The Vision Mercedes Simplex is a show car that uses the language of the future to pay tribute to the founding moment of the automobile. Unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, it traces its lineage directly to the Mercedes 35 PS of 1901, the race car that won Nice Race Week and established what a purpose-built automobile could be.
What Is the Vision Mercedes Simplex?
The Vision Simplex is a design exercise and a philosophical statement rather than a production proposal. Mercedes-Benz used the occasion of the 2019 IAA to ask what the 1901 35 PS might look like if it were designed today, with today's technology, today's materials, and today's understanding of what luxury means. The answer is a two-seat open concept with rose gold structural framing, a two-tone black and white body, and four electric hub motors, one at each wheel, that do away with a conventional drivetrain entirely.
Design Details: Rose Gold, Chesterfield Leather, and Hyper-Analogue Instruments
The rose gold frame replaces the traditional radiator shroud and is complemented by a 3D display showing the vintage Mercedes star from the early 1900s. The open cockpit's two-seat bench is trimmed in blue quilted leather, with the Chesterfield pattern referencing the brand's long association with formal luxury. The steering column protrudes directly from the dashboard in the style of a motorcycle handlebar, and the instrument panel features five minimal elements described as "hyper-analogue": digital information presented in period-correct frames.
A filament stoplight strikes across the rear, a detail that reads as contemporary art in a motoring context. The suspension arms are carbon fibre units with the proportions of Formula 1 wishbones, exposed and celebrated rather than hidden behind bodywork.
Why Does This Concept Matter?
The Vision Simplex demonstrates that automotive design heritage is not a limitation but a resource. When a manufacturer with 120 years of history opens its archive and applies contemporary craftsmanship to those references, the results can be genuinely surprising. The Vision Simplex is not a retro project; it uses electric wheel-hub motors and 3D digital displays. What it borrows from the past is proportion, honesty of construction, and the confidence to expose its structure rather than hide it.
For those who share an appreciation for this collision of automotive heritage and contemporary craft, TheArsenale carries the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG Venuum 2025 coachbuilt SUV, a machine that similarly takes a storied platform and transforms it into something entirely new. Explore the full TheArsenale curated car collection.
Further reading: Hypebeast: Vision Mercedes Simplex reimagines the 1901 35 PS and Top Speed: 2019 Mercedes-Benz Vision Simplex full overview.
