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Feature: Coupes By Mercedes-Benz
The coupe is an exclusive body design. This was true even in the days of the horse-drawn carriage, when the coupe – presumably so-called because it resembled a four-seater carriage with its front end cut-off (French: “coupé”) – offered two seats in the comfort of the cab with the coachman seated up front on the open box seat. People who chose this mode of travel clearly liked to demonstrate a sense style and individuality.
The early automobiles borrowed heavily from various styles of horse-drawn carriage. The coupe retained a strong focus essentially on two persons traveling in style, and to this day it typifies an exclusive form of transportation. Use of a coachman eventually gave way to owners who preferred to take control of their vehicle themselves; today’s coupes are also driver-oriented. So would it be entirely wrong to suggest that one decides upon a coupe rather as one might choose an elegant coat – with the aim of wearing it for comfort and self-confidence?
Flowing lines for a dynamic appearance
The term coupe has evolved and grown over the decades. Early coupes, for example, generally only had room for two people; since the 1950s, however, they have more usually had four seats. But the body incorporates a number of basic features that persist to this day. A coupe generally has very low, flowing lines which create a stretched silhouette. It often dispenses with the B pillar altogether, and the C pillar slopes gently into the tail. The roof is generally shorter than in the case of a sedan, and curved at the rear. The side windows are usually frameless.
Nowadays, owning a coupe and enjoying utility value are no longer mutually exclusive aspirations. Although many coupe enthusiasts would contest the fact, even in a coupe a spacious trunk, folding rear seat bench and ski bag are popular equipment features. After all, the body does not reveal externally the paraphernalia of modern leisure activities that now also vie for space alongside the passengers.
Coupes by Mercedes-Benz and predecessor brands carry the self-image of this exceptional vehicle type in every detail – right through to the new Mercedes-Benz CLC, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2008. Although a member of the compact class, the vehicle demonstrates the size and spaciousness befitting a coupe. It fits comfortably into the family of other Mercedes-Benz coupes and perfectly rounds off the brand range. The CLC demonstrates new class. At the same time it is rooted in the brand’s rich coupe heritage, even though it has “only” one direct sports coupe predecessor.
Throughout its history Mercedes-Benz has offered coupes in a variety of designs. The 10 hp Benz Mylord coupe of 1901, for example, still bore close resemblance to the horse-drawn carriage, with a seat for the driver open to the elements. One not uncommon feature for the day was the folding roof above the passenger seats, which could be opened in good weather to enhance enjoyment of the journey – and which at a top speed of 35 to 40 km/h detracted only minimally from the elegance of the Mylord coupe’s appearance.
The “Sindelfingen body” prevails
Throughout the 1920s and 30s, Mercedes-Benz offered a variety of vehicle models where the designation primarily characterized chassis and engine; for these a variety of body variants were then available ex factory, often with up to ten or more different designs. At the same time, it was the age of the coachbuilder in automotive design, with many owners having customized bodies fitted to a chassis to meet their own specifications. Eventually the company’s own “Sindelfingenbody” gained general acceptance. It reflected not only the stylistic self-assurance of the vehicle owners, but also of the Mercedes-Benz designers – those ‘stylists’, as they were then officially titled, who created mobile sculptures of timeless elegance. Not every series featured a coupe; but in most cases there was at least one variant aimed at a similar category of buyers. There was the Mercedes-Benz 290 (W 18 series), for example, built in the mid-1930s, which in the long-wheelbase version with streamlined body had the appearance of a coupe – except it had four doors providing access to the interior. Decades later the CLS was to revive a similar principle, creating an even more coupe-like impact with its low, stretched roofline. The sports sedan, very popular in competitions, was available in smaller series such as the 130 model (W 23) or the 230 (W 153) – both two-door versions.
