Mercedes-Benz film from 1974: “The experimental safety vehicles. Development from 1971 to 1974”. Excerpt as video footage. (Video index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives: VID7327-01)
4 June 1974 – 50 years ago
The ESF 24 experimental safety vehicle was presented in London
- Highlight of the Mercedes-Benz ESF programme in the 1970s
- Contribution to automotive safety research based on the S-Class 116 model series
- Design solutions for a frontal impact as the main focus
With 35 experimental safety vehicles (ESF models), Mercedes-Benz researched automotive safety systems in the 1970s as part of the international ESV program and put them on the road to series production. Daimler-Benz presented the ESF 24 at the 5th International ESV Conference in London (4 to 7 June 1974). This vehicle, based on the S-Class of the 116 model series, focused on researching designs for a frontal impact with a rigid barrier at 65 km/h (40 mph). In 1974, Mercedes-Benz emphasized in a press release that the ESF 24 could not be regarded as a prototype for future series vehicles due to its greater length and its approximately ten per cent greater weight and the corresponding increase in fuel consumption in view of the growing scarcity of raw materials and energy. Head of Research Professor Hans Scherenberg drew this conclusion at the time: the realization that “a period of intensive basic research must now be initiated to ensure that further advances in safety technology are based on realistic, economic grounds” were valuable.
No comments:
Post a Comment