Miguel Sánchez
MERCEDES VISION SIMPLEX PHOTOS: MERCEDES-BENZ
At the height of the transition to electric mobility, the number of prototypes is skyrocketing. And is that the change in the engines seems to bring with it a futuristic desire in the designs. It's as if the car had to have diodes, interactive displays and all kinds of futuristic components because it was electrically powered. Although in some cases it would be better to use the term "retrofuturistic".
In fact - and with the media commotion of the Peugeot e-Legend still recent- Mercedes has opted to make a nod to the past by presenting a prototype just along that line. Retrofuturistic. And no, we are not talking about the imposing Vision EQS, but the most modest Vision Mercedes Simplex. A direct nod to one of its most legendary models.
A car that, from its name, is marked by the concept of simplicity. Of course, a well understood simplicity in which everything acquires a much more effective logic than that shown by its predecessors. For this reason it seems the perfect candidate to be inspired by the change to a new era. If the Mercedes Simplex heralded the transition to the modern automobile… The Vision Mercedes Simplex seems to make it to electric mobility.
EMIL JELLINEK'S DESIRE FOR A CAR THAT WILL NOT TIP
At the end of the XNUMXth century the diplomat and businessman Emil jellinek He was already a regular in the seminal automobile competitions of the moment. The "Crazy car racing" in which the "Chariots without horse". And that is how Jellinek himself referred to the cars of the moment. With a short wheelbase, narrow axles and a fairly high point of gravity these cars lacked stability as soon as a little more was asked of the account.
His fondness for overturning was really worrying, even more so if we observe that the engines improved but not the chassis on which they were mounted. As it is, a radical rethinking was necessary. Thus Emil Jellinek challenged Wilhelm Maybach engineers in 1900, offering them more than half a million marks if they managed to build a revolutionary car based on the parameters proposed by him.
Basically, these were summarized in substantially lowering the point of gravity thanks to placing the engine in a less elevated position, as well as expanding the wheelbase and width for achieve more stability. And that is not to mention the drastic reduction in weight, the electric ignition system, the inclined steering column… A series of advances that culminated in the presentation in 1901 of the Mercedes 35CV during the Race Week in Nice.
FROM THE CIRCUIT TO THE STREET. THE MERCEDES SIMPLEX IS BORN
The result of all the innovations incorporated into the Mercedes 35CV was immediate. This one ate the competition. There was no race that could resist him. Its almost 6-liter four-cylinder sent 35CV of power to the rear wheels through a chain transmission capable of propelling it up to 80 km / h in the sportiest versions. Something that, in 1902, he was absolutely unbeatable. Especially if we take into account that the architecture of the car gave the necessary security to handle all this with a minimum of confidence.
With this huge success in the backpack, Jellinek and Maybach decided to make a partnership to produce cars in series. This is how in 1902 Daimler - the Maybach company - mutated Mercedes, marketing Simplex with great success.
FROM THE SIMPLEX TO THE SIMPLEX VISION. 117 YEARS OF TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION
117 years later this same industry faces another complete restructuring. Something that they are aware of in Mercedes, which foresees offer at least ten fully electric vehicles by 2022. That is why the interpretation of Simplex through Vision Simplex sends the message that This is not the first time that traditional schemes have been turned upside down..
Unfortunately, it appears that the Mercedes Vision Simplex is not an operational vehicle. However, everything indicates that this design exercise has been designed for the electrical. In short, whether or not it inspires some jalopy production, the truth is that in it there are solutions that will surely reach the street Mercedes. We quite liked the 3D screen camouflaged in a dashboard that, when turned off, appears to be transparent. And above all, its classic lines.
However ... If the Mercedes Vision Simplex has served us one thing, it is to remind us of the fascinating history of the 35CV and its street derivative Simplex. Anyway, although we are interested in the future, the truth is that this is a magazine of classics. For this reason, and without denying that the present is fascinating, we are even more attracted by the technological innovations that the Mercedes Simplex introduced 117 years ago. Classic things 😉