One body design to enjoy a certain star status with coupe genes in the 1930s was that of the motorway courier, created for the luxury 500 K (W 29) and 540 K (W 29) models. The design took its name from the new high-speed motorways that were under construction in Germany at the time; compared with today, of course, these new long-distance roads had much less traffic, and with its streamlined body the motorway courier could occasionally be seen almost literally flying into the distance. The motorway courier was the last word in state-of-the-art design – not to mention exclusivity, since anyone able to afford such a vehicle at the time certainly enjoyed grand appearances and a mobile lifestyle. A popular choice was to use as a basis a chassis with the engine set back, since with a lengthened engine hood the front end created a more elongated appearance, thus emphasizing the vehicle’s coupe character. In most cases the rear wheels also had fairings. Any motorway courier remains an object of fascination to this day. One world-famous model is the 540 K motorway courier of 1939 owned by Arturo Keller, one of only few units of an already extremely rare species to have survived. Keller’s flawless model continues to thrill audiences at classic car events and regularly garners trophies, as in 2006 at the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, California/USA, where it was awarded the prize for most elegant closed vehicle. Two doors give access to four seats. A novelty of the motorway courier that featured in the predecessor model, the 500 K motorway courier – and is nowadays a standard feature of coupe design – is the curved rear side window that emphasized the rapidly tapering rear end. The 540 K was also available as a classic coupe with two seats. There was even also a so-called combination coupe with two interchangeable roofs.
Coupes in every class
After the Second World War the coupe became a permanent feature in particular of the Mercedes-Benz mid-series, as well as of its premium-class models. Among the forerunners of today’s CL-Class were vehicles such as the 300 S coupe (W 188, 1952 to 1955) and the coupes of the 180 and 128 “three-box body” series, whose self-supporting bodies were fully in tune with the tastes of the day. 1961 saw the launch of coupes in the premium-class 111 series, then the following year that of the 112 series, all of them highly sought-after vehicles today. An intermediate step was the 107 series of the 1970s, which was based not a four-door premium-class sedan, but on the SL, so providing seats for two people only. The C 126 series on the other hand offered four proper seats, a feature that has been continued to the present day in the successor series C 140, C 215 and C 216.
In the Mercedes-Benz mid-series there has been an almost continuous coupe tradition since the late 1960s, represented today by the CLK series. The first mid-series coupe was the 114 series, more familiarly known as the Stroke Eight, since internally it bore the abbreviation “/8” to denote the year of its appearance, 1968. The car was also successfully exported to North America. The 123 series (1977 to 1985) followed seamlessly on and even offered a first-ever diesel-powered coupe – initially reserved for North American customers with a view to improving Corporate Average Fuel Economy there. The coupe tradition was continued by the 124 series from 1987 to 1996. Thereafter the first CLK (208 series) took over, launched in 1997 and built until 2002. In advance of its development, Mercedes-Benz sounded out the market with the aid of a coupe study, presented in 1993 at the Geneva Motor Show and revealing to an enthusiastic public the brand’s new “four-eyed” face. The decision was taken to go ahead with the design. The current CLK 209 series, first produced in 2002, seamlessly built on the success of its predecessor.
The presentation of the Vision CLS at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003 caused a sensation and gave the motoring public a foretaste of the Mercedes-Benz CLS, which appeared the following year. This car combined the best of two worlds, offering the spaciousness and four doors of a sedan, while at the same time exhibiting its clear coupe roots with a skillfully designed body. The CLS has already established itself as a modern automotive icon. And it has opened up a new market segment, with other carmakers producing four-door coupes in its wake.
No review of the coupe history of Mercedes-Benz would be complete without mention of three exceptional sports coupes. In 1954 came the 300 SL (W 198). Not just the gullwing doors and timeless body design place this car in a class of its own in the automotive world – the whole vehicle remains today both a dream car and a dream coupe in one. Then in 1969 the company presented the C 111, initially as a test vehicle for the Wankel engine. This coupe unleashed a storm of interest and Mercedes-Benz even received numerous blank checks from eager buyers. But the car never went into production. Finally, although the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (199 series) of 2003 was no direct descendant of the 300 SL, it still bears the genes of the Gullwing. For it is both a dream sports car and an original coupe design. In both cases, the roadster versions were later additions.
Every Mercedes-Benz coupe is a classic, whether it has historic roots or hails from the current model portfolio. These vehicles round off the automotive product range and target a clientele for whom style and elegance retain a particular importance. Coupes are a lifestyle statement on wheels.
Source: eMercedesBenz.com -- Coupes by Mercedes
Photos: (Click to Enlarge)
Chauffeur seated out in the open: Benz Dos-à-Dos Mylord coupe, 1901.
Coupe from the early days of brand history: Benz Mylord of 1901.
