Topic: Grille Badge

[oscar]

Hi Des,

I'm hoping admin will give permission to use the web address.  There's no need to have w116.org but I'm sure everyone including myself would prefer it.  I don't know how a royalty would be organised unless admin organised the badges in the first place.   I'd be happy to make a donation towards the website regardless, it's saved me so much money in the past.  For the moment the badge price that maca quoted is reasonable and I'm happy to go with maca's manufacturer.  BTW I'll have 3 badges.  I forgot about my future 6.9.    It'd be great to have a shop on the site so one could purchase w116 related nik-naks, pens, zippos, beer holders, coffe mugs, steins and GnT glasses etc at any stage, the list is endless.   I'd even pitch in to get it up and running.  A lot of work and funding I'd expect and a long time to get a return.

re photoshop - I know I've converted before to jpeg before but trying to do it now even after flattening the image, "jpeg" isn't coming up as an option under the format drop down menu.  I found if you click "save for web", jpeg is selectable but I'm sure it has been available under "save as".

Glad to see you chime in finally maca. Look forward to seeing your badge.

[macatron]

Hello All,

Sad as it is to say, this took me many hours to create.  Although I'm pleased with it, I would still like to make a few changes!  If I had the time and skill, I'd clean up the lines of the car and I'd add the website arcing above the car, just under the blue ring.  I thought since the steering wheel was on the left and the lights and bumper Euro, it was a nice hybrid of American and Australian traits and therefore more suitable for the international theme...  Haha!

The badge would be made of cloisonne (superior in look to enamel) and the car could be colored so it wouldn't be merely an outline.  I'm partial to silver over blue myself

The finished product looks good at 3" (76.2mm), which is standard for grille badges here...

[oscar]

Maca,  I hadn't thought of a front on pose.  Well done, this is going to become difficult.  Don't worry about size, I stood back a few feet to downsize it. 

Flicking between the two and keeping in mind the draft status of each I'm not sure which I like better.  I might as well get straight into it.  My two cents worth, I'll try to be brutally honest, no offence intended to either of you.  They're both great efforts.

I think the wording is fine and "INT'L" is acceptable.  If w116.org gets dropped, there's no reason another design can't be struck down the track for the forum.  I know I'd buy them.  I'm glad you included the leaves. I do miss the star but don't know whether it would be worth incorporating it behind the front on pose - you wouldn't see much of it anyway.  The width of your blue band is more to scale like an official badge where as Andrew's is proportionatley thicker.   The front on pose looks more like a w116, the angled view looks sexier.

That's all I'll say for the moment.

[Des]

not so sure about the abbreviation in the above badge, if someone has to look at it, look at it again to work out what it means it doesn't work in my humble opinion.

keep it simple

"W116 Owners group" across the top

then

S Class

[Andrew116]

not so sure about the abbreviation in the above badge, if someone has to look at it, look at it again to work out what it means it doesn't work in my humble opinion.
keep it simple
"W116 Owners group" across the top
then
S Class

Another work/proposal.
Des, I'll try to make another version regarding your thoughts... 
I wait all gentlemen on the forum (even admin  ) to give me details: thickness of borders, chosen colors, text and dimensions. 
"I'll be back!" with progress as soon as you give more infos. Thanks!

Andrew in Romania

[s class]

Gentlemen,

I must query the "first S class" reference. 

I always believed that the W108/9 was the FIRST S-class, the W116 was called the NEW S-class, the W126 was called the NEW GENERATION.  After that they gave up I think.....

Anyone have more info?

Ryan

[Andrew116]

And a fake 3D view: 
Click for the bigger picture...

I must query the "first S class" reference...
... the W116 was called the NEW S-class, the W126 was called the NEW GENERATION.  After that they gave up I think.....
.....
Ryan

Ryan, if you're right  , then I'll modify the text as well...
Could someone gather up info on it's display...
Or should we make a voting for it?

Text - up = ....
       - down = ....
        - middle = ....

Star / no star

Pose: front/side/angle?

Thanks a lot!
Andrew in Romania

[oscar]

My understanding is what is written in the first paragraph of the forum's website - "The Mercedes-Benz S-Class (internal designation: W116) replaced the 108/109 series and was the first series for which the name "S-Class" was officially used."  I've read 108/9's being called s class but always thought it was retrospective terminology for them.

I wouldn't mind if reference to being "first" was scrubbed. 

In maca's, - INTERNATIONAL OWNERS GROUP up top
and down below; W116 S-CLASS , or W116.ORG, or just W116.

Andrew's - I like your avatar    I started Photoshop up this evening but shut it down after your last creation.  I thought to myself - it's no use competing.
It looks much better with the reduced blue surround. I think the car looks better in the middle and I like the size of maca's text better.

Don't rush and change things, they're just my preferences.  See what other people think too. 

Don't know about colours.  I'll throw a few suggestions in; Dark/Navy blue surround, silver background and text and borders, white car.  Since the star is only in Andrew's all I'd say is that the car and star have to be different colours.  A white star would look traditional, what colour car though?  Black, blue, thistle green?

[Andrew116]

Thanks Oscar... 
We finally get close to something (thanks to macatron for starting this topic )
I'm glad everyone is enthusiastic about it. After it is decided how it will look, remade it so everyone agrees, decide were it will be made (if it will  ) I will provide the .cdr file (that's the standard Corel Draw file from wich I export the .jpg one) that I created so the "workshop" has the best quality for it.

I sure hope we'll take this to the part that our galley shall have pics of our w116's with the badge on 

What you all think?

