The grille of a car was born as a technical requirement but evolves as an aesthetic seal. the of Mercedes Benzemblematic in the automotive world, it celebrates 120 years of evolution.
Recognizable by the traditional three-pointed star (earth, water and air), the face of the German brand’s cars has advanced to the current range of electric models, which do not need the same cooling as the vehicles of the turn of the century.
It all began in 1900, when the German engineer Wilhelm Maybach installed a honeycomb radiator in the pipe of the Mercedes 35 HPmodel with which the female name of the brand was born, to solve the problem of cooling the internal combustion engine.
In this way it has enabled the production of vehicles that are not only more powerful but also more reliable. But unintentionally he also managed to make cars they will begin to identify themselves by the design of their grille.
Since the radiator was front and center of the vehicle, it had an immediate impact on the brand image. A new era had begun.
In the first 40 years of automobile history, the radiator had a purely practical function. Initially, car manufacturers didn’t see it as a hallmark of a brand.
The individual design was largely in the creative hands of the body builders, who also enjoyed experimenting with the shape of the radiator, from opulent curves to aerodynamic and aviation-inspired designs.
Technique that becomes aesthetic
Engine cooling was one of the biggest challenges in the early days of the car. existed the need for an efficient cooling system able to operate in closed circuit.
One of the first solutions was the tubular radiator invented by Maybach in 1897. It consisted of a water tank with pipes which ran from front to back, through which air flowed as the car moved forward.
A crankshaft-driven fan allowed the cooling system to continue running even when the engine was accelerating. It was the tubular radiator that facilitated the most powerful engines.
The big breakthrough came in 1900, with the honeycomb radiator of the Mercedes 35 PS. It consisted of more than 8,000 tubes with a square section of about 6 millimeters per side.
The larger front area and the increased airflow offered by the square tubes provided significantly more cooling power. The 35hp engine of the first Mercedes only needed nine liters of water instead of the previous 18. A year and a series of improvements later, it was reduced to just 7 liters.
From honeycomb to black panel
Until the mid-1930s, virtually all production cars they had a similar radiator designwith slight variations between flat and pointed.
The radiator grille with the characteristic vertical crease in the center appeared in 1911 and allowed for a slightly larger cooling surface. However, as it was more complicated to manufacture, it was largely reserved for vehicles with powerful engines.
The big change came in 1931, with the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz 170. For the first time, the radiator was mounted with protection behind a grille. The new component has joined the hood. Their shapes were based on those of the radiator itself. But it was also complemented by a large chrome frame, which gave a message of quality and elegance.
What also distinguished the cars of the German brand was the unmistakable star, which in many cases appeared more than once on the nose.
Subsequently, the chrome grille became one of the most recognizable features of the brand. Mercedes-Benz designers proceed with caution and until the 1960s only very gradual adjustments were made to its overall shape.
brand grille it grew in width and fell in height. That approach sought to convey more power and presence. However, it was also a function of the tendency to lower the hood to improve aerodynamics and thus efficiency.
In the 1950s, the legendary 300 SL “Gullwing” and 190 SL roadster received a modern alternative known internally as the “sports car face”.
A big star The Mercedes was mounted in front of the wide, shallow grille opening and flanked by horizontal chrome fins. This design has become the hallmark of the company’s sports cars and roadsters.
Models from the 1990s and 2000s had the front of the Mercedes cars changed to a sportier look. The entry into new market segments with models such as the A-Class and B-Class, SUVs, plus convertibles, coupes and roadsters has spawned new design variants.
Numerous variations of the “sports car face”, with or without distinctive horizontal fins, have made their way into multiple model ranges, underlining the brand’s new, more performance-oriented direction.
In 2007 came the decision with the C-Class (W 204) of leave the choice to the customer. Depending on the equipment line, the classic (Classic and Elegance) or sporty (Avantgarde) grille adorned the front of the car. The concept was extended to the E-Class and is still applied to both model ranges today.
While battery-powered electric driving means you no longer need a radiator in the front of the vehicle, the need for air vents remains.
However, designers are free to place them elsewhere, opening up the opportunity to create an entirely new front-end design. This is what Mercedes has done with its range of electric cars.
Instead of the grill there is a black panel which has a star in the center and which connects to the headlights through a horizontal strip of light.
In addition to being visually distinctive, this black panel offers the perfect surface for integrating a variety of essential elements for the automated driving of the future, such as ultrasonic sensors, cameras and radars.
Source: Clarin