Great automotive design: Mercedes-Benz 500 K with "Autobanh-Kurier" bodywork, 1934.
Great automotive design: Mercedes-Benz 500 K with "Autobanh-Kurier" bodywork, 1934.
Fast looks even when stationary: Streamlined Mercedes-Benz 320 sedan, the motorway courier, 1938.
Elegance at its best: Bodywork of the Mercedes-Benz motorway courier from the 1930s. The photo shows the 320 (1937 - 1938).
Elegance at its best: Bodywork of the Mercedes-Benz motorway courier from the 1930s. The photo shows the 320 (1937 - 1938).
Three historical milestones (from front to rear): Mercedes-Benz models 320n combination coupe (142 series, 1937-1942), 300 Sc coupe (188 series, 1955-1958) and 280 SE 3.5 coupe (108 series,1971-1972 ).
A statement in the early post-war years: Mercedes-Benz 220 coupe (187 series) of 1953.
Drawing from a 1955 brochure: Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc coupe (1955 - 1958).
Representative coupe: Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc coupe (1955 - 1958).
Timeless elegance: Mercedes-Benz 220 S coupe of 1958.
A highly coveted collectors’ car today: Mercedes-Benz 220 SEb coupe of 1960.
A highly coveted collectors’ car today: Mercedes-Benz 220 SEb coupe of 1960.
In the light of its day and age: Mercedes-Benz 220 SEb coupe of the 111 series (1961-1965).
Only built as a test car: Mercedes-Benz 600 coupe (W 100 series) of 1965.
The beauty of the 1970s: Mercedes-Benz SLC coupe of the 107 series (1971 - 1981).
A symbol of the 1970s: Mercedes-Benz 280 CE coupe, facelifted version of 1973.
Upper mid-series coupes: The Mercedes-Benz Stroke Eight series of coupes (114 series) comprised the 250 C, 250 CE, 280 C and 280 CE. The photo shows a facelifted version that was available from 1973.
Successful in the upper mid-series: Mercedes-Benz coupe of the 123 series (1976 - 1985).
The rest of the photos are dead links. Hopefully they'll work again soon.
The coupe is an exclusive body design. This was true even in the days of the horse-drawn carriage, when the coupe – presumably so-called because it resembled a four-seater carriage with its front end cut-off (French: “coupé”) – offered two seats in the comfort of the cab with the coachman seated up front on the open box seat. People who chose this mode of travel clearly liked to demonstrate a sense style and individuality.
The early automobiles borrowed heavily from various styles of horse-drawn carriage. The coupe retained a strong focus essentially on two persons traveling in style, and to this day it typifies an exclusive form of transportation. Use of a coachman eventually gave way to owners who preferred to take control of their vehicle themselves; today’s coupes are also driver-oriented. So would it be entirely wrong to suggest that one decides upon a coupe rather as one might choose an elegant coat – with the aim of wearing it for comfort and self-confidence?
Flowing lines for a dynamic appearance
The term coupe has evolved and grown over the decades. Early coupes, for example, generally only had room for two people; since the 1950s, however, they have more usually had four seats. But the body incorporates a number of basic features that persist to this day. A coupe generally has very low, flowing lines which create a stretched silhouette. It often dispenses with the B pillar altogether, and the C pillar slopes gently into the tail. The roof is generally shorter than in the case of a sedan, and curved at the rear. The side windows are usually frameless.
Nowadays, owning a coupe and enjoying utility value are no longer mutually exclusive aspirations. Although many coupe enthusiasts would contest the fact, even in a coupe a spacious trunk, folding rear seat bench and ski bag are popular equipment features. After all, the body does not reveal externally the paraphernalia of modern leisure activities that now also vie for space alongside the passengers.
Coupes by Mercedes-Benz and predecessor brands carry the self-image of this exceptional vehicle type in every detail – right through to the new Mercedes-Benz CLC, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2008. Although a member of the compact class, the vehicle demonstrates the size and spaciousness befitting a coupe. It fits comfortably into the family of other Mercedes-Benz coupes and perfectly rounds off the brand range. The CLC demonstrates new class. At the same time it is rooted in the brand’s rich coupe heritage, even though it has “only” one direct sports coupe predecessor.
