in 2004. This segment also saw the market launch in 2004 of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (199 series).
Historic icons in this unique family tree include the 300 SL (W 198) and SSK (W 06), for example. But the family history can be traced back even further. For it was Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG), one of the predecessor companies of today’s
Daimler AG, that laid the foundations for a culture of super sports cars from Stuttgart. The great-grandfather of this dynasty has to be the 35 hp Mercedes, which in 1901 dominated the races of Nice Week, a feat matched the following year by its successor model the 40 hp Mercedes Simplex. Both these models were bought by customers as regular road-going vehicles, as was the 60 hp Mercedes Simplex, which notched up significant motor racing successes in 1903.
A number of extraordinary near-series experimental vehicles, record-breaking vehicles and racing prototypes have also enriched the gene pool of these super sports cars from Mercedes-Benz. These include the closed version of the 300 SLR racing sports car, the so-called “Uhlenhaut Coupé”, the experimental and record-breaking vehicles from the C 111 family and the C 112 experimental car.
The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG continues the fascinating tradition of super sports cars. Delivery of this new Gullwing, which shares the DNA of so many super sports cars from the brand’s history, has already started.
Mercedes-Benz will be presenting no fewer than ten super sports cars at the Techno Classica in Essen.
1903: An early super sports car – 60 hp Mercedes Simplex
In 1900 Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) created the 35 hp model – nowadays regarded as the first modern automobile because it was the first to abandon for good the carriage-based approach to automotive design. Moreover, it was the first to be called a Mercedes. The car was named after Mercedes Jellinek, daughter of the businessman, motorsports enthusiast and “gentleman driver” Emil Jellinek, a demanding DMG customer who inspired the development of this innovative vehicle. In March 1902, just 15 months after the 35 hp Mercedes, DMG delivered a new, more powerful variant – the 40 hp Mercedes Simplex. This car dominated Race Week at Nice in April 1902, just as the first Mercedes had done the year before. The addition of the name “Simplex” to the designation was a reference to the ease with which it could be driven. Although it was largely identical to its predecessor in technical terms, it had a larger engine output. These were absolutely top-class vehicles, purchased mainly by customers from the upper echelons of society. Produced individually, they were fitted with a body specified by the customer in line with the practice of the day. In this way vehicles were equipped with sports bodies which from the modern perspective would be regarded as super sports cars – extremely powerful and highly exclusive.
The next development stage of the victorious super sports car was the 60 hp Mercedes Simplex of 1903. This model had its finest hour as a racing car, although initially only on the back of a disaster. When the Daimler factory in Cannstatt was largely destroyed by fire in 1903, three 90 hp Mercedes cars destined for the Gordon Bennett Race also fell victim to the blaze. So instead of the works cars, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft sent to the race three 60 hp Mercedes Simplex vehicles that were loaned from customers for the race. One of these cars was driven to victory against stiff international competition by the Belgian racing driver, Camille Jenatzy. The 60 hp Mercedes Simplex therefore came to symbolise one of the most legendary motorsport successes of the Mercedes brand.
1911: Sporty and powerful: 37/90 hp Mercedes
In June 1911 the 37/90 hp Mercedes became the new top-of-the-range model in the DMG sales portfolio. This high-performance car succeeded the six-cylinder models of 1907 and, like these, featured a chain drive – although this was the last time this type of drive would be used in a DMG vehicle: all subsequent models came with a propshaft drive. A noteworthy innovation in the 37/90 hp model, however, was the modification of enclosed drive chains that ran in an oil bath. The four-cylinder engine was equipped with three-valve technology and dual ignition. Initially it had a displacement of 9.5 litres, rising to 9.8 litres in the revised 38/100 hp successor model.
DMG’s top-of-the-range model was considered a sporty and powerful touring car featuring state-of-the-art design. Unsurprisingly, therefore, the vast majority of customers ordered it with a sports or racing body and it was among the first Mercedes models to be available with pointed radiator and external exhaust pipes. The engine of the 37/90 hp also distinguished itself in motor racing. In 1912 and 1914 American racing driver Ralph de Palma won the Vanderbilt Cup driving a modified Mercedes Grand Prix racing car of 1908 fitted with a 37/90 hp power unit.
