Thanks so much for watching! As always, let me know in the comments what your Top 3 picks from Mercedes are. I can't wait to read them! Also, follow me on Instagram instagram.com/frank.stephenson.official to see what I get up to on a day to day basis! Enjoy, Frank
300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is by far the most beautiful Mercedes road car! After that... (Long Gap) the last C111 Prototype that looks like a production car, my last pick is the first CLS because it brought back 4 Door Coupe Limousines!😉
Thanks Frank! Always appreciate your insights! What are your thoughts on the Mercedes-Benz W140 S-Class? Would love to see you do a review on that particular model. Thanks again for your input. 🙏🏼
W204 SL65 AMG is absolutely gorgeous too, it's from the same era that SLS Black Series came out. it's like a less mindblowing and supercar looking version of SLS but very beautiful.
I'd like to give an honorable mention to the C219 model, the original CLS. That beautiful arc that starts at the top of the front wheel house and then gently curves along the side of the car towards the rear is just sublime. Very clean lines, no extra frills beyond those gentle arcs, just beautiful ❤
What an honour to meet and chat with you yesterday Frank at the London classic car show.. Great advice for my 18 year old son.. "be the best of the best".
i rode in a W124 in the backseat as a kid. the feeling i remember is.... u get to wherever ure going. Dad stops the car. And u just don't wanna get out. Why would you? ure feeling great as it is in here.
Not much love for Herr Sacco. His 300 and 190 still look good on the road, and they're nearly 40 years old. The treatment of the surfaces around doors, especially the b pillars is so modern even now. So good.
One of my favourite recent Mercedes-Benz designs is the CLS Shooting Brake. At the time there just wasn't anything that came close to its design and presence on the market, within its segment and it made me purchase one in a heartbeat! Many happy miles later and I still look back in awe after I park it!
I always loved cars but I never knew how to express the overall feeling and emotion their designs gave me. Listening to you sharing your experience and personnal likings in design really took me on another level in car contemplation. Paying attention to every lines, how they meet, fade away, the importance of proportions, ... As a mechanical engineer's point of view, I always had utility and optimization in mind (especially when it comes to racing cars), but esthetic, elegance and beauty is what truly gives to cars their attractiveness. You made me love even more what was the love of my life. For that, thanks Frank.
Love the note on the vents, if there is one thing that will always annoy me it is design without purpose, if you need a vent, design one in, if you don't than don't have one. The best design comes from having to work with limitations it makes a great designer think outside of the known boxes.
As a child, I fell in love with the early 2000s design language of Mercedes-Benz when I first saw the F200 Imagination. It still holds a special place in my heart.
The Mercedes 300SE of the early 1970's is a real classic. The convertibles are especially pretty. The interiors are just as nice as the outside. These have gotten enormously valuable lately on the classic market.
Frank has always done a good job in transforming car design language into verbal language. That helps me a lot in explaining myself how I feel when I look at a particular design. Really love your videos!
Great to see someone appreciating the beauty of car designs so much, keep it up! My top 3 - 300 slr uhlenhaut coupe - 1'st gen g wagon - W124 Horable mentions -w109 -w111 coupe/cabrio w100
The SLR was his #1 (I know you mean the Mercedes vs McLaren, can’t say I agree with that choice). What modern BMW do you think should have been there? The last good one in my opinion was the E46 which he did mention.
@@jonnyz37gjbm yeah, i know the SLR McLaren is kinda debatable. but i really like the SLS with the gullwing doors. and with bmw, i know it is also highly debatable but i think the i8.
@@SuperAsdfgfdsa oh yeah. I love the i8. I’m not sure if it ruins it or makes it even better, but someone pointed out one time that the rear of the i8 looked like it was giving birth to a Porsche 911. I def like the SLS, and don’t dislike the SLR-McLaren (except for the turbine wheels). I just like a bunch of other Benzes a lot more. Seeing as they built the first car, there’s a lot of history to choose from. I was personally surprised at the mention of the G-Wagon.
@@jonnyz37gjbm agree, the G-Wagon was a suprise for sure. but with a company with like 50 models and variants of them there must be something good :D The birth of the 911 in the i8 yeah, hard to unsee if you ever saw it. Also and good BMW would be the Z8 the SLR turbine wheels yeah give or take. but i think the SLR stirling moss is the closest you can get to an modern SLR uhlenhaut. such pitty that it came out in the middle of an economic crysis so it fell under the radar fast.