Throughout its history Mercedes-Benz has offered coupes in a variety of designs. The 10 hp Benz Mylord coupe of 1901, for example, still bore close resemblance to the horse-drawn carriage, with a seat for the driver open to the elements. One not uncommon feature for the day was the folding roof above the passenger seats, which could be opened in good weather to enhance enjoyment of the journey – and which at a top speed of 35 to 40 km/h detracted only minimally from the elegance of the Mylord coupe’s appearance.
The “Sindelfingen body” prevails
Throughout the 1920s and 30s, Mercedes-Benz offered a variety of vehicle models where the designation primarily characterized chassis and engine; for these a variety of body variants were then available ex factory, often with up to ten or more different designs. At the same time, it was the age of the coachbuilder in automotive design, with many owners having customized bodies fitted to a chassis to meet their own specifications. Eventually the company’s own “Sindelfingenbody” gained general acceptance. It reflected not only the stylistic self-assurance of the vehicle owners, but also of the Mercedes-Benz designers – those ‘stylists’, as they were then officially titled, who created mobile sculptures of timeless elegance. Not every series featured a coupe; but in most cases there was at least one variant aimed at a similar category of buyers. There was the Mercedes-Benz 290 (W 18 series), for example, built in the mid-1930s, which in the long-wheelbase version with streamlined body had the appearance of a coupe – except it had four doors providing access to the interior. Decades later the CLS was to revive a similar principle, creating an even more coupe-like impact with its low, stretched roofline. The sports sedan, very popular in competitions, was available in smaller series such as the 130 model (W 23) or the 230 (W 153) – both two-door versions.
One body design to enjoy a certain star status with coupe genes in the 1930s was that of the motorway courier, created for the luxury 500 K (W 29) and 540 K (W 29) models. The design took its name from the new high-speed motorways that were under construction in Germany at the time; compared with today, of course, these new long-distance roads had much less traffic, and with its streamlined body the motorway courier could occasionally be seen almost literally flying into the distance. The motorway courier was the last word in state-of-the-art design – not to mention exclusivity, since anyone able to afford such a vehicle at the time certainly enjoyed grand appearances and a mobile lifestyle. A popular choice was to use as a basis a chassis with the engine set back, since with a lengthened engine hood the front end created a more elongated appearance, thus emphasizing the vehicle’s coupe character. In most cases the rear wheels also had fairings. Any motorway courier remains an object of fascination to this day. One world-famous model is the 540 K motorway courier of 1939 owned by Arturo Keller, one of only few units of an already extremely rare species to have survived. Keller’s flawless model continues to thrill audiences at classic car events and regularly garners trophies, as in 2006 at the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, California/USA, where it was awarded the prize for most elegant closed vehicle. Two doors give access to four seats. A novelty of the motorway courier that featured in the predecessor model, the 500 K motorway courier – and is nowadays a standard feature of coupe design – is the curved rear side window that emphasized the rapidly tapering rear end. The 540 K was also available as a classic coupe with two seats. There was even also a so-called combination coupe with two interchangeable roofs.
Coupes in every class
After the Second World War the coupe became a permanent feature in particular of the Mercedes-Benz mid-series, as well as of its premium-class models. Among the forerunners of today’s CL-Class were vehicles such as the 300 S coupe (W 188, 1952 to 1955) and the coupes of the 180 and 128 “three-box body” series, whose self-supporting bodies were fully in tune with the tastes of the day. 1961 saw the launch of coupes in the premium-class 111 series, then the following year that of the 112 series, all of them highly sought-after vehicles today. An intermediate step was the 107 series of the 1970s, which was based not a four-door premium-class sedan, but on the SL, so providing seats for two people only. The C 126 series on the other hand offered four proper seats, a feature that has been continued to the present day in the successor series C 140, C 215 and C 216.
In the Mercedes-Benz mid-series there has been an almost continuous coupe tradition since the late 1960s, represented today by the CLK series. The first mid-series coupe was the 114 series, more familiarly known as the Stroke Eight, since internally it bore the abbreviation “/8” to denote the year of its appearance, 1968. The car was also successfully exported to North America. The 123 series (1977 to 1985) followed seamlessly on and even offered a first-ever diesel-powered coupe – initially reserved for North American customers with a view to improving Corporate Average Fuel Economy there. The coupe tradition was continued by the 124 series from 1987 to 1996. Thereafter the first CLK (208 series) took over, launched in 1997 and built until 2002. In advance of its development, Mercedes-Benz sounded out the market with the aid of a coupe study, presented in 1993 at the Geneva Motor Show and revealing to an enthusiastic public the brand’s new “four-eyed” face. The decision was taken to go ahead with the design. The current CLK 209 series, first produced in 2002, seamlessly built on the success of its predecessor.