1928: Compact sports model among the “White Elephants” – the SSK
By the later 1920s there were close links between motor racing and exclusive vehicles built for customers. In the family of K, S, SS, SSK and SSKL supercharged sports cars, the SSK model, introduced in 1928, represented the most advanced development stage of any vehicle that could also be purchased by customers. The Super Sport Kurz (kurz = “short”) had a wheelbase shortened to 2950 millimetres and was powered by a mechanically supercharged 7.1-litre in-line six-cylinder engine, which developed an output of up to 184 kW (250 hp).
The legendary Rudolf Caracciola won numerous races at the wheel of this car. At the same time, from October 1928 onwards the SSK was built in a small series for customers, who saw it both as a fast sports car for everyday use and as a race vehicle for competitive use. 33 vehicles were produced in total between 1928 and 1932.
1954: 300 SL – the birth of an icon from the spirit of motor racing
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL of 1954 (W 198 I) borrowed many technical features from the W 194 racing sports car of 1952. These included, in particular, the extremely lightweight spaceframe and distinctive gullwing doors.
Instead of the in-line six-cylinder M 194 carburettor engine with a displacement of 3 litres and an output of 129 kW (170 hp), however, the series sports car was equipped with the 158 kW (215 hp) M 198 I engine with mechanically-controlled direct fuel injection. Design of this dream car of the 1950s was also refined significantly compared with the much more basic looking racing sports model. It also went on to continue the motorsport tradition of its namesake – one of these 300 SL series sports cars, for example, took the class victory at the 1955 Mille Miglia.
Between August 1954 and May 1957 a total of 1400 units of the 300 SL “Gullwing” were built at Sindelfingen. Of these, 29 had a light alloy body and one prototype was fitted with a plastic body.
1969: An idea that aroused passion – the C 111
At the1969 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main, Mercedes-Benz unveiled an idea of what the next generation of super sports cars with a three-pointed star on the bonnet might look like. The C 111 experimental vehicle was a dynamic wedge shape with gullwing doors, powered by a futuristic-looking rotary piston engine based on the Wankel principle.
In particular the advance development version of this car, the C 111-II, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1970, awakened hopes of series production and fanned the flames of passion of the automotive world. But the super sports car with its 257 kW (350 hp) four-rotor Wankel engine remained a near-series technology test-bed, even though numerous blank cheques were received at Untertürkheim from enthralled and eager customers. Factors that ruled out a production version included the comparative inefficiency of the engine and ever stricter emissions legislation.
1991: Performance at its best – the C 112
The Mercedes-Benz C 112 of 1991 highlighted many of the same ideas as the C 111. This breathtaking sports car study boasted a 6-litre 12-cylinder engine with an output of 300 kW (408 hp). The C 112 anticipated many of the technical innovations for high-performance automobiles that would find their way into series production at Mercedes-Benz in the years ahead – including Active Body Control (ABC), DISTRONIC proximity control and tyre pressure monitoring. The C 112 was influenced by the current Mercedes-Benz racing sports car of the day, the C 11, which raced in Group C for the 1990 season.
Other unusual features of the C 112 included its active aerodynamics. The front spoiler and rear aerofoil were infinitely adjustable and could therefore be adapted to any driving conditions so as to guarantee optimum compromise between low drag and good downforce. The rear spoiler also served to improve emergency braking – if required, it could be raised into the headwind instantaneously.
1997: From the heat of the race track – the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR
In 1997 Team AMG won the FIA-GT Championship with the racing prototype Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR. From this competition vehicle AMG derived a road-legal version – the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR super sports car. This was presented in April 1997.
