STUTTGART: At this year's Design Essentials convention in Nice, France, Mercedes-Benz revealed a concept inspired by a model created nearly 120 years ago in 1901.
The vehicle, which was high-performing for the time, the Mercedes 35 PS, made its name in history by taking home the crown of various competitions during the year's Race Week inspiring the design of all motorized cars that were to follow.
To celebrate this "historic event (which) carries the pioneering spirit and the styling characteristics of those days far into the 21st century," the brand created the Vision Mercedes Simplex, a futuristically styled version of the award-winning 1901 model.
The model demonstrates the progress the company has made over a century of vehicle manufacturing — specifically in the evolution of their luxurious aesthetic.
According to the brand's chief design officer Gorden Wagener, "Only a brand that is as strong as Mercedes-Benz is capable of the physical symbiosis of history and future. The ‘Vision Mercedes Simplex' symbolises the transformation of the brand-specific luxury of Mercedes-Benz."
While the skeleton of the Vision Mercedes Simplex stays true to the design of the 35 PS, the inside has been outfitted with a 21st century rose gold instrument panel on which digital content is projected.
