Mercedes C111/II Quad-Rotor Concept Turns 50 But Sure Doesn’t Look Like It

Mercedes is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the C111/II experimental vehicle, which debuted at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show as part of the company’s plans on a potential flagship supercar.

The Mercedes C111 caused a huge sensation when it was first revealed, with the company experimenting with different engine types in the concept’s various versions. In the case of the first two models, power came from a Wankel unit.

Finished in the now iconic “Weissherbst” orange metallic paintwork, the Mercedes C111/II features a wedge-like bodywork with gullwing doors and even very good practicality for its mid-engine, two-seat design thanks to the inclusion of a second luggage compartment on the boot lid.

This was also the first vehicle in the world that was completely designed on a computer, with the technology enabling Mercedes to calculate dynamic loads and helping them cut the development period down by four months The C111/II in particular used a quad-rotor engine but Mercedes swapped it later in the same year for a 3.5-liter V8 unit as the company continued experimenting with different types of engines.

While Mercedes made it clear from the get-go that this was just an experimental concept, wealthy customers were writing blank cheques to the company in order to make it theirs. The idea behind the C111 however was not for a flagship supercar but for a small sports car to sit underneath the Pagoda, that’s also suitable for rallying with the right modifications.

Sadly, the impending oil crisis didn’t help the C111 to reach production but it remains to this day one of the most exciting concepts from that period.