The little Mercedes
01/29/2019
How times are changing! The shortest Mercedesof all time was the first Smart, even if it didn't roll off the production line with a star. 2.5 meters was enough to transport two people. There had already been a baby Benz before that, internally called the W201. Its length: 4.42 meters.
In 1975, however, the press spoke of the new "small Mercedes", referring to the mid-range W123 series, which ultimately came onto the market with an exterior length of 4.64 meters.
"Small" is also a question of comparative scale.
Incidentally, the illustrator of Auto Motor und Sport had predicted the front of the W123 quite correctly in issue 22/1975; the side view and the rear still showed a little too much S-Class in the expected "small" Mercedes-Benz. Less than three months later, the finished W123 could be seen on the coverof Auto Motor und Sport ...
