One of these stories focuses on the mudguard as a vital body element. And other examples include:
Etymology of the German term “Kotflügel”
The wheels of the first vehicles were covered by slim strips of sheet metal or wood. As a result of their elegant shape reminiscent of birds’ wings, Germans called them “Flügel” (wings). They protect against all types of dirt, for instance horse manure (“Kot”), something the most important means of transport before the invention of the motorcar in 1886 left behind.
Integrated into the body
Early vehicle versions also adopted the mudguards from horse-drawn carriages. The function and design have been the focus ever since: when the wheels got wider, so did the mudguards. From the 20th century they became more closely linked to the main body and have ultimately been fully integrated into the vehicles’ outer shell.
From dirt track to tarmac road
Mudguards play a key role in the success story of this new means of transport, ever since 1888 when Bertha Benz went on the first long-distance trip with a motorcar from Mannheim to Pforzheim.
In contrast to towns and cities, country roads feature only a few cobbled stretches, and carriageways are made of compressed gravel and surfaces consisting of sand and pebbles.
What a stroke of luck then that the history of innovations for vehicles went hand in hand with those for road building. Nowadays road surfaces made of composites with surfaces consisting of asphalt or concrete have long since become the standard.
Mercedes-Benz vehicles from the 1920s with clear designs featuring mudguards that are separate from the body.
Mudguard as a design element
The mudguard, formerly a free-standing element, finally became an integral part of the body in the second half of the 20th century.
However, its design has more variants than ever before, e.g. stylists’ portfolios ranging from a wheel housing with a cheeky lid line in the 300 SL (W 198) and 190 SL (W 121) models dating back to 1954.
The elegant wings of “tail fin” saloons that picked up on the North American zeitgeist of short rear fins to make backing up easier, to the smooth shapes of the traditionally contemporary, compact W 201 series models.
Variety like never before
Mudguards have always remained a paramount element of the overall design in each era.
Thanks to the Mercedes-Benz model campaign and the differentiation between different body shapes, this variety of forms and styles is as ample today as it ever was.
In a permanent exhibition with 160 vehicles dating back to the invention of the motorcar in 1886 – and as part of “33 Extras”, the Mercedes-Benz Museum describes how we got to this point and what we can look forward to.