@@SuperAsdfgfdsa Yeah I must have fallen out of the circle when the Stirling Moss one came out. I saw it recently on the Bluewithtan Instagram and was 🧿🕳🧿
my favourite Mercedes Benz design is the underrated 2-door-coupe version of the second-generation A-Class (C169). this is the perfect interpretation of a one box car and absolutely "form follows function" in second place comes the 80th-generation (W/C126, W124 and W201) these cars still look modern in 2021
Hey Frank, an interessting video idea would be "colors", in what colors do you design cars and when do they look best/worst etc.. i think this would be a very interessting topic
Great to hear your views as always, fascinating. Current Mercedes cars have an elegance, a flowing line, that other German car makers have lost right now. And I think their interiors are something else! Really special cockpits - the new C-class...wow!
my favorite is SLS AMG, when it came out I was about to finish school and start practicing for my drivers licence so I was just starting to learn about cars and I saw it one night on TV being reviewed on top gear and decided immediately that's my dream car
I certainly agree with you about the C111. I finally got to see one about 4 years ago and it did not disappoint. What a gorgeous car. I recall when a version set the world record for fastest diesel powered car back in the 70s.
Thank you for these videos Frank. 25 years ago I started becoming obsessed with sketching cars and car design as a kid. I really wanted to be a designer and I really had eye for it. Unfortunately, I didn’t grow up in circumstances that allowed that to become a reality. I don’t dwell on what might have been (thankfully I found ways to express design within my businesses). What I admire most is that you’ve taken the time to inspire and educate the next generation of designers and maybe even awaken the passion in those who weren’t even aware it. 🙏🏽
W124 sedan falls me in love in that car when i was a child. Along with the R129 coupe. As i grew older i appreciate the classic W123 sedan and i always want one.
I discovered this channel randomly and I don't drive and I am not into cars, but they way this man presents the beauty and craftmanship of car designs i just can not stop watching and enyoing. 👍
Uhlenhaut actually used the Uhlenhaut coupe as his daily to get into work. I believe he commuted from somewhere around Ulm and he repeatedly hit 300kph on the Autobahn...in the 1950s...when the Beetle could barely go 100kph. Imagine that thing blasting by, and the sound! They actually fitted mufflers to the sidepipes.
Mr Stephenson, there are so many superb designs in the Mercedes-Benz back catalogue, that I struggle to limit myself to thirty, let alone three! I'm especially impressed by Bruno Sacco's early period, when the company still adhered to the now-vanished Daimler-Benz constellation of values. So: W124 Estate/Station Wagon, R129 SL, and my personal favourite, W201 190. All masterpieces, in my opinion.
Definitely agree with the S-Class Coupe being a wonderfully designed car. I especially love it when coupes allow you to lower all the side windows for a really open feel (BMW 8 series, Jaguar XJ C etc)
As an owner of a 2017 AMG GT-S and a 2021 CLA 45S, I would certainly like to hear about your opinion on the current design philosophy at AMG. Specifically the commonality in front end design that is replicated in most of their sedans. I always thought (and still do) that Mercedes designs tend to pass the test of time very well.
The SLS Coupé would be my modern MB pick. Love the car and the application of its design just grows as it ages. One of the few modern MB cars that is unique and would be an event to own through out any period of time. The AMG GT-S is another stunner that can be included in all the things I’ve said about the SLS. Two cars I’d love to own as a big BMW fan (pre-2012). I wish BMWs growing relationship with Alpina will lead to similar models. Competition brings out the best and Alpina will free up BMW M to do projects of chassis of their own. That’s how I see BMW coming back to lead the industry in the future. How and why they did not put the 3.0CSL Hommage R into production is question that will always leave my scratching my head.
I am quite surprised that you did not consider in your honourable mentions the 1998 S-Class (220), the first CLS (C219) ant the amg GT (C190). Ok, the last one is not directly a Mercedes, but the amg GT C is the most beautiful Cabrio I have ever seen.
I couldn't agree more with you about the headlights of the S-Class Coupé. Very elegant and timeless car design overall, but the lines of the headlight you mentioned spoil it for me. I wonder what your opinion is of the 2009 CLK (W209). The rear end deserves better light lines, but the front with the overlapping oval headlights is so classically beautiful, it has no match in the newer Mercedes designs, AFAIC.