The coupé was equipped with a 6.9-litre V12 engine that developed 412 kW (560 hp). One of the innovative details realised by the engineers in this car was a body made of carbon-fibre composite. In contrast to the sports and performance-optimised racing car, the super sports car came with air-conditioning, a hi-fi system and leather appointments.
Nevertheless, the CLK-GTR did not for a moment disown the legacy it had been left by the competition vehicle. The super sports car delivered extreme performance, and the tight cockpit allowed both driver and passenger to experience a racing atmosphere at first hand. This vehicle enabled AMG to underline its expertise in the technology transfer from motor racing to elegant, sporty series production. 25 examples of the CLK-GTR were built in total.
1999: Dynamism and power: the Vision SLR
Unveiled by Mercedes-Benz at the 1999 Auto Show in Detroit, the Vision SLR concept vehicle was the study of a Gran Turismo for the 21st century. It combined stylistic elements of both the Formula One Silver Arrow and the SLR sports car of the 1950s, with which drivers such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Karl Kling and Stirling Moss raced to one victory after another. The Vision SLR did not remain a concept vehicle, however. In 2004 the vehicle went into series production as the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and was built in a number of different variants until 2010.
The chassis of the Vision SLR was made from a combination of composite fibre materials and aluminium. From a displacement of 5.5 litres, the eight-cylinder engine developed 410 kW (557 hp) and ranked as one of most powerful power units in this displacement class. The Vision SLR achieved impressive performance figures: it could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds and from 0 to 200 km/h in 11.3 seconds, with a top speed of 320 km/h.
2004: Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG, a masterpiece of racing technology
AMG delivered another piece of thoroughbred racing technology for the road in 2004. The Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG was closely modelled on one of the most successful racing cars of its day, the racing version of the Mercedes-Benz CLK, the car in which Bernd Schneider won the German Touring Masters DTM in 2003.
The series version of the vehicle was powered by an AMG 5.5-litre V8 supercharged engine, delivering an output of 428 kW (582 hp). It also boasted an all-new chassis, optionally available sports tyres and aerodynamics optimised in the wind tunnel. The super sports car covered the sprint from standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds, its top speed electronically limited to 320 km/h.
The interior of this exclusive automobile featured two leather-upholstered AMG sports bucket seats with four-point seat belts, steering was via an oval AMG racing steering wheel with suede upholstery, and information was gleaned from the AMG instrument cluster with a speedometer range up to 360 km/h. The Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG was built in a limited edition of 100 units.
2010: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
The story of super sports cars from Mercedes-Benz is the story of extraordinary originals. Each of these vehicles is representative of the most innovating technology of its day, and of the utmost fascination and exclusivity of very small series production and a high degree of handcraftsmanship. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG arrived on the scene in 2010 to continue this story.
With its unique technology package, the new super sports car from Mercedes-Benz and AMG is an enthralling sight – and one which guarantees vehicle dynamics of the highest level thanks to a combination of aluminium spaceframe body and gullwing doors, an AMG 6.3-litre V8 front-mid-engine developing 420 kW (571 hp), 650 Nm of torque and dry sump lubrication, a 7-speed double-declutch transmission in a transaxle arrangement, sports suspension with aluminium double wishbones and a kerb weight of 1620 kilograms. The ideal weight distribution of 47 percent to 53 percent between front and rear axle and the vehicle’s lower centre of gravity add emphasis to the distinctive sports car concept. The Gullwing accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds; it has a top speed (electronically limited) of 317 km/h.
The story of the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL starts with Maximilian Hoffman. He was the Mercedes-Benz brand’s official importer for the US market in New York since 1952. When the company presented him two ideas in early September 1953 – bring the 300 SL racing sports coupé (W 194 series) as a production vehicle and simultaneously team it up with an open-top touring sports car – he recognised the potential for sales in the USA.