With respect, Andrew in Romania

[Des]

Gentlemen,

I must query the "first S class" reference. 

I always believed that the W108/9 was the FIRST S-class, the W116 was called the NEW S-class, the W126 was called the NEW GENERATION.  After that they gave up I think.....

Anyone have more info?

Ryan

S Class history, from our own gallery:

[116.025]

S Class history, from our own gallery:

I've always thought that pic interesting: it skips at least one generation: the W108/W109.  I'm not sure about the pre W111/W112 either, I'm not sure exactly which chassis that is from that angle.  I'd always thought of the "S" badged Pontons as the first S class, personally, but that's just me.

[oscar]

If you note, the burgundy car in the pic has different taillights, and has a separate glass behind the rear door,

It took me a while to see that difference but yeah, finally I see it.  Well spotted.

If you think the W108/9's are missing, I'd say there is another missing and there should be 8!

My point of reference is that publicity shot of 8 "s-class" in two rows, line astern formation travelling on a three lane banked race track. I can't find the pic and I've got no idea which is missing.  All I know is the w116 and w126 were at the back of the grid.  Totally unfair!!

Here it is: from earliest I'm guessing, roundie, finnie, 108/9, 116, 126, 140 and I don't know the new two offhand. Thers a bigger pic on my computer somewhere - it used to be my desktop.


EDIT EDIT.
Actually, did you know there's been 10 s-class. Sort of.
Wikipedia says so (so it must be true ) but also acknowledges the W116 as the first offical use of the term.
An interesting read.
Wikipedia article on answers.com

[WGB]

The Grill Badge looks very professional and thank you fdor all the work, please count me in for one.

Bill

[macatron]

I know there have been a couple of questions about the "First S-Class" but here are just a couple of sources I found.  BTW, the Wikipedia article is kind of an entertaining read...  (I just didn't want people thinking me an idiot!  Haha.)

This is also from our site:

A completely newly developed luxury car was presented to the public in September 1972. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class (internal designation: W116) replaced the 108/109 series and was the first series for which the name "S-Class" was officially used.

I took this from Wikipedia (I thought it was an interesting read):

While the exact beginning of the colloquial S-Class expression cannot be determined precisely, it has always referred to the most spacious and largest luxury vehicle in the Mercedes-Benz line-up, with the exception of the limited-production Mercedes-Benz 600 limousine. In some cases it also applied to vehicles requiring premium fuel or "Super" due to the higher compression ratio and output of the company's top-of-the-line engines. The name "S-Class" derives from the German word "Sonderklasse" for which "S-class" is just an abbreviation. "Sonderklasse" means "special class", meaning a specially outfitted car.

The cars are commonly accepted as the Mercedes-Benz flagship model. Though the term S-Class has been used as a colloquial term for decades, it was not officially adopted by Mercedes-Benz until the introduction of the W116 for the 1973 model year.


Edit:

I just saw Oscar's reference of this article...  Sorry for the duplicate!

[s class]

OK the big 8 generation picture is

roundie
W112
W108/9
W116
W126
W140
W220
W221

The smaller rear-end pic is from the most distant
Adenauer (not the same as roundie - the lux model available at the same time as the roundie)
W112
W116
W126
W140
W220

Now I am pretty confident that S-class is an inappropriate term for anything earlier than W108.  The roundies were definately not S-class, they were a compact car, predecessor ofthe W115 if you will.  It gets murky with the fintails because there were actually three body variants :

W111 - the one we all know
W110- A modified version of the 111 using a slightly shortened nose.
W112 - air bellow suspension verison of the W111 - only available as a 300SE and 300SEL.

The W110 was fitted usually with 4 cyl engines or diesel engines, and is easily distinguishable for having round headlights as opposed to the 111/112 that had W108 style headlights, and having only single bladed bumpers. 

W110's also had more basic trim levels, 

According to the MB passenger car programme document from thenearly 60's (its undated)

W110 :

190 4 cyl, 90hp SAE
190D, 60hp SAE
I believe that in later years the 190 was replaced by a 200 - my dad had one

W111 :

220 6 cyl, 105hp SAE
220S 6 cyl, 124 hp SAE
220SE 6 cyl 134 hp SAE

Later on the 220S was replaced by a 230S.  There never was a 230SE.

W112 :

300SE 6 cyl : 185 hp SAE
the long version of the 300SE was also badged 300SE.  There was no 'L' in the designation.


So the 111/2's were separated from the 110's by having higher performance engines, higher trim levels AND the S deisgnation (except the short lived 220). 

But I don't think anyone truly regards the 111/2's as the first S class, even though they are certainly the spiritual predecessors. 

For what its worth, the W108/9 replaced the W111/2 in 1965, whilst the W110 continued in production a while longer, ot be replaced by the W115/4 in 1968 (the /8 models)  From then on their was a clear heirarchy between the base and larger models.


I have now skimmed through my archives of original MB brochures. 
The #W116 280S/SE and 350SE brochures from '72 both open with the line "The Mercedes Benz S class - 280S - 280SE - 350SE - A new dimension in motoring". 

On the other hand the orignal W108 280S/SE brochure starts "The new Mercedes Benz generation heralds the engineering, performance and safety of the future"  There are no references to the term "S class" in this brochure or the subsequent 300SEL3.5 brochure. 

SO perhaps I have supported Andrew's comment and shot myself down?

If I get a chance I may wade through the 60's and 70's In Aller Welts to see if Ican corroborate.

Ryan