Loved your picks, really great insights and I learned a lot. I absolutely loved that you singled out the S Class coupe, as that is certainly my favorite modern Mercedes also. I'm not too fond of the way they are going currently, the smaller lights, with narrow angles etc. They just don't fit well with what I expect a Mercedes to be but I'm sure in time they will find their feet again...
Mercedes make some of the most exciting looking, exciting cars (like the sporty cars/ high end). And some of the most mundane looking mundane cars (like the lower end models and estates). I have had a few E Class coupes, and I think they nailed the design with the Facelifted C207 (2014) Amg Line.
Dear Frank, I would love to hear your assessment of the Mercedes G-Wagon, from its origin as a military utility vehicle to it's current day existence as a lifestyle vehicle. I am very torn on that design. It's appealing and outdated at the same time.
I'm a BWM fan, but when the S coupe came out, I was in love in this car. Beautiful design and magnificent V8 sound. Before the new 8th series (the 2 door version), BMW didn't have a match for this car.
I jumped when your last pick was the S Coupe 😂 Got so excited, loved it since i saw it for the first time in 2013. I was sooo unsure if you would pick it, haha but you did
Hi Frank! Great breakdown. Totally agree with you on the current S class. I personally like the juxtaposition b/w the simple lines of the rear & slightly more technical aspects of the front. On a wholly unrelated note, any chance of you reviewing the "controversial" design of the GR Supra?
★★★★★★★★★★ (10/10) As a Mercedes driver my whole life, you just up-ed the game for me dude. The fun is in the details, and the education in this vid has, in the last 20 minutes, increased my appreciation of what I drive by many multiples. Super Super Super vids all round. 🏴☠️
How could you forget the first generation CLS? It literally revolutionized the industry with that cutting-edge design, breaking away from a very traditional and boring era of sedans!
W113 SL roadster - simplicity and dainty elegance , W201 190e Evo2- fenders and spoiler (what more needs to be said), W124 coupe - just perfect proportions, W114 sedan- the perfect 3 box sedan (loved the tall headlights) that led to the W123 and W202 estate - again proportions and just coz I like estates.
Glad that the great Bruno Sacco was honorably mentioned. Though picking just 3 from the centenary, prolific, prestigious Mercedes is not easy, he gifted us some of its most iconic models.
Hi Frank - I'd love to see you do a top 3 designs for Jaguar but maybe without the E-Type? I always feel like it overshadows some of the other beautiful models they've made over the years!
Have you looked at the vehicles from the fallout series? You can tell the designers had a lot of fun and really thought outside the box in regards to styling. I personally really like the Indian-esque motorcycle and the little pit bike they made
I’d love to see a video of you taking about the evolution of car design. For example I know headlights are a easy identifier of a cars age because of certain limitations, laws, or trends. I’m a young designer who’s about to go to art school and my design process is a very form follows function type of approach. Understanding what something is, what it does, and how it’s evolved to what it is now would help tremendously. Your videos are Phenomenal and have taught me loads. Thanks so much for the time and knowledge you give to me and your viewers!
Totally agree with your three faves. Not so much with the honourable mentions. I loved the C-111 as a kid also. Sadly my dream of being a car designer never progressed. Really like your designs especially the Fiat 500.
I just looked up Frank after watching the GTA video, this man is a fucking legend! Designed the P1 (the sleekest looking car out there IMO), Ferrari f430 which is just such a well known design and so much more extremely well know cars. He’s the best of the best
I was surprised that we share the same opinion on the S Coupé. Extremely beautiful design for modern standards. My toplist would be: -W123 Coupé (C123) in my opinion the most beautiful Mercedes Coupé design -W126 SEC this car makes me speechles everytime i see one -W201 (190) had two of them and this is still the best car i can think of. It is so elegant, aggressive, reliable, fun to drive… would buy this beauty everytime again
I love your list, mine would be a bit similar: '54 300 SL '00 SportCoupe '03 SLR Concepts: '01 F400 Carving '13 AMG Vision Gran Turismo '19 Vision EQS (production version is not that great)
Love your videos Frank! Very informative and professional! I cannot wait until you do a video on Audi's three greatest designs. I drive an Audi A5 8F Cabriolet S-Line with the RS grill (because it is just completed the appearance of the car so well) and bought it for its beauty. I would love to hear what you think about this car and the work of Walter de Silva in general.
when I was young the SLR just came out and I loved it. A few years later my father showed me the classic 300SL which to this day ist my favorite looking car. I like the modern SLS AMG and the AMG GT especially the the rear end of the AMG GT ist one of my favorites. And lastly I have to say that I fell in love with the AVTR design, I just love the organic but futuristic feel of it so much.