The presentation of the Vision CLS at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003 caused a sensation and gave the motoring public a foretaste of the Mercedes-Benz CLS, which appeared the following year. This car combined the best of two worlds, offering the spaciousness and four doors of a sedan, while at the same time exhibiting its clear coupe roots with a skillfully designed body. The CLS has already established itself as a modern automotive icon. And it has opened up a new market segment, with other carmakers producing four-door coupes in its wake.
No review of the coupe history of Mercedes-Benz would be complete without mention of three exceptional sports coupes. In 1954 came the 300 SL (W 198). Not just the gullwing doors and timeless body design place this car in a class of its own in the automotive world – the whole vehicle remains today both a dream car and a dream coupe in one. Then in 1969 the company presented the C 111, initially as a test vehicle for the Wankel engine. This coupe unleashed a storm of interest and Mercedes-Benz even received numerous blank checks from eager buyers. But the car never went into production. Finally, although the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (199 series) of 2003 was no direct descendant of the 300 SL, it still bears the genes of the Gullwing. For it is both a dream sports car and an original coupe design. In both cases, the roadster versions were later additions.
Every Mercedes-Benz coupe is a classic, whether it has historic roots or hails from the current model portfolio. These vehicles round off the automotive product range and target a clientele for whom style and elegance retain a particular importance. Coupes are a lifestyle statement on wheels.
Source: eMercedesBenz.com -- Coupes by Mercedes
Photos: (Click to Enlarge)
Chauffeur seated out in the open: Benz Dos-à-Dos Mylord coupe, 1901.
Coupe from the early days of brand history: Benz Mylord of 1901.
Great automotive design: Mercedes-Benz 500 K with "Autobanh-Kurier" bodywork, 1934.
Great automotive design: Mercedes-Benz 500 K with "Autobanh-Kurier" bodywork, 1934.
Fast looks even when stationary: Streamlined Mercedes-Benz 320 sedan, the motorway courier, 1938.
Elegance at its best: Bodywork of the Mercedes-Benz motorway courier from the 1930s. The photo shows the 320 (1937 - 1938).
Elegance at its best: Bodywork of the Mercedes-Benz motorway courier from the 1930s. The photo shows the 320 (1937 - 1938).
Three historical milestones (from front to rear): Mercedes-Benz models 320n combination coupe (142 series, 1937-1942), 300 Sc coupe (188 series, 1955-1958) and 280 SE 3.5 coupe (108 series,1971-1972 ).
A statement in the early post-war years: Mercedes-Benz 220 coupe (187 series) of 1953.
Drawing from a 1955 brochure: Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc coupe (1955 - 1958).
Representative coupe: Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc coupe (1955 - 1958).
Timeless elegance: Mercedes-Benz 220 S coupe of 1958.
A highly coveted collectors’ car today: Mercedes-Benz 220 SEb coupe of 1960.
A highly coveted collectors’ car today: Mercedes-Benz 220 SEb coupe of 1960.
In the light of its day and age: Mercedes-Benz 220 SEb coupe of the 111 series (1961-1965).
Only built as a test car: Mercedes-Benz 600 coupe (W 100 series) of 1965.
The beauty of the 1970s: Mercedes-Benz SLC coupe of the 107 series (1971 - 1981).
A symbol of the 1970s: Mercedes-Benz 280 CE coupe, facelifted version of 1973.
Upper mid-series coupes: The Mercedes-Benz Stroke Eight series of coupes (114 series) comprised the 250 C, 250 CE, 280 C and 280 CE. The photo shows a facelifted version that was available from 1973.
Successful in the upper mid-series: Mercedes-Benz coupe of the 123 series (1976 - 1985).
The rest of the photos are dead links. Hopefully they'll work again soon.
...only better 
It's amazing how quickly people will forget history and heritage.
