Farewell Bruno Sacco: Mercedes-Benz design legend

On September 19, the motoring world, and Mercedes-Benz fans in particular, bade farewell to Bruno Sacco, the man who was responsible for the design of vehicles bearing the three-pointed star for nearly four decades. He was 90.

Born in 1933 in Udine, Italy, Sacco moved to Germany to join Mercedes-Benz’s styling team in 1958. By 1975 he became styling head, a position he held until his retirement in 1999, overseeing and being involved in the design of every Mercedes-Benz car, bus and truck.

Some of Bruno Sacco’s creations included the W123 E-Class (left), W126 S-Class (Coupe shown top right) and R129 SL (bottom right)

His incredible portfolio included S-Classes W126, W140 and W220, E-Classes W123 and W210, the W201 190E, as well as sporting models like the R129 and R230 SLs. Notwithstanding his ground-breaking C111 concept car of the 1970s, it’s evident that the Italian-German quite literally defined the Mercedes-Benz look, forever etched in the memory of an entire generation of people.

It’s one thing to make cars look good; quite another to accurately embody the robust engineering and durability the brand is known for, convey a sense of upright class and prestige, and translate it harmoniously across vehicles of different sizes. Our hats off to you, Bruno, as you drive off into the sunset.

Which is your favourite Bruno Sacco creation and why? Let us know in the comments.

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