The grille is the easiest way to discern the make of a car. It serves as the face of the automobile, giving it an identity amid the sea of automotive brands on the planet. But unlike the human face, vehicle grilles get younger over time, evolving and conforming to the needs of the car and what is allowed beyond the limits of functionality.
This is exactly the case with the grille from Mercedes-Benz. It has come a long way since Wilhelm Maybach fitted his invention, the honeycomb radiator, to the 35 PS Mercedes in 1900. The grille was designed to solve the cooling problem of internal combustion engines at the time, but finally began the era of vehicle grilles.
26 Pictures
In 1931, the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz 170 changed everything. For the first time, the radiator was mounted behind the grille for protection, which was part of the vehicle’s hood. This gave rise to the iconic chrome grille, which served not only as protection for the radiator but also as an identifier, along with the three-pointed star emblem. From then on, Mercedes continued to evolve the chrome grille for decades.
In the 1950s, Merc introduced a new standalone grille design with the 300 SL “Gullwing” and the smaller 190 SL roadster. It is known internally as the “sports car face”. The horizontal slats became a hallmark among subsequent Mercedes vehicles.
In 2007, Mercedes began offering grille choices to customers based on trim level. They can be classic (Classic and Elegance) or sporty (Avantgarde), which were offered in both C-Class and E-Class.
With the era of electric vehicles fast approaching, Mercedes-Benz grilles are here to stay, but with a different function than the protective radiator cover of the past. Without the need for a heatsink, the German brand switches to a Black Panel grille for its EQ range, which serves as the perfect surface for hidden but essential sensors.
