Mercedes K-55 concept by Bela Barenyi ca. 1959

[grobmotorix]

Who knows this car?

[grobmotorix]

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[richard cuyler]

Looks like one of those 'which-end-is-the-front ?' cars (prototype in this case) where a car maker is desperate to manufacture as few body parts as possible, so the design ensures that all major panels are interchangeable. Something American Motors Corporation tried to do in the 1960s, with very limited success. The background in the photo and the wheels suggest Europe, though, so a wild guess: Mercedes Benz?

[grobmotorix]

LOCKED for you!

Mercedes Benz is correct...

You have three guesses until I will unlock again.

[richard cuyler]

Mercedes seems, quite understandably, to have airbrushed this unfortunate thing out if its history, frightened, perhaps, that it would seriously tarnish an otherwise stellar family tree. I can find no trace of it anywhere.

But, in a sense, I did answer the question 'who knows this car', so perhaps I deserve the point anyway?  I would, however, like to know the gory details which led to this most un-Mercedes idea being shown the light of day!

If you feel I don't deserve a point , please just unlock, I'm out!

[grobmotorix]

Well, I definitly need a name.

Before posting it I thought I should photoshop away the Mercedes at the rear left but left it to make this puzzle easier.

So this is open for all again...

[Kytsyk]

It's "K-55" project, designed by Bela Barenyi.

[grobmotorix]

Very good!

Your point.

[richard cuyler]

Even putting 'K55' or 'K55 bela barenyi' into a search engine produced the faintest of results with virtually no detail, even in Mercedes-specialised sites. Why? Were they indeed ashamed of this project? I'd love to know more about it.

[oko94]

Searching for "k-55 barenyi" (without quotation marks) gives plenty of results.

[Wendax]

It was also called VEP I (Vorentwicklung Pkw Version I). This model was built in 1958.

[richard cuyler]

I never use that well-known and most popular search engine, I have a real objection to their whole ethos. So perhaps my lesser-used search engine is a bit down on sites by comparison.

This project is probably quite advanced and Bela Baryeni seems to have been a very experienced designer, but it really is dreadful, isn't it? I can't think of anything less like a Mercedes, especially during this period, when Mercedes products were outstanding in terms of design (swing axles excluded) and quality.

It was during this era that the World started to notice the excellent quality of these cars and the company started to make inroads into markets everywhere. This car, even if beautifully made, I feel would have given out all the wrong messages, for instance that Mercedes was being too influenced by American design - it had a definite look of the GM cars of the time.

I may be wrong about this of course.

But if I was in charge of Mercedes' archives, I'd keep it as much under wraps as possible!