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Automotive Hall of Fame Honors Bruno Sacco, Legendary Head of Design for Mercedes-Benz


October 2006
 Filed under: MERCEDES Car News | MERCEDES Headlines
MONTVALE, N.J., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Bruno Sacco, the man whose lasting impact on the design of Mercedes-Benz automobiles and the designer who put the face on Mercedes-Benz, will be admitted to the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, MI, on October 3, 2006 as a tribute to his life work. Sacco, the now retired designer whose work for the brand with the three-pointed star spanned more than four decades, will join a small and select group of outstanding and deserving personalities from all over the world whose careers have demonstrated a commitment to individual mobility.
A native of Udine, Italy, Sacco completed his studies in Turin and joined the Daimler-Benz design staff in 1958. As a stylist and designer he was involved in various projects including the Mercedes-Benz 600 and the 230 SL roadster. In addition, he was made project leader for the design of the safety exhibitions of the day as well as the so-called "test labs on wheels," the C 111-I and C 111-II experimental vehicles. In 1970 Sacco became Head of the Body Design and Dimensional Drawing department. Under his aegis this period saw the development of the ESF (Experimental Safety Vehicle) prototypes and the 123 series.

Mercedes-Benz Design Philosophy

In 1975 now bearing the title Senior Engineer, Bruno Sacco took over as Head of the Styling department at Mercedes-Benz, where in addition to developing current projects, he also put together a design philosophy to which Mercedes-Benz design adhered. A design family was to be created to which all passenger cars bearing the three-pointed star belonged. The first law of this philosophy was that a Mercedes-Benz should be intuitively recognizable as part of this family by members of the public worldwide. And should a Mercedes-Benz undergo advanced development in a subsequent model generation, then the identity of the model series was to be safeguarded. This was the central pillar of the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy and ensured that a predecessor model did not appear outmoded following the presentation of a new model generation. The goal of this strategy was to retain the positive aura of a Mercedes-Benz on the roads for as long as possible.

The second main pillar of the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy was brand identity. This called for traditional design characteristics to be maintained, further developed and featured in all model series simultaneously. It found outward expression, for example, in the design of the radiator grille, headlamps and tail lights. Although there were formal differences in detail between sedans, coupes and roadsters, the family likeness was obvious to the casual observer at first glance.

Mercedes-Benz Design In The Hands Of Bruno Sacco

In 1978, Sacco was appointed Head of the Styling Department. Under his direction, his department caught the world unawares with a third C 111 project, a diesel record-breaking car that was aerodynamically inspired and featured sharp body lines. In no previous brand design project had technical innovation and design creativity been so powerfully combined. Numerous design elements later found their way into new production models of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Its precise edges and clean lines that ran parallel to the so-called flow line also heavily influenced the design of the future Mercedes- Benz 190.

The "small Mercedes" opened a new and successful chapter for the Mercedes- Benz brand in late 1982 where it offered up the so-called compact class as a completely new vehicle category positioned beneath the established Mercedes- Benz sedans. Its moderate wedge shape with clean edges, distinctive C pillars and high, rounded trunk lid later found many imitators.

A second masterpiece in the new era was the Mercedes-Benz SL of 1989 (R 129 series). Another new design, it embodied the dynamics of the roadster with perfect proportions and sporting details. The elongated, dipping engine hood, the A pillars as a stylistic continuation of the front wheel arches, the muscular short hardtop and the aerodynamic, gently flowing sidewalls collectively amounted to a controlled bundle of energy with looks that would keep youthful for years.

The S-Class from the 1991 W 140 series waved goodbye to traditional decorative elements. Diagonally split rear lights underlined its innovative character as did the new design of the radiator grille. For the first time, this had been integrated into the engine hood and completely encased in metal. The three-pointed star was no longer attached to the chrome trim, but sat instead on the engine hood. The S-Class had been transformed from successful business sedan to powerfully elegant trendsetter destined for the luxury market.

Having proven an immediate success, the Mercedes-Benz 190 was superseded in 1993 by the entirely new C-Class (W 202). It was to be the last model series to adhere closely to the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy that had been introduced in 1980 and -- in comparison to other automotive brands -- strictly adhered to.

Fully aware of the growing complexity of the Mercedes-Benz value world arising from the forthcoming product initiative, Sacco relaxed the strict application of his design philosophy. Differentiation of the radiator grilles was an attempt to achieve a simpler structure. At the same time, new product- specific headlamp and wheel-arch packages were bundled together by the designers with a view to reinforcing the independence of the model series. The watershed was made public with the appearance of the E-Class from the W 210 series in 1995, when the so-called four-eyed face of the coupe study unveiled at the 1993 Geneva Motor show entered large-scale production.

The CLK coupe (C 208) followed by the CLK convertible, harmonious combinations of pure driving pleasure and elegant appearance, were successfully integrated into the Mercedes-Benz product family, establishing a CLK series.

In 1997 the M-Class (W 163) was launched, daring to combine the elegance of a station wagon with the austere sportiness of an offroad vehicle. The designers succeeded in disguising high ground clearance, wheels in flared wheel arches and a raised seating position for passengers using a design language that drew to a significant degree on Mercedes-Benz sedans.

The Mercedes-Benz SLK (R 170 series) introduced in 1996 imitated the aesthetic qualities of its elder brother, the Mercedes-Benz SL, and with its power domes on the engine hood even made reference to the stylistic features of the legendary 300 SL of 1954. Its stretched form and short overhangs front and rear seemed to symbolize the car's forward urgency. In terms of formal creativity, everyday practicality and functional reliability, the innovative folding roof set new standards in modern automotive design.

With the arrival of the A-Class (W 168) in 1996, Sacco's theory that only the combination of bold innovation and brand-loyal design could lead to a trendsetting and durable product was confirmed. The new A-Class reflected innovative technology in avant-garde form. It was packed with detailed solutions that were pioneering -- both stylistically and functionally.

The S-Class of 1998 (W 220) was to prove Bruno Sacco's great valedictory. He made it the brand's innovation-bearer. The traditional front section with integrated bumper turned the sedan into a sculpture. The windshield and rear screen were more slanting than had previously been the case and gave the sedan a lower, leaner appearance. The muscular image of the new S-Class added a new dimension to the internationally prized Mercedes charisma. It radiated confidence and individuality and achieved a new quality of distinguished automotive self-assurance.

In March 1999 Bruno Sacco took retirement. But the spirit of the first real design strategist of the Mercedes-Benz brand continues to inhabit the design department. His successor on the tightrope between innovation and brand tradition is now Peter Pfeiffer who is challenged not only to create new trends that carry the Mercedes-Benz brand across short-term fashion currents but also to forge ahead into new dimensions of mobility, as represented by the successful new spatial concepts in the shape of the Mercedes-Benz B- and R- Classes.

Bruno Sacco is among an elite group of automotive leaders associated with Mercedes-Benz to be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. Carl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach, Bela Barenyi and Max Hoffman have previously received the honor.

Automotive Hall of Fame -- A Celebration Of Automotive Progress

The Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan is the world's largest institution dedicated to celebrating creative achievements in the automotive industry. The Automotive Hall of Fame recognizes achievements in four categories: people who have rendered outstanding general service in the field of human mobility; people who have made a particular contribution on specific themes; industry managers of the year and the industry's risings stars of the future.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. In 2005, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 224,421 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving 12 consecutive years of sales growth. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found on the Internet at http://www.mbusa.com/ and http://www.maybachusa.com/ .

Source: Mercedes-Benz

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