The C111 Was The Most Incredible Mercedes Never Sold

Mercedes-Benz knew it was pushing the limits in design, interiors, and performance with the C111. To date, the company still refers to the car as an experimental vehicle. The C111 had an innovative reinforced fiberglass body mounted on a steel frame floor, a very unique material to use considering most cars in those years were made of steel or other metals. The fiberglass body gave the C111 the light weight it needed to perform. The model was revealed during the Frankfurt International Motor Show IAA in 1969, and it took everyone by surprise with its gullwing doors, 345-horsepower engine, and super-sports car presence. But, the C111 dream would not last long.

The automaker had to kill the dream of producing the C111 in series. A strict U.S. emissions policy, the gas shortage crisis which led to fuel-efficient cars, trends for safer cars, the unique bodyshell, the Wankel engine stressed to its max, and other issues played against the vehicle. As Motor Trend reports, a total of 16 C111s, in different versions, were built, including a C111-IV with a twin-turbo 4.8-liter V-8 that hit 251 miles per hour in 1979. The C111 is a ghost, a legend, a dream that never took over the streets. Still, on some occasions, fans can delight with rare sightings of the classic in action.