At the time, however, Daimler-Benz was completely absorbed in other design and development activities – for production vehicles and also for the 1954 racing season, for which the new formula racing car of the W 196 R series was earmarked. The pressures of work even made the Stuttgart people put off their plans to participate in sports car racing in 1953. So the new SL models increased the pressure, but they were important for the image of Mercedes-Benz – the 1950s marked the beginning of a new era after the Second World War. And these were interesting cars too because Mercedes-Benz lacked sporty vehicles in its range. Already in mid September 1953, the Board of Management made a decision: the road version of the 300 SL (W 198 I) would come out along with a smaller, open-top sports car, the 190 SL (W 121).
About five months after the decision the touring sports car and the super sports car were to celebrate their premieres – in America, at the International Motor Sports Show in New York, taking place there from 6 to 14 February 1954. At the time it was the most important motor show on the other side of the Atlantic. This meant that the engineers had very little time for development. So they had to hurry: a few days after the Board’s decision to build both vehicles, the directors of Daimler-Benz were examining the first sketches, and two weeks further on they were able to assess the first 1:10 scale model, which was followed eight weeks later by a full-scale model. And the pace of development was raised still further. The floor assembly, which came from the Mercedes-Benz 180, had to be adapted to the new ideas and the right engine had to be found. Moreover, the tight time schedule stipulated that the contours of the planers on which the body would be created be finalised by 31 October 1953.
The race against time was won: Mercedes-Benz registered a tremendously favourable response to both vehicles at the show.
Up until then, the bodies of various models also were available in the two-seater A-version as Cabriolet, Roadster or Coupé, the most recent example being the Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A (W 187). According to chief engineer Fritz Nallinger, this body variant would be replaced in future by the SL vehicles – no longer with the existing formal lines and face and explicitly in the SL design, including the star placed centrally on the radiator grille – a paradigm change in the model structure. The 190 SL was thus the symbol of a new product philosophy and the forefather of the SL-Class.
First, series production of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL began in August 1954 at the Sindelfingen plant. The 190 SL, on the other hand, was thoroughly revised once more because the car displayed at the International Motor Sports Show in New York was neither technically tested nor stylistically mature. In March 1955 Daimler-Benz then presented the final model of the touring sports car at the Geneva Motor Show. The body was designed by Walter Häcker and closely followed the design of the Gullwing Coupé 300 SL, but unlike the 300 SL the 190 SL had a retractable soft top. The production body showed some clear differences from the show car: the stylised intake scoop on the bonnet was dropped; the forward edge of the bonnet had been moved farther back; there were “eyebrows” above the rear wheel cut-outs too; and the bumpers, indicators and tail lights were modified. The Sindelfingen factory built the pre-production series starting in January 1955. Standard production commenced in May.
A body all in the style of the 1950s
The 190 SL is technically related to the “Ponton” (pontoon) saloons – commonly called that because of their characteristic body shape – of the W 120/121 series. Internally they were designated W 121, and the 190 that appeared in 1956 also got that designation. From the beginning the 190 SL was designed as a two-seater cabriolet.
In the 1950s the meaning of the term “roadster” changed. The classic roadster is a rather spartanly appointed sporty two-seater having detachable side windows, for instance, and a removable fabric top cum roof frame. But the customers’ comfort standards now were higher, and the touring sports car Mercedes-Benz 190 SL made allowance for this. Though not a roadster in the classic sense, it was interpreted as that by the company.
In contrast to the 300 SL it was not conceived as a pure-bred sports car, but a sporty, elegant two-seater touring and utility car. It was available in three versions: a car with a fabric top (price in February 1955: DM 16,500) and a coupé with removable hardtop, optionally with or without a fabric top (price in September 1955: DM 17,650/DM 17,100). For comparison: the 300 SL cost DM 29,000 DM in 1954, and the 180 Saloon had a list price of DM 9450 in 1954/1955. As an optional extra a third seat could be fitted in the rear, at right angles to the direction of travel.
The motor press praised the 190 SL among other things for its safe handling properties. They were ensured by the low-pivot single-joint swing axle already familiar from the 220a, and other features. The front wheel suspension including the subframe was adopted from the 180, from which the floor assembly – though shortened – also came.
