Classics-to-be From Mercedes-Benz


Bruce

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Bruce McCulloch
The readers of the Motor Klassik trade journal haved elected the Mercedes-Benz CLS, SL and G models as classics-to-be

- Runners-up: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Maybach 57/62 and smart fortwo

The CLS, SL and G-Class from Mercedes-Benz are classics-to-be. According to the votes of the readers of the Motor Klassik trade journal, these cars are the number one in their respective categories, upper medium class, convertibles and offroaders.

Other models from the Mercedes Car Group finished in second place: the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren in the category of sports cars, the Maybach 57/62 in the luxury class and the smart fortwo in the category of mini cars. This means that the Mercedes Car Group is represented with the largest number of models in this renowned readers’ election. This year, the classics-to-be awards will be presented in the Opel Forum in Rüsselsheim on June 14, 2007.

Mercedes Benz sees these awards as a special distinction especially for the design of the respective cars, and of course for the brand as such. Alongside all the other qualities, the looks of a car impact its perception by the public and are crucial when it comes to the question as to whether a car will remain outstanding beyond its lifecycle. At Mercedes-Benz, design always combines high aesthetic quality with great practicality.

Peter Pfeiffer, Chief Designer for the Mercedes-Benz brand: “It is of course highly gratifying for us to receive so many awards this year as every distinction testifies to the appreciation by our customers and the public at large. We are particularly pleased about the distinction for the CLS which, for us as well, interprets the design of an automotive icon from the last century, the 300 SL, in a contemporary style.”

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was launched into the market in 1954. With its elegant sports car body, its characteristic gullwing doors and, of course, its outstanding engineering and top-class performance, it quickly became the dream car of its day and age – and at the same time an icon of automotive history. Few other cars have been – and are – intriguing people as much as the 300 SL.

The Mercedes-Benz CLS ties up to this great tradition, combining the advantages of a four-door sedan with the elegant design of a coupe. This is expressed by every facet of its design but most distinctively by its side view. The low roof line, inconspicuously integrated rear doors and generously large bodywork surfaces combine into an entity that provides impressive evidence of the Mercedes-Benz designers’ skills – a mobile sculpture of our day and age.

The G-Class as another classic-to-be demonstrates that good design outlives fashionable trends and is timeless. Production of the G-Class began in 1979. After 28 years, it is one of the cars with the longest production run in automotive history. And it is mobile evidence of a successful combination of maximum practicality with unostentatious but highly effective design.

The letters “SL” stand for a long tradition of building sporty and light cars at Mercedes-Benz. Following on from the 300 SL of 1954, which was a coupe initially, an impressive lineup of convertibles was designed all of which deserve the epithet “dream car” both in their day and age and in subsequent years. The SL elected by the readers this year discreetly but effectively quotes styling elements of its predecessors while being a completely independent design – a true classic-to-be.

Value appeal: Classics and value-retention champions

Alongside the design, every Mercedes-Benz boasts a set of well-balanced properties. In a Mercedes-Benz, people travel safely and comfortably, and outstanding engineering is working underneath the bodywork. These classic virtues are joined by stability of financial value. In the majority of market segments throughout the world, the brand’s passenger cars are those which fetch the highest resale prices. This is based on people’s trust in the brand’s values: innovative engineering, sophisticated design and maximum durability.

The epithet of “value-retention champions” is not only attributed to the contemporary range of Mercedes-Benz cars, from mid-sized to luxury class. Classics-to-be and above all the veteran and vintage cars with the Mercedes star on the hood rank among the models with the greatest stability of value in their respective eras. And prices are rising as the demand for Mercedes-Benz classics is growing continuously. Immaterial values such as aesthetic appeal, charisma and historical significance are embodied by classic Mercedes-Benz cars from all eras as a matter of course.

The up-to-date classics-to-be are heading towards a bright future. The company is therefore particularly happy about these distinctions, accepting them as both impressive evidence of competence and an incentive to continue designing equally sophisticated cars in the future.
 
yep they are true classics..
then some say that MB cant design cars anymore..
i dont see many other brands having cars in their line up.. that will end up like classics..

