It’s 1948 and the owner of an armored 1941 Mercedes-Benz 770K, an icon of Third Reich and personal car of one Adolf Hitler, has his foot deep in the throttle with a supercharger so loud “as to force other motorists off the road”. Through thick bulletproof windows, he sees Pennsylvania countryside blur by at over 90 mph.
The Devil’s Mercedes
As recounted in “The Devil’s Mercedes” by Robert Klara, renowned automotive historian Ken Purdy once drove the wicked beast of a state limousine.
“With hardly a sound from the starter, the big straight-eight overhead-valve engine fires and warms up quickly at 1,200 rpm,” Purdy wrote. “You shove the long gear lever forward and left for first, the clutch comes in like velvet, and you’re off.”
Riding on an independent suspension, the big car absorbs everything.
“It hands out a ride quite beyond comparison with anything else on wheels,” Purdy continued. “The sensation is simply that of a moving house.”
Its long black body with convertible roof, wide running boards, and thick bullet-resistant tires were ominous, as were chrome exhaust tubes escaping the body, but the chest-high chrome grille flanked by gleaming lunations demanded your disappearance.
The Devil’s EV
This searing image of Mercedes-Benz extended to the bespoke 1960-70s 600s owned by Elvis, Hugh Heffner and Jack Nicholson…and despots like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi – cars that defined Mercedes style into this century.
And yet, we’re quickly gliding into a silent age of rapid propulsion begot through electrification. Take Mercedes’ EQS, which is ethereally quiet, only eliciting alien sounds below 20-mph so pedestrians can hear it. Immense instant torque and all-wheel-drive negate the need for vulgar superchargers.
In complete contrast to Hitler’s demon wagon, the EQS was so efficiently shaped as to become invisible without any semblance of a proper Mercedes face – just an expanse of plastic fronting a lozenge with a star embedded for spite. Slow sales bedeviled designers who grafted on a fake “grille” panel and hood-mounted star.
Evidently, Mercedes owners prefer the look of a 770K or 600 to an EQS.
“Beyond the market factors of EVs not selling well generally, I think the look of it really contributed to its lack of a foothold in the market,” said Brian Wong, Edmunds’ senior reviews editor and video host. “It was positioned as an electric S-Class, but side-by-side, only one of those vehicles really gave the appearance of luxuriousness. The bean shape is incredibly slippery and gives the EQS real advantages on range and how efficiently it can use energy, but it doesn’t communicate what buyers of those high-end sedans are looking for.”
It’s unfortunate because the EQS was a delightful car to drive with satisfying heft belying effortless acceleration, electronic air suspension, and full-width Hyperscreen. Exquisite veneers, glass roof, and massage seats spoiled occupants. And still, owners missed looking head-long at an anachronistic chrome star.
A Devilish Concept
If the recent Vision Iconic concept coupe is any indication, they’ll soon have one on which to wish. It recalls the sportier 500K and 540K models, 1930s precursors to SL roadsters, with classic long hood, close cabin and rounded roadster tail. Wheels look vintage. Sinister curves and strides are fronted by LED headlamps…and a large chrome grille topped by a three-pointed star.
“Inspired by the golden era of automotive design of the 1930s, this show car embodies the pure essence of Mercedes-Benz,” said Gorden Wagener, recently retired chief designer for Mercedes-Benz. “With its hood giving it a majestic presence, sculptural flowing lines and a touch of Art Deco, it rises to become a true icon of automotive beauty.”
As exciting as the concept may be for Mercedes aficionados, think of it more as inspiration than confirmation.
“I think it looks incredible but sadly has a near-zero chance of being made,” Wong said. “Mercedes leaning into its more classic designs and silhouettes makes for a fun thought exercise, but it is also indicative that the brand’s more modern styling has fallen a bit flat.”
A New Devil
“Hopefully, it signifies a shift to some retro-futurism in its future cars,” Wong continued. “It is a delicate balance to strike, especially for EVs, or trading off between aerodynamics and efficiency, with making something that looks pretty and the Vision Iconic doesn’t have to make those compromises as a concept.”
Coming 140 years after Daimler and Benz invented the modern automobile, the first expression of Mercedes’ new face comes on the GLC compact electric crossover fronting a tall silver facia.
“Our new iconic grille is not just a new front for the GLC, it redefines the face of our brand,” Wegener continued. “It is the perfect fusion of lasting design codes reinterpreted for the future, making our cars instantly recognizable.”
Next up will be the 2027 S-Class, available in both gas and electric versions, which puts the EQS’ technology in a considerably more distinguished wrapper. A 20-percent larger illuminated grille, lit hood-mounted star, and elegant proportions encompass a cabin lush with a barrage of dash screens, dual 13.1-inch rear displays, integrated video conferencing and hands-off driving. You could run an empire from within.
Mercedes dedicated paragraphs of press materials describing the grille and star, giving its cars a sense of gravitas competitors cannot match.
“It’s very important; there’s a clear value to vehicles from an automaker looking and feeling distinct from competitors, especially in the luxury space,” Wong said. “One of the ways to do that is with your badging and the Mercedes star especially is a calling card for the brand. It’s instantly recognizable, so lighting it up and putting it front and center is a great decision. The illuminated tri-star logo atop a long hood will always be a great look.”
Just as it has been since 1921 when the grille and star first met.
Hitler’s Mercedes was eventually restored by General William Lyon of Newport Beach, California as part of an extensive classic car collection. It won the “Mercedes-Benz Prewar” class at Pebble Beach in 2014 – an honor not for its notorious past, but for its craftsmanship, mechanical excellence and brand-defining face.
Storm Forward!
Send questions and comments to Casey at AutoCasey@aol.com.