My top 3 Mercedes picks (no particular order): 190E Evo II, 300SL Gullwing, and (for something more modern as per Frank's example), the CLK 63 Black from 2008. If I were a allowed a bonus choice, it would also have to be the W113 SL Pagoda
Yeeesss!! You included the S-Class Coupe!! To me it's the most beautiful car ever made both in exterior and interior. And the S65 Coupe comes with a V12. The pre-facelift is much more beautiful to me than the panamericana grille facelift. I really enjoyed your other picks too. My favorite 3 Mercedes are: 1. AMG S65 Coupe (2014-2017) 2. AMG S65L (2014-2020) Both original and facelift versions. 3. Mercedes-Maybach S650 (2019-2021)
Frank, love your videos! Would you consider making a video on the brand's worst designs of all times? There are certainly very poorly designed cars and would love to hear your critiques on some of them! Thanks!
Thanks so much for watching! As always, let me know in the comments what your Top 3 picks from Mercedes are. I can't wait to read them! Also, follow me on Instagram instagram.com/frank.stephenson.official to see what I get up to on a day to day basis!
Enjoy,
Frank
So this is the re-upload
Yep b.!
you are becoming a beast of a youtube host. Bravo!
300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is by far the most beautiful Mercedes road car! After that... (Long Gap) the last C111 Prototype that looks like a production car, my last pick is the first CLS because it brought back 4 Door Coupe Limousines!😉
Thanks Frank! Always appreciate your insights! What are your thoughts on the Mercedes-Benz W140 S-Class? Would love to see you do a review on that particular model. Thanks again for your input. 🙏🏼
I'd love it if Frank did a run-through of all the cars he's owned, maybe for a subscriber milestone or special occasion
He is more keen on motorcycles I believe
@@nielsvanhuijkelom1891 than make it a list of all the vehicles that frank owned in live.
That’s a very good idea!
23h long video
Yes 👍🏼
I think the SLS was a really captivating design, a homage to the old design of the 300 SL but they weren't afraid to make it different.
My personal favorite car. I'll never forget seeing an SLS in person for the first time.
Best looking Mercedes-Benz cars ever made:
1st : Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Coupe
2nd : Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
3rd : Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe
4th : Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe
5th : Mercedes-Benz CL600 (C216/ Pre-Facelift)
6th : Mercedes-Benz 540K Spezial Roadster
I think the SLS headlights don’t look very good. Overall it’s a nice design.
W204 SL65 AMG is absolutely gorgeous too, it's from the same era that SLS Black Series came out.
it's like a less mindblowing and supercar looking version of SLS but very beautiful.
Finally somebody recognized the beauty in the S-Class coupe. I've been say'n the same thing for years
You're a smart man with the taste to match, Adam!
@@FrankStephensondesign As are you sir
The S650 Cabriolet Maybach in red is just 😍🤤
Did you notice how the Lexus and Infiniti coupes try to pull the same trick, but don't succeed in the same way?
Rear lights are just uninspired and bland. Compared to front it's so disjointed.
I'd like to give an honorable mention to the C219 model, the original CLS. That beautiful arc that starts at the top of the front wheel house and then gently curves along the side of the car towards the rear is just sublime.
Very clean lines, no extra frills beyond those gentle arcs, just beautiful ❤
What an honour to meet and chat with you yesterday Frank at the London classic car show.. Great advice for my 18 year old son.. "be the best of the best".
It was my pleasure Khurem. Best of luck for him! 👍
My favourite design of all time is the W108. Such a beauty! That and the W124. Hope to be able to at least drive these some day
i rode in a W124 in the backseat as a kid. the feeling i remember is.... u get to wherever ure going. Dad stops the car. And u just don't wanna get out. Why would you? ure feeling great as it is in here.
@@darklighter8968 i could imagine! :D
Best looking Mercedes-Benz cars ever made:
1st : Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Coupe
2nd : Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
3rd : Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe
4th : Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe
5th : Mercedes-Benz CL600 (C216/ Pre-Facelift)
6th : Mercedes-Benz 540K Spezial Roadster
@@viniciusmagnoni6492 how could i forget about the gullwing. Such a beauty!