A new development was the 1.9-litre petrol engine with the number M 121 B II. The four-cylinder unit has a single overhead camshaft and is regarded as the progenitor of an entire family of engines. In the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL it developed 77 kW at 5700 rpm and accelerated the fabric-topped variant from 0 to 100 km/h in 14.5 seconds. The top speed was a respectable 170 km/h – it made it one of the fastest cars on the road in the 1950s and 1960s. The petrol consumption was put at a rather moderate 8.6 litres; the 65-litre tank provided adequate range.
During its production period the 190 SL underwent many improvements in details. Clearly recognisable are the wide chrome strips on the upper edge of the door (introduced in March 1956) and larger tail lights (June 1956, as also used on models 220a, 219 and 220 S). In July 1957 the rear licence plate lamp was moved to the bumper horns to enable fitting the wide licence plates which were being introduced at the time. The rear bumper horns were thus a basic equipment item, while at the front they cost extra; the US versions always had them at the front and the rear as standard. From October 1959 a new hardtop with a larger rear window gave the coupés much improved rear visibility. In August 1960 the lock of the boot lid was changed; simultaneously a recessed handle replaced the previous bow-type handle. In 1963 the last Mercedes-Benz 190 SL rolled out of the production bay. In all, 25,881 were built. Most of them went to the USA – Max Hoffman’s calculation proved right.
A sports variant of the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL
The first sales brochures showed a sports variant of the 190 SL: light-alloy doors, small Perspex racing windscreen, no soft top, no bumpers, heat exchanger or insulating material, gave it a weight of 1000 kilograms, around ten percent less than the normal road version. The number of units built is not documented, and few sports versions found their way to the customers; they probably also came in for further fine tuning with modifications to the four-cylinder engine, lowering of the body, sports shock absorbers and modified springs. The sports 190 SL scored its biggest success in 1956 in the Sports Car Grand Prix in Portuguese Mação, entered by the then Daimler-Benz importer in Hong Kong. The right-hand-drive sports car took first place ahead of a Ferrari Mondial and various Jaguar and Austin-Healey cars. In the same year the Mercedes-Benz general importer in Morocco won his class (GT to two litres displacement) in the Grand Prix of Casablanca. On account of the racing regulations the idea of the sports 190 SL was not pursued any further: in many competitions the vehicle, modified as described, would have been classed as a production sports car and thus would not have had a chance. On top of that a decision of the racing authority FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) prevented classification as a GT – it said that a Gran Turismo must have a completely enclosable body – a condition which the converted 190 SL could not meet.
The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL in the press
Shortly after the presentation of the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL at the International Motor Sports Show in New York, auto motor und sport, Germany, No. 3, 1954, wrote: “The Mercedes 190 SL is an elegant and fast touring sports car that can be used as an ordinary, workaday vehicle, but additionally offers the possibility of successfully competing in smaller sporting events. … For this new model Mercedes dispensed with its hallowed radiator tradition, as it did for the 300 SL. The very harmonious front end nevertheless shows that elegant and distinguished lines are entirely possible without neglecting the attributes of fashion and functionality.”
In 1960 auto motor und sport, Germany, No. 15, 1960, published a detailed test report on the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL: “The 190 SL owes its good reputation not just to its elegant appearance, but also to its robustness and reliability and its accurate handling. The good build quality of the body and the roadster soft top deserve special mention.”
The Geneva Motor Show of March 1963 was the scene of a remarkable and well-regarded premiere where Daimler-Benz presented the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL. A new sports car to replace two models of the previous sales range. Its two predecessors, the 190 SL and 300 SL, were extremely popular and successful from the start. The 300 SL in particular was already a living legend. However, despite the family likeness the two embodied fundamentally different vehicle concepts, and that, in particular, did not make the start of the 230 SL any easier.
