1962... the Prototype...First Press Photos 1962

[ZwoachtzigSL]

None of you has seen this yet:

The first "Erlkönig-Photos" of the Pagoda -Prototype.
Photographed secretly in 1962

Stern-Garage

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...and this is one of the first press-Photos from 1962

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Stern-Garage

[rwmastel]

I'm glad they lost the fins!!

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Bob G ✝︎]

Ah yes , thanks to Bruno Sacco the styling our our car was much more handsome and ageed gracfully.
Bob Geco

[graphic66]

If those fins made it we may be driving Pagodilacs. One of my favorite cars is the 59 Caddy with 4' fins. I think Mercedes made a wise choice.

[Douglas]

Was that whole fin exercise for real? I always thought that was some kind of red herring done by the factory to throw people off.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[mbzse]

Rodd wrote:
I'm glad they lost the fins!!

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

Was that whole fin exercise for real? I always thought that was some kind of red herring done by the factory to throw people off.

That is right. The pictures in the AMS article which look like a "fintail body version of W113" is in fact a method used in the sixties to conceal the body lines during driving tests with the prototypes for the new model. There were fake fins mounted at the rear and false grille and round headlights at the front. No star or other M-B markings fitted. A similar technique was used during testing of type W108 as well.

There are nice pictures of this "Finned" pre-production car in Engelen's book, page 128 (ISBN 3-613-01367-3)

/Hans in Stockholm

[Douglas]

I guess it would be a bad move if the car actually looked better in disguise!

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220