W124 is absolutely Gorgeous, looking at it I always wonder how can something so simple look so perfect.
Not much love for Herr Sacco. His 300 and 190 still look good on the road, and they're nearly 40 years old. The treatment of the surfaces around doors, especially the b pillars is so modern even now. So good.
My favourite 3 Merc Design : 300 SL Gullwing, 560 SEC AMG 6.0 and 190E Evo 2
EVO 2 definitely.
Loving your videos Frank! Would you ever consider showing us what cars you have in your garage?!
One of my favourite recent Mercedes-Benz designs is the CLS Shooting Brake.
At the time there just wasn't anything that came close to its design and presence on the market, within its segment and it made me purchase one in a heartbeat! Many happy miles later and I still look back in awe after I park it!
Loving this series
Loving bringing it to you, Musa!
Pillarless is very nice. It used to be common on american cars of the 50's and 60's.
Please review the top 3 car designs from Mazda!
It's on the list!
Rx7 obviously!
damn, no mention of the SEC, that car is so badass especially the AMG version, it's my favorite design from Mercedes ever
I always loved cars but I never knew how to express the overall feeling and emotion their designs gave me. Listening to you sharing your experience and personnal likings in design really took me on another level in car contemplation. Paying attention to every lines, how they meet, fade away, the importance of proportions, ... As a mechanical engineer's point of view, I always had utility and optimization in mind (especially when it comes to racing cars), but esthetic, elegance and beauty is what truly gives to cars their attractiveness.
You made me love even more what was the love of my life. For that, thanks Frank.
I thank you J! 👍
Love the note on the vents, if there is one thing that will always annoy me it is design without purpose, if you need a vent, design one in, if you don't than don't have one. The best design comes from having to work with limitations it makes a great designer think outside of the known boxes.
Name of the music played in the video?
As a child, I fell in love with the early 2000s design language of Mercedes-Benz when I first saw the F200 Imagination. It still holds a special place in my heart.
I never noticed the front view of the C111 before and it's beautiful. I only used to love it because of the rotary before. Thank you, Frank.
I just think the rear remembers me the front end from a M-B Kurzhauber.
The Mercedes 300SE of the early 1970's is a real classic. The convertibles are especially pretty. The interiors are just as nice as the outside. These have gotten enormously valuable lately on the classic market.
Frank has always done a good job in transforming car design language into verbal language. That helps me a lot in explaining myself how I feel when I look at a particular design. Really love your videos!
Great to see someone appreciating the beauty of car designs so much, keep it up!
My top 3
- 300 slr uhlenhaut coupe
- 1'st gen g wagon
- W124
Horable mentions
-w109
-w111 coupe/cabrio
w100
Best looking Mercedes-Benz cars ever made:
1st : Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Coupe
2nd : Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
3rd : Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe
4th : Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe
5th : Mercedes-Benz CL600 (C216/ Pre-Facelift)
6th : Mercedes-Benz 540K Spezial Roadster
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Mazda's current design language
REALLY love that you have a modern car in there too. kinda missed that in the bmw video. but i miss the SLR and SLS in the mentions
The SLR was his #1
(I know you mean the Mercedes vs McLaren, can’t say I agree with that choice).
What modern BMW do you think should have been there? The last good one in my opinion was the E46 which he did mention.
@@jonnyz37gjbm yeah, i know the SLR McLaren is kinda debatable. but i really like the SLS with the gullwing doors. and with bmw, i know it is also highly debatable but i think the i8.
@@SuperAsdfgfdsa oh yeah. I love the i8. I’m not sure if it ruins it or makes it even better, but someone pointed out one time that the rear of the i8 looked like it was giving birth to a Porsche 911.
I def like the SLS, and don’t dislike the SLR-McLaren (except for the turbine wheels). I just like a bunch of other Benzes a lot more. Seeing as they built the first car, there’s a lot of history to choose from.
I was personally surprised at the mention of the G-Wagon.
@@jonnyz37gjbm agree, the G-Wagon was a suprise for sure. but with a company with like 50 models and variants of them there must be something good :D
The birth of the 911 in the i8 yeah, hard to unsee if you ever saw it. Also and good BMW would be the Z8
the SLR turbine wheels yeah give or take. but i think the SLR stirling moss is the closest you can get to an modern SLR uhlenhaut. such pitty that it came out in the middle of an economic crysis so it fell under the radar fast.