The new model took a middle course, so to speak, between the concepts of the 190 SL and 300 SL: the 230 SL, internally also designated the W 113 series, was neither an uncompromisingly hard roadster nor a meek boulevard sports car, but rather a comfortable two-seater touring car featuring high performance and optimum driving safety. It was available from summer 1963 in three versions: an open-top car with a folding soft top that could be operated with the greatest of ease – that in itself was a minor sensation; an open-top version with hardtop, and finally as hardtop coupé. The hardtop coupé had no soft top and soft-top compartment, but in exchange more room for luggage. All three versions could be driven with the top open. As an optional extra a rear transverse seat was available, as in the 190 SL.
The exterior of the 230 SL is characterised by clear, straight lines and the unmistakable SL face including the large, centrally positioned Mercedes star. The bonnet has a slight additional bulge in the middle to provide space for the vertically installed six-cylinder engine. The boot is generously dimensioned. The hardtop with high windows and a roof borne up only by slim pillars conveys an impression of lightness which simply does not match the stereotype of a sports car. With its inwardly directed curvature it reminds one of Far Eastern temples, and straightaway the car had a nickname before it really even hit the road: “Pagoda”. In addition, because of its shape the hardtop made it easier to get in and out of the car.
Apart from the wheelbase – the magic number of 2400 millimetres was taken unchanged from the 190 SL and 300 SL models – the new SL had practically nothing in common with its two predecessors. All the same, the W 113 series was not an entirely new design since its technical concept largely conformed to that of the 220 SE
(W 111/3); as two-seater cabriolet of the “Tailfin” series the SL used that series’ frame-floor assembly, albeit shortened and reinforced, including front and rear wheel suspension.
In addition to the standard-fit four-speed manual transmission, for the first time in an SL a four-speed automatic transmission was available as an optional extra. A five-speed manual transmission procured from Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen (ZF) was added as third variant in May 1966.
Safety is the new word
The “Pagoda” is the first SL in which speed combined with safety. Since its basis is the floor unit of the famed “Tailfin”, the world’s first saloon with a safety body, this SL also had a stiff passenger cell and crumple zones in the form of easily deformable front and rear segments. This design goes back to engineer Béla Barényi, who devised many of the safety features in cars of the Mercedes-Benz brand. As in the Saloon the interior was designed so as to reduce injury hazards in accidents, meaning that there were no hard corners and edges. As in the previous model, seat belts were available as an optional extra. The steering gear was moved from the crash-imperilled front section to the firewall; the steering column yields to axial compression and additionally features a joint that prevents the feared lance effect in an accident. In 1967 the telescoping safety steering column and the impact absorber in the steering wheel were added.
Chassis, engine and transmission
The chassis, adopted from the 220 SE Saloon, is tuned to the requirements of the sporty car, offering recirculating ball steering, a dual-circuit brake system and disc brakes on the front wheels. The suspension is taut, but for a sports car almost atypically comfortable. Damping was provided by gas-filled shock absorbers, and for the first time an SL rode on radial ply tyres.
The six-cylinder, which also came from the Saloon, underwent several major changes, the most important of which was the transition from a two-plunger injection pump to a six-plunger unit. This made it possible to “shoot” the fuel directly through the preheated intake port and the opened intake valves into the combustion chamber, and not just into the intake pipe, as before. The M 127 II engine, its bore enlarged to give it a displacement of 2.3 litres, thus developed 110 kW at 5500 rpm and delivered torque of 20 mkg (196 Newton metres) at 4200 rpm. Designed very sportily, this drive unit for the SL needed a lot of revving and did not take kindly to underrevving.
The four-speed transmission, likewise from the saloon construction kit, was designed with a slightly lower ratio in 1st gear to achieve sportier acceleration. It sprinted from
0 to 100 km/h in 9.7 seconds. The top speed of the fabric-roofed 230 SL was 200 km/h. The variant with the optional automatic transmission reached a top speed of 195 km/h. In the eyes of sports car purists the automatic is almost immoral. But history teaches us a different lesson: by the time the “Pagoda” was discontinued the automatic transmission’s share was around 77 percent. It was much the same with the power steering that was also available at extra cost. The W 113 series was a pioneer also on that score: all subsequent SL models always pair exceptionally good performance with highest levels of comfort. The respectable number of 19,831 units of the 230 SL were built.
