Author(s): Nik Greene

Automotive & Aviation

"Every Coup from Mercedes-Benz has always embodied elegance on four wheels, whether today, 40 years ago or a century ago; our coup s are legends of each and every era in which they were built." - Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic

In the very beginning, the automotive industry was dominated by open-top vehicles whose body shapes were very much based on the horse-drawn carriage, there were open and closed carriages and then there was the Coup . Mercedes-Benz is and has always been a trendsetter, not only in terms of technology, but also in design but what must never be underestimated was the idea of moving away from the 'classic Coup saloon style body but also what had become their corporate identity, the Mercedes-Benz, radiator grill.

With over 300 photographs and illustrations, this first volume of the Mercedes-Benz Coupe includes an overview of the early days of 'Sports-Car' design and the influences of aerodynamics on design evolution. The book discusses the early protagonists at Daimler-Benz and how they influenced design of the Coupe shape. It shows how the Racing Coupe influenced what became the production Sport Coupe, and covers the experimental and one-off prototypes and the continuation of the Super Sport Light concept through the 'S-Class' range.