@@SuperAsdfgfdsa Yeah I must have fallen out of the circle when the Stirling Moss one came out. I saw it recently on the Bluewithtan Instagram and was 🧿🕳🧿
my favourite Mercedes Benz design is the underrated 2-door-coupe version of the second-generation A-Class (C169).
this is the perfect interpretation of a one box car and absolutely "form follows function"
in second place comes the 80th-generation (W/C126, W124 and W201) these cars still look modern in 2021
Excellent! His critiques should be mandatory lessons for every aspirant and current designers (not only cars).
Hey Frank, an interessting video idea would be "colors", in what colors do you design cars and when do they look best/worst etc.. i think this would be a very interessting topic
Great to hear your views as always, fascinating. Current Mercedes cars have an elegance, a flowing line, that other German car makers have lost right now. And I think their interiors are something else! Really special cockpits - the new C-class...wow!
my favorite is SLS AMG, when it came out I was about to finish school and start practicing for my drivers licence so I was just starting to learn about cars and I saw it one night on TV being reviewed on top gear and decided immediately that's my dream car
“Everyone looks like they belong to one family“… couldn’t agree more on that one Frank.
I certainly agree with you about the C111. I finally got to see one about 4 years ago and it did not disappoint. What a gorgeous car. I recall when a version set the world record for fastest diesel powered car back in the 70s.
Thank you for these videos Frank. 25 years ago I started becoming obsessed with sketching cars and car design as a kid. I really wanted to be a designer and I really had eye for it. Unfortunately, I didn’t grow up in circumstances that allowed that to become a reality. I don’t dwell on what might have been (thankfully I found ways to express design within my businesses). What I admire most is that you’ve taken the time to inspire and educate the next generation of designers and maybe even awaken the passion in those who weren’t even aware it. 🙏🏽
My pleasure and thank you for your kind words Faysal.
W124 sedan falls me in love in that car when i was a child. Along with the R129 coupe. As i grew older i appreciate the classic W123 sedan and i always want one.
I discovered this channel randomly and I don't drive and I am not into cars, but they way this man presents the beauty and craftmanship of car designs i just can not stop watching and enyoing. 👍
W140 for life! 👌💙💙💙 for me no other luxury car make such presence. Tough, heavy, elegant, timeless...
I would really like to hear your opinion on body kit designs like Veil Side, Prior Design, Rauh-Welt Begriff and others.
R107 and w123 are, to me, the distillation of Mercedes design. Timeless and elegant.
Uhlenhaut actually used the Uhlenhaut coupe as his daily to get into work. I believe he commuted from somewhere around Ulm and he repeatedly hit 300kph on the Autobahn...in the 1950s...when the Beetle could barely go 100kph. Imagine that thing blasting by, and the sound! They actually fitted mufflers to the sidepipes.
I really think that purposeful styling is the most important thing in a car design. For me practicality is everything.
I'd love if you did a "more great designs from MB". The Mercedes C215 ('00s CL) is one of their best designs ever, in my humble opinion.
Thank you for your knowledge, amazing content, love it
Mr Stephenson, there are so many superb designs in the Mercedes-Benz back catalogue, that I struggle to limit myself to thirty, let alone three! I'm especially impressed by Bruno Sacco's early period, when the company still adhered to the now-vanished Daimler-Benz constellation of values. So: W124 Estate/Station Wagon, R129 SL, and my personal favourite, W201 190. All masterpieces, in my opinion.
My favourite Mercedes is the W140.
Next to that is the Hammer.
Definitely agree with the S-Class Coupe being a wonderfully designed car. I especially love it when coupes allow you to lower all the side windows for a really open feel (BMW 8 series, Jaguar XJ C etc)
S class coupé will always be a favorite of mine. Good choice ✔️
This series is a gem!
The extra mention cars at the end are my 3 favourite Mercedes...😀
I completely agree with your overview of MB’s current designs
Before even watching the video, somehow I had a feeling the S coupe would make it on the list. Next car coming soon 🙏
A classy spec’d AMG GT in person is art. Rear quarter might be one of the most beautiful designs ever.
Another brilliant video. I didn't know of the C111.
Thank you Frank for this! Really interesting video
For a second, I thought you’d leave the pagoda out. You Franked me.