Successors with higher displacements
On 27 February 1967 the Mercedes-Benz 250 SL was presented to the public. It replaced the 230 SL that had been produced for four years. On the outside the new car, series production of which already had begun in December 1966, could not be distinguished from its predecessor. The changes concerned mainly the engine and the brake system. Both were taken, slightly modified, from the 250 SE (W 108 III). The
M 129 III engine, its displacement enlarged by 200 cubic centimetres, had the same output as the 230 SL, 110 kW at 5500 rpm, but ten percent more torque and a flatter torque curve. It was now provided with seven crankshaft bearings for smoother operation, and with an oil/water heat exchanger as well; only the future 280 SL would get an air/oil cooler. The 250 SL thus was appreciably more flexible in operation, but did not quite reach the previous model’s top speed owing to its higher weight. The 250 SL’s top speed with four-speed manual transmission was 195 km/h or 200 km/h depending on final drive ratio (standard: 1:3.92; optional: 1:3.69; automatic transmission: 190 km/h or 195 km/h). With five-speed manual transmission it was available in only one variant (1:4.08), which then got 200 km/h.
The changes to the brake system included disc brakes on the rear wheels as well, larger brake discs at the front, and the fitting of a brake power regulator to prevent overbraking by the rear wheels. As an optional extra a differential lock now was available. A fuel tank capacity of 82 litres instead of the previous 65 permitted an extended cruising range. In addition to the three body versions known from the 230 SL, the 250 SL was available as an optional extra in a fourth version, a Coupé with rear seat bench, which was shown for the first time in March 1967 at the Geneva Motor Show. In this so-called California version, the necessary space for the rear bench seat had been obtained by eliminating soft top and soft-top compartment. Since the soft top could not be retrofitted, this variant promised unspoilt driving pleasure only in dry regions or with mounted coupé roof.
Less than a year since the presentation of the 250 SL, after 5196 units had been built it was replaced by the 280 SL. Apart from the model plate it could only be distinguished on the outside from the two preceding models by the changed wheel embellishers.
In the wake of the market launch of the intermediate range models of the 114/115 series, not only the luxury-class Saloons, Coupés and Cabriolets, but also the SL got a 2.8-litre engine. Thanks to a camshaft with changed valve timing, the variant of the
M 130 engine used in the 280 SL mobilised 7.4 kW more than the base version of the 280 SE, developing 125 kW at 5750 rpm. Compared with the 250 SL the power had been increased by around 15 kW and torque by ten percent. For the first time the radiator fan was fitted with a viscous coupling which limited the rotational speed. The 0 to 100 km/h was in the vicinity of nine seconds and the top speed again came up to the level of the 230 SL, i.e., 200 km/h in the fabric-topped version. Its suspension, designed for further enhanced comfort, was softer. The service intervals were 10,000 kilometres instead of 3000.
23,885 units of the fast and reliable Mercedes-Benz 280 SL rolled off the assembly line. All in all, from 1963 to 1971 a total of 48,912 “Pagodas” were built – remarkable for a sports car with such high standards. Today its high overall quality, its elegance and its clear lines make the W 113 series a coveted item among restorers and collectors.
The W 113 series in the press
The motor magazine auto motor und sport, Germany, No. 6, 1963, characterised the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL: “A sports car that does 200 km/h, goes from 0 to 100 km/h in less than ten seconds, yet has the smooth engine running characteristics and comfort of a touring car.”
A detailed test report in auto motor und sport, Germany, No. 21, 1963, added: “The upshot: the 230 SL is one of the most refined sports cars ever. All the same it deserves to be numbered among the truly sporty vehicles because it not only delivers sporty performance, but is as compact and safe-handling as should be expected of a sports car. … And finally, you can push the 230 SL at a very fast pace if you wish, but you can also maintain the slowcoach tempo that traffic conditions so frequently force upon us.”