The Mercedes-Benz C111 research vehicle debuted in 1969.
The first C111 was completed in 1969 and presented at the International Motor Show, or IAA, in Frankfurt. Its dramatic fiberglass body, gull-wing doors and mid-mounted engine made it one of Mercedes-Benz’s most striking experimental cars. The project explored both advanced styling and unconventional powertrain technology.
The original car used a three-rotor, direct-injection Wankel engine. Mercedes-Benz later developed a second version with a four-rotor Wankel engine, shown in 1970, and reportedly capable of approximately 300 km/h. The company ultimately moved away from rotary engines and used later C111 versions to investigate high-performance diesel technology.
The C111 was never intended as a normal showroom model. It was a rolling laboratory for engines, aerodynamics, suspension and high-speed development. Later record-setting variants, including the diesel-powered C111-III, helped give the name a life beyond the original 1969 prototype.