There is also the 500SL (R107)... A Legend
As an owner of a 2017 AMG GT-S and a 2021 CLA 45S, I would certainly like to hear about your opinion on the current design philosophy at AMG. Specifically the commonality in front end design that is replicated in most of their sedans. I always thought (and still do) that Mercedes designs tend to pass the test of time very well.
The SLS Coupé would be my modern MB pick. Love the car and the application of its design just grows as it ages. One of the few modern MB cars that is unique and would be an event to own through out any period of time. The AMG GT-S is another stunner that can be included in all the things I’ve said about the SLS. Two cars I’d love to own as a big BMW fan (pre-2012). I wish BMWs growing relationship with Alpina will lead to similar models. Competition brings out the best and Alpina will free up BMW M to do projects of chassis of their own. That’s how I see BMW coming back to lead the industry in the future. How and why they did not put the 3.0CSL Hommage R into production is question that will always leave my scratching my head.
Great video. The S Class coupe is stunning.
Theyve made so many great cars over the years... I personally LOVED the latest S Coupe and im also a sucker for the W111 Coupe
I am quite surprised that you did not consider in your honourable mentions the 1998 S-Class (220), the first CLS (C219) ant the amg GT (C190). Ok, the last one is not directly a Mercedes, but the amg GT C is the most beautiful Cabrio I have ever seen.
The headlights on the C111 remind me of the Ferrari Testarossa.
I'm also a fan of the C217. It has a subtle elegance that other PLCs don't have, IMO.
Quite frankly for me it's gotta be the the 2.5 evo, SLS AMG and CLK GTR.
I couldn't agree more with you about the headlights of the S-Class Coupé. Very elegant and timeless car design overall, but the lines of the headlight you mentioned spoil it for me. I wonder what your opinion is of the 2009 CLK (W209). The rear end deserves better light lines, but the front with the overlapping oval headlights is so classically beautiful, it has no match in the newer Mercedes designs, AFAIC.
Loved your picks, really great insights and I learned a lot. I absolutely loved that you singled out the S Class coupe, as that is certainly my favorite modern Mercedes also.
I'm not too fond of the way they are going currently, the smaller lights, with narrow angles etc. They just don't fit well with what I expect a Mercedes to be but I'm sure in time they will find their feet again...
Overall great choices I agree with - Only thing I missed was the CLS Shooting Break. That was such a daring car that I love so much.
Mercedes make some of the most exciting looking, exciting cars (like the sporty cars/ high end). And some of the most mundane looking mundane cars (like the lower end models and estates). I have had a few E Class coupes, and I think they nailed the design with the Facelifted C207 (2014) Amg Line.
Dear Frank, I would love to hear your assessment of the Mercedes G-Wagon, from its origin as a military utility vehicle to it's current day existence as a lifestyle vehicle. I am very torn on that design. It's appealing and outdated at the same time.
The C215 facelift, timeless
I'm a BWM fan, but when the S coupe came out, I was in love in this car. Beautiful design and magnificent V8 sound. Before the new 8th series (the 2 door version), BMW didn't have a match for this car.
I jumped when your last pick was the S Coupe 😂 Got so excited, loved it since i saw it for the first time in 2013. I was sooo unsure if you would pick it, haha but you did
nice, the youtube plate, well deserved, well content. I'd love to hear what you think of the renault 5 electric.
Frank inspires me please keep up the great work and motivating young designers ! :)
Hi Frank! Great breakdown. Totally agree with you on the current S class. I personally like the juxtaposition b/w the simple lines of the rear & slightly more technical aspects of the front.
On a wholly unrelated note, any chance of you reviewing the "controversial" design of the GR Supra?
★★★★★★★★★★ (10/10) As a Mercedes driver my whole life, you just up-ed the game for me dude. The fun is in the details, and the education in this vid has, in the last 20 minutes, increased my appreciation of what I drive by many multiples. Super Super Super vids all round. 🏴☠️
How could you forget the first generation CLS? It literally revolutionized the industry with that cutting-edge design, breaking away from a very traditional and boring era of sedans!
😍
W113 SL roadster - simplicity and dainty elegance , W201 190e Evo2- fenders and spoiler (what more needs to be said), W124 coupe - just perfect proportions, W114 sedan- the perfect 3 box sedan (loved the tall headlights) that led to the W123 and W202 estate - again proportions and just coz I like estates.