MB is masters of timeless design..
 
Runner up: Smart ForTwo??????????

That's where i stopped to read!

FTW???:t-crazy2::t-crazy2::t-crazy2:

:t-cheers:

Well, if you consider the fact that one of the cars that first comes to mind when talking about classic BMWs is this:
c1b48208b0591da82ccf53627a75adbe.webp

... the Smart doesn't seem such an odd choice at all. ;)
 
Isseta saved BMW from bankruptcy, while Smart is only a money looser afaik. And last few years prove my claim.

:t-cheers:
 
^i belive they where talking about classics in terms of design..not profitability..
 
Regardless... The car must me something more thank just a appealing design to become classic and afaic there's nothing, absolutely nothing about Smart to fulfill that criteria. Appealing design? Give me a brake! It looks like a toy from kindergarten...

:t-cheers:
 
^that it does..and so does the isetta..
:D so based on only design none of those cars should be classics..
but the bimmer is cause it made a diffrence
and the smart will not be.. no matter what this report says:D
 
I rather put the new CL instead of CLS on that list. CL looks better than CLS imo, the CLS is just....well weird looking.
 
I rather put the new CL instead of CLS on that list. CL looks better than CLS imo, the CLS is just....well weird looking.

But this is a classics-to-be list, not the best looking... The controversial novelty of the CLS being a coupé-sedan will let it endure time far more than many normal cars.
 
CLS earned it's place, whereas G & SL (already) had their histories :) ...!

By the way, CLS is only Benz I like (beside E-63) :D ...!
 
Well, if you consider the fact that one of the cars that first comes to mind when talking about classic BMWs is this:
c1b48208b0591da82ccf53627a75adbe.webp

... the Smart doesn't seem such an odd choice at all. ;)

Technically the BMW Isetta is not a BMW at all but an ISO. BMW just bought the rights to produce this car under license in Germany because they needed something to keep them afloat as their 501 and 502 models had not brought in much profit and actually cost them dearly in terms of cash reserves. :usa7uh:



As dumb as it sounds, I think the R170 SLK has the potential to be a classic. The car just caused such a big sensation when it was released and the waiting lists were long etc. Most importantly, the revival of the advanced foldable and stowable roof made the car such a smash hit in my opinion. Can you say "Funky"? :D




Also, the C208 CLK is definitely going to become a classic. It was innovative and ground breaking in terms of design and it was well received by the public too.




Up next, the CLS has "classic in the making written all over it". :t-cheers:
 
As dumb as it sounds, I think the R170 SLK has the potential to be a classic. The car just caused such a big sensation when it was released and the waiting lists were long etc. Most importantly, the revival of the advanced foldable and stowable roof made the car such a smash hit in my opinion. Can you say "Funky"? :D


Ehhh... What? The previous generation SLK looked cheap and had a terrible quality, it didn't have the refinement of a real Mercedes. It belongs to the same group with first generation A and ML.
 
^maybe it had bad quality or bad design..
but the car was not unrealiable..it was infact one of the cars with the least ammount of faults , in swedish tests..
 
Ehhh... What? The previous generation SLK looked cheap and had a terrible quality, it didn't have the refinement of a real Mercedes. It belongs to the same group with first generation A and ML.

:t-crazy2: The facelifted R170 was absolutely great - and had a perfect build quality...it even had less problems then the R171... :usa7uh:

But you're right, if you mean the pre-facelift R170 - that car was absolutely terrible... :confused:
 

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz Group AG is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Established in 1926, Mercedes-Benz Group produces consumer luxury vehicles and light commercial vehicles badged as Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, and Mercedes-Maybach. Its origin lies in Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft's 1901 Mercedes and Carl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first internal combustion engine in a self-propelled automobile. The slogan for the brand is "the best or nothing".
Official website: Mercedes-Benz (Global), Mercedes-Benz (USA)

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