Number 111 at Mercedes is an institution. He appears for the first time in 1959, on the ancestor of the S-class. At the time, the model nomenclature still followed a very standardized German scheme. After the letter W (Wagen, which translates as a car in French) comes a three-digit number. It is this trade name that has an advantage, the numbers indicated on the body indicate only the cubic volume (220S, 280SE…). Then the W111 marks the best Mercedes model. This is a large charter sedan located at the top of the range. When it was launched in the late 1950s, it dwarfed its predecessor, the W180. Get out of the pontoon body, W11 shows a much more geometric bodyenlarged from the back by very typical american wings. Available in coupe, convertible and even roadster elevated “Pagoda” (W113)W111 will pass more than 370 thousand copies until the end of his career in 1971.

C111, Mercedes laboratory

Two years before this unfortunate departure, in 1969, Mercedes released another model called the 111, but with a completely different philosophy… C111 was an experimental study, a prototype aimed at exploring new directions for the development of future models. It was a car great designdesigned to be the most desirable Italian sports cars of that time. It served as a mobile laboratory for works on aerodynamics, rotary engine, composite materials and safety.

With its bright orange design and its butterfly doors, the C111 was a real eye-catcher. So much so that we started dreaming of seeing it mass market as a modern descendant of the legendary 300 SL ! By 1979, 16 specimens were collected that differed in shape or technical characteristics. Although the rotary engine project was later abandoned, The C111 allowed Mercedes to improve its diesel technologyand work on aerodynamics.

One Eleven, revised icon

Since then, the 111 designation has never been used on a model or prototype. Not for long, because Mercedes has just announced a concept with a loud name… One Eleven, literally 1-11, which is accompanied by a mysterious video released by the brand on its social networks. We see the front face of a futuristic looking modelas well as a fully digital grille.

Most notably, the latter is animated orange pixel, the same color as the C111 prototype! there round shape of headlights and their very reduced size is also a barely concealed wink. Its very low silhouette can hint at a sedan, a coupe or even a roadster! Mercedes speaks in any case about a “revised icon”, therefore, this model will not appear out of nowhere. We still don’t know anything about him since the date of its presentation. Mercedes, like this first video, will definitely move in small steps…

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