Bruno Sacco once said that “a Mercedes-Benz must always look like a Mercedes-Benz.” The Italian designer made sure of that during his lengthy career at the company carrying the three-pointed star. Some of the most iconic cars launched by the German luxury brand were created during the 41 years he spent after brief stints at coachbuilders Ghia and Pininfarina.
Mercedes hired Sacco in 1958 as a second stylist to work on pre-body development before he was put in charge of the Body Design and Dimensional Concept department. Notable designs during his first years included the 600 (W100) and the 230 SL aka “Pagoda” (W113). Aside from series production cars, the talented designer was involved in the experiments with concepts that had rotary engines and gullwing doors such as the C 111 and the C 111-II.
In 1975, Sacco was named head of the Stylistics department. His first project was the W123 T-Modell, a forebearer of the E-Class wagon. It holds a special place in the Mercedes history since it was the company’s first wagon. He also penned the S-Class W126 and its sleek C126 coupe counterpart. Also during the 1970s, the G-Class design’s was signed off with him at the helm.
Decades after drawing these cars, the Udine-born designer was quoted saying how particularly proud he was of the 126 series: “The 126 model series in all design forms is the best thing I have done for Mercedes-Benz.” To show his appreciation for that family of models, Sacco parked a dark blue 560 SEC in his garage when he retired.
Sacco’s work also helped Mercedes attract a younger clientele with the launch of the 190 series (W201), the C-Class precursor. The same holds true for his later work when the A-Class was launched in 1997. His projects included everything from the original M-Class luxury SUV to the V-Class minivan. Before retiring on March 31, 1999, the final cars he designed were the W220 S-Class and the mechanically related C215 CL-Class.
Some of those cars were produced during an era of overly engineered vehicles, earning Mercedes the “built like a tank” reputation. Sacco’s designs are timeless, especially those that came out in the first decades of his lengthy career at Mercedes. Many years after retiring, the hugely talented automotive designer said:
“Mercedes has been my life, and I stand for that time one hundred percent.”
On September 19, Bruno Sacco passed away in Sindelfingen, Germany at the age of 90.
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