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Who is the father of the W116?

Started by Martin 280s, 14 January 2010, 07:08 AM

flutes

Nathan - I came across a couple of his design sketches last week Link but would love to see more.  Those sketches would make a fine addition to your museum.  It's fascinating to see the design progression of objects with which we're familiar with the end result.

Hopefully someone will drag all this stuff out of the archives and share it for all to enjoy!
Matt
1977 450SEL

Martin 280s

Wasn't it Paul Bracq who created/designed/styled the W108/109 & W100?!

goldacre

Unless already mentioned by name in this thread, who was the bloke that was a one man show in MB that developed the C111 test car program to evaluate safety features in cars? i recall reading somewhere that the W116 incorporated most, if not all the C111 test program results (the good ones)  ;D

From memory (God help me here) there is a black and white photo of a short rotund man in a white coat and black rimmed glasses (Read - Coke bottles) holding a clipboard next to the C111 project car?

Incorporating the safety features would have given the stylist somewhere to work from perhaps.

G
12/1979 450 SEL 148K on clock (museum piece)
12/1986 Lotus Esprit Turbo 87K on clock 'Darling, look what Q has brought for us, isn't it nice' :)

flutes

So we've settled on: w116 has several fathers.

What I'd like cleared up  - Paul Bracq and responsibility for the w108/9 and the w100!  Does anyone have anything more detailed about exactly what roles people played in this?  Especially on the w100?
Matt
1977 450SEL

Martin 280s

#19
having several father's just might explain why the W116 is generally so unloved. Poor thing must have had a difficult childhood, it does remind me od the expression 'too many chefs spoil the broth'. Although personally I think this 'broth' turned out quite well!


On another note:

Paul Bracq (b. December 13, 1933, Bordeaux, France) is an automotive designer and an "automotive artist". Among Bracq's designs is a vehicle considered to be among the finest ever built, the Mercedes-Benz 600.

His work in the early 1950s with Citroën led to a ten-year stint as the head of Daimler-Benz's Advanced Design studios in Sindelfingen starting in 1957. It was here that Bracq was entrusted with the design of the most expensive and complex Mercedes-Benz automobile to date, the 600. He also designed the 230SL Pagoda, the 220S Coupé, the 250 and 220D as well as the W108 series.

Upon his return to France in 1967, Bracq went to work for Brissonau and Lotz where he was responsible for the design of the TGV high-speed passenger train. During this time, Bracq was also responsible for prototypes of a sports car based on the BMW 1600Ti and a coupé based on the Simca 1100.

In 1970, Bracq was appointed design director of BMW where he was responsible for some of that firm's most important automobiles of the period, including the top-of-the-line 7-Series. His 1973 "Turbo" concept car won "Concept Car of the Year" by the Revue Automobile Suisse that year; the car repeated the feat in 1992 in the Bagatelle Concours d'Elegance.

His work with Peugeot beginning in 1974 included personal transportation for the Pope.

Bracq's artistic works have been displayed in art museums all over the world. He is also active as a judge in many of the most important automotive concours, including the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Paul Bracq is also known to have penned Karl Middelhauve's W100 based pick-up truck.