In the very beginning, the automotive industry was dominated by open-top vehicles whose body shapes were very much based on the horse-drawn carriage, there were open and closed carriages and then there was the Coupe. These were developed from the type of carriage known as the Berlin coach, which was designed as a classic vehicle for individual luxury travel and prestige. This type of carriage offered an intimate atmosphere focused exclusively on the passengers; it did not even have space for luggage, it simply exuded style, elegance and luxury in every way. This first volume of the Mercedes-Benz Coupe book addresses the journey from what was a functional sports car design to what has become the incomparable Mercedes-Benz 'Sports Coupe'; its timeless body design has remained, even today both a dream car and a dream Coupe to anyone whom aspires to follow in the footsteps of the early individualists who chose style and elegance over practicality. With over 300 photographs and illustrations, this book includes: an overview of the early days of 'Sports-Car' design; the influences of aerodynamics on design evolution; early protagonists at Daimler-Benz and how they influenced design of the Coupe shape; how the Racing Coupe influenced what became the production Sport Coupe; the experimental and one-off prototypes, and finally the continuation of the Super Sport Light concept through the 'S-Class' range.

About the Author
Having always had a special interest in classic cars and a thirst for knowledge it didn't take long for Dr Nik Greene to take his first steps into writing. As a fan of Jaguar cars he was invited to write regular monthly articles in both club and specialist Jaguar magazines. This opened up the door to writing regularly for many UK and French Classic car magazines. When not working as a criminologist he spent his time in the Limousin area of France. He had his own stable of cars including a rare Mercedes 560Se, Mercedes G-Wagen and several classic Citroens and Renaults.

Reviews
With more than 130 years of heritage to draw on, it's always great to sit down with a book of Mercedes-Benz history. One thing is certain; with such a rich subject that spans so many decades, every new book will surely have fresh insights to teach you. That's certainly the case with author Nik Greene's new book about Mercedes-Benz Sport-Light Coupes. The real reason to invest in a copy of this book is Greene's attention to concept cars, prototypes, and engineering exercises. * Star magazine of Mercedes-Benz Club of America *
Its 'The complete story' subhead is bang on the money, with a serious level of detail. There's a lot of what you expect and delightfully much you don't or had forgotten. * Classic & Sports Car *



Book Information
ISBN 9781785008221
Author Nik Greene
Format Hardback
Page Count 208
Imprint The Crowood Press Ltd
Publisher The Crowood Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 920g
Dimensions(mm) 260mm * 215mm * 21mm