That Talbot Lago Figoni et Filachi..... most beatiful thing ever. Was on my wall since I was a baby.
I’m still in love with the W126
My favorite Benz is also my favorite car of all time, the CLK GTR
Glad that the great Bruno Sacco was honorably mentioned. Though picking just 3 from the centenary, prolific, prestigious Mercedes is not easy, he gifted us some of its most iconic models.
1:59 this is why I love Frank 😂
Hi Frank - I'd love to see you do a top 3 designs for Jaguar but maybe without the E-Type? I always feel like it overshadows some of the other beautiful models they've made over the years!
Only OGs know this is a reupload.
Content so good we had to upload it twice 😉
@@FrankStephensondesign I liked the sound mixing on the original, you should put that up on a second channel :D
Have you looked at the vehicles from the fallout series? You can tell the designers had a lot of fun and really thought outside the box in regards to styling. I personally really like the Indian-esque motorcycle and the little pit bike they made
Sooo happy to see the coupe 😍
I’d love to see a video of you taking about the evolution of car design. For example I know headlights are a easy identifier of a cars age because of certain limitations, laws, or trends.
I’m a young designer who’s about to go to art school and my design process is a very form follows function type of approach. Understanding what something is, what it does, and how it’s evolved to what it is now would help tremendously. Your videos are Phenomenal and have taught me loads. Thanks so much for the time and knowledge you give to me and your viewers!
Totally agree with your three faves. Not so much with the honourable mentions. I loved the C-111 as a kid also. Sadly my dream of being a car designer never progressed. Really like your designs especially the Fiat 500.
I just looked up Frank after watching the GTA video, this man is a fucking legend! Designed the P1 (the sleekest looking car out there IMO), Ferrari f430 which is just such a well known design and so much more extremely well know cars. He’s the best of the best
Thanks ATA!
Perhaps a top 3 Audi design?
I was surprised that we share the same opinion on the S Coupé. Extremely beautiful design for modern standards.
My toplist would be:
-W123 Coupé (C123) in my opinion the most beautiful Mercedes Coupé design
-W126 SEC this car makes me speechles everytime i see one
-W201 (190) had two of them and this is still the best car i can think of. It is so elegant, aggressive, reliable, fun to drive… would buy this beauty everytime again
I love your list, mine would be a bit similar:
'54 300 SL
'00 SportCoupe
'03 SLR
Concepts:
'01 F400 Carving
'13 AMG Vision Gran Turismo
'19 Vision EQS (production version is not that great)
Love your videos Frank! Very informative and professional! I cannot wait until you do a video on Audi's three greatest designs. I drive an Audi A5 8F Cabriolet S-Line with the RS grill (because it is just completed the appearance of the car so well) and bought it for its beauty. I would love to hear what you think about this car and the work of Walter de Silva in general.
when I was young the SLR just came out and I loved it. A few years later my father showed me the classic 300SL which to this day ist my favorite looking car. I like the modern SLS AMG and the AMG GT especially the the rear end of the AMG GT ist one of my favorites. And lastly I have to say that I fell in love with the AVTR design, I just love the organic but futuristic feel of it so much.
The Austin Powers bit gets a like, really top-level youtube Frank. Thanks.
My top 3 Mercedes picks (no particular order): 190E Evo II, 300SL Gullwing, and (for something more modern as per Frank's example), the CLK 63 Black from 2008. If I were a allowed a bonus choice, it would also have to be the W113 SL Pagoda
What do you think about mercedes benz CLS w218 model Frank? Really nice picks you have in the video 👌🏼
How about a series analysing modified cars vs the originals? Stuff made by shops like Foose, Ring Brothers, Singer etc.
Yeeesss!! You included the S-Class Coupe!! To me it's the most beautiful car ever made both in exterior and interior. And the S65 Coupe comes with a V12. The pre-facelift is much more beautiful to me than the panamericana grille facelift. I really enjoyed your other picks too.
My favorite 3 Mercedes are:
1. AMG S65 Coupe (2014-2017)
2. AMG S65L (2014-2020) Both original and facelift versions.
3. Mercedes-Maybach S650 (2019-2021)
Please do the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante
I think the w126 SEC is iconic and the w140 is the most serious car Mercedes-Benz has ever produced.
Frank, love your videos! Would you consider making a video on the brand's worst designs of all times? There are certainly very poorly designed cars and would love to hear your critiques on some of them! Thanks!