[Berliner Heckflosse]

In 1969, the first of the C111 was a “design studie” made by Bruno Sacco. It is now exposed at Mercedes-Benz Museum.

It is learning hour.:laugh::laugh:

A life-changing encounter.


A chance encounter in the early 1950s had a lasting impact on Bruno Sacco’s future – and the future development of the Mercedes-Benz brand: when the Italian saw the French designer Raymound Loewy’s Studebaker Starlight Coupé at a motor show in his home town of Turin in April 1951, his passion for automotive design was ignited. “That car was like something from another world,” recalls Bruno Sacco more than 60 years later. Soon afterwards, he saw the futuristic looking car on the road again and his resolve to design cars intensified. Having gained some initial experience in the field of design, in 1958 he began what would be a career of more than 40 years with Mercedes-Benz.

more here

https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/classic/mercedes-benz-is-my-life/

 

[Padgett]

Wasn't the C111 a Wankle or did the rong synapse fire ? Was designing FI systems for the GM dual rotor at the time, had a pump in the base of the distributer. One of the things that never made it was alternate injection of cylinders and using the dead cycle for EGR in an attempt to boost MPG (trying to get from "horrible" to just "bad". Made a lot of power but if would too tight you lost the seals. Was before computer controls.

 

[Paul Beretta]

Neat looking car. To my eye it seems more Stingray Corvette than Studebaker Starlight influenced.

FWIW, while he designed it while working for Raymond Loewy Associates, the Starlight Coupe was designed by Virgil Exner.