With a variety of turbo-diesel and Wankel rotary engines installed, the Mercedes-Benz C111 prototypes from the 1960s and 1970s served as test beds for cutting-edge powertrain technologies. Currently, as the automobile industry transitions from internal combustion engines to electric power, Mercedes has introduced the Vision One-Eleven concept, which, like its ancestor, serves as a forecast for how the company will adapt to the changing automotive scene.

The initial C111 prototype, which was painted a striking shade of orange and equipped with dramatic gullwing doors, is clearly where the sleek supercar styling of the Vision One-Eleven got its start. The concept’s single line, shallow curve profile is reminiscent of the cab-forward aerodynamics of Mercedes’s existing EV models, such as the EQS and EQE.