Different Ways Mercedes-Benz Tested Its Iconic Cars
Testing Way Back When
After World War II, the famous luxury automaker, Mercedes-Benz was (and still is) considered to be a top-dog in the automotive industry, known for their dynamic engines, sporty look and feel, and state-of-the-art features. Of course, before these bad babies could hit the market, they had to be tested first, and just like Mercedes-Benz fashion, it was done in incredible ways and with one involving its range-topping limousines.
During the mid-20th century, the German automaker was making a name for itself by creating one-of-a-kind vehicles, with one of the most impressive being the 300 SL. The company also made innovations by manufacturing buses and trucks. Eventually, its engineers developed testing for crash testing on vehicles such as the proto-S-Class W110 Fintail sedan. The company didn’t just want to see how well these cars were performing but how they could get better.
Today’s testing involves measurement sensors being set inside the test model with WiFi-linked to a laptop. As one would expect, this wasn’t possible during the days of yore and oftentimes the gear that was needed was either too large or weighty to even fit into the car or suitable enough for proper measurement. Back then, everything was hard-wired, but Mercedes-Benz decided that it would take a different approach.
The 300D model was previously known as the automaker’s flagship and even competed against the likes of Rolls-Royces and Bentleys of its day. As was the case, it was the predecessor of Mercedes-Benz’s 600, and was quite popular among many celebrities and high-ranking officials.
With this particular vehicle, the front end of the car was left quite conventional, and had a fuel-injected straight-six that energized Gullwing in the motor and the front seats in the same place. However, the rear passenger area and large trunk station wagon-like conversion, leading to the elimination of the rear doors and an enclosure in that area.
This roomy area was surrounded by roundish Plexiglas panels, which were eventually loaded with measurement equipment and even a pair of chairs where the engineers went over the data results. A special telescopic device was bolted to the roof in front of the windshield header, enabling the cables to be ushered out of the measurement vehicle and into the one being tested; This is a design that the automaker called “a data umbilical cord”. Then, the 300d would essentially chase the development car all around the track, speeding up to 120 km/h (about 75 mph), recording applicable data in various categories.
The vehicle is still owned by the company. In fact, it’s currently lodged at Mercedes-Benz’s museum located in Stuttgart, where onlookers have a chance to see it on occasion. Ralph Wagenknecht of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Department gave an explanation for why the car was saved, deeming it important since “It is a one-off timepiece, and part of the history of the Untertürkheim test track, known as Einfahrbahn,” At the current moment, there is no record of any stories detailing what it was like to journey in the contraption, but we can certainly imagine that it was one hell of a ride.
Mercedes-Benz of Washington
It’s amazing how far Mercedes-Benz has come with its innovations and game-changing inventions. However, the only way to see what they’re really made of is by taking a sneak peek at our dealership Mercedes-Benz of Washington, where we sell a wide range of models from the company and at a variety of different prices.
Those who are interested in any of our vehicles can simply view our online new car inventory on our website and chat with a representative for further assistance