Mercedes-Benz design chief to retire after 40 years

Posted Tue Mar 25 2008 8:51 PM by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

After a 40 year stint at Mercedes-Benz, 30 years as its official design chief, automotive engineer and designer Peter Pfeiffer is set to retire. Pfeiffer, who turns 65 this year, first joined the carmaker back in 1968 and was promoted to head of design just ten years later. Mercedes is yet to name an official successor but a decision is expected to be announced soon.

Most likely to replace Pfeiffer is Gorden Wagener, the current president of Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America. Wagener has been in charge of the U.S. team since early 2006, reports Automotive News.

Pfeiffer has had an influential role on nearly every Mercedes-Benz model to be launched in the 30 years that he’s been design chief. Some of the standouts include the SLR supercar, CLS four-door coupe and the ungainly R-Class, for which he received a red dot design award.

Pfeiffer was born in 1943 in Dallwitz near Karlsbad, Germany. After graduating from the Sel Porcelain and Industrial Design State Technical College back in 1963, Pfeiffer joined Ford-Werke AG as a designer before teaming up with Mercedes five years later.

Reader Comments

Tue Mar 25 2008 9:47 PM
HECTOR says

MB has put out some memorable cars over the years but lately their designs are kind of ghetto.

CLown wheel arches on the S Class? Check. Korean thing going on on the GL Class? Check. Blingtastic, substanceless CL Class? Check. I can't believe it's a car CLS Class? Check. MY EYES!!!! R Class? Check.

Yeah. Thanks for your services Peter. Go work on your garden now and someone please bring back elegance to the MB design studio.
Wed Mar 26 2008 12:20 AM
CK says

You couldn't argue about taste but the S-Class and the CL for example are the best cars Merc has made in the last 15 years.
Wed Mar 26 2008 12:21 AM
CK says

And that comes from someone who doesn't like Merc at all.
Wed Mar 26 2008 2:18 AM
Gus says

The back end of the S class is a bad bangle butt copy, and the CLS just looks all wrong with those tiny windows.
I agree with Hector on this one, it's time for some fresh blood.
Mercedes should be about innovation with restraint. The Porsche 911 is the ultimate in evolutionary design restraint, the R class is a joke...
Wed Mar 26 2008 3:46 AM
big L says

cls is ok. News item--Pfeiffer's replacement is Bruno Sacco....
/heh.
Wed Mar 26 2008 6:27 AM
Edward says

The Germans have never had, with exception of Ferninand Porsche, a good designer. That BMW had to get Bangle as designer shows that.
Wed Mar 26 2008 5:55 PM
sizzlat says

if you guys dont even like mercedes why are you comenting on them in my opinion the whole new line-up is going to be great hopefully the new designe head can keep things rollin in the right direction the cl and s class are probably two of the best looking and high volume selling cars in their markets
Wed Mar 26 2008 7:02 PM
Gus says

I love Mercedes, that's the problem.
I used to have a 1982 300SD, a 1974 450SL, a 1987 300E.
So don't tell me I don't know about Mercedes.
I just miss when they looked tough, substantial, stylish. Not this "meeee tooooo" crap penned by marketing goofballs.
Thu Apr 10 2008 6:56 AM
Enele says

Peter Pfeiffer is the man. The 2007 S-Class was a breakthrough in both design & technology. The Mercedes-Benz design team are always expanding the envelope where it seems uncomfortable at first, just to fall in love with the design later.

He's done a Great Job!

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