Ever since the invention of the car, Mercedes-Benz has been turning its pioneering spirit into highly desirable vehicles – technically groundbreaking, style-defining and built for driving. At the Monterey Car Week, held from 7 to 16 August 2026, Mercedes-Benz Classic brought this vision to life with exceptional vehicles spanning 140 years of innovation. They traced the evolution from the Benz Patent Motor Car of 1886, through early high-performance, aerodynamic and motorsport innovations, right up to modern performance models.
Three vehicles in California were particularly representative of this unique development: the “American Mercedes” from 1905, as well as the Mercedes-Benz 320 Streamlined Saloon and the Mercedes-Benz 540 K Streamliner – both from 1938. The “American Mercedes” was the first Mercedes to be built in the United States. The two streamlined vehicles demonstrated how early on Mercedes-Benz had been translating aerodynamic considerations into exceptional design and outstanding performance.
Latest photos and videos: Pebble Beach Automotive Week 2026.
“American Mercedes” back in the USA
The “American Mercedes” is one of the earliest high-performance cars produced in the United States – and the first vehicle manufactured there in the history of the Mercedes-Benz brand. The Daimler Manufacturing Company produced it under licence from 1905 onwards in Long Island City, New York. It was equivalent to the top-of-the-range Mercedes 45 PS model produced by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft at the time.
More than 120 years later, this rare car from the company’s collection took centre stage in American motoring culture. At the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, it was presented outside the competition in the “Early American Speedsters (Pre-World War I)” category. Mercedes-Benz cars have won a record total of ten “Best of Show” awards at Pebble Beach – more than any other brand. This highlights its unique charisma. The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Long Beach, California, had prepared the “American Mercedes” for this extraordinary appearance.
The “American Mercedes” also symbolises the brand’s early internationalisation: Shortly after the name “Mercedes” was introduced in 1901, cars modelled on the technical design of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft began to be produced in the United States as well.
540 K Streamliner leading the Tour d’Elegance
The Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance was led by the Mercedes-Benz 540 K Streamliner from 1938. This aerodynamically optimised one-off was based on the 540 K (W 29) model and served as a test vehicle for tyre manufacturer Dunlop for high-speed driving on the motorway.
Its light-alloy body, developed in a wind tunnel, its streamlined underbody and its consistently aerodynamic design demonstrate the importance Mercedes-Benz placed on aerodynamics and driving stability as early as the 1930s. The car made the journey for its appearance at Pebble Beach from the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, where it is currently on display in the exhibition “World-Class: 100 Years of Mercedes-Benz”.
The aesthetics of speed
Another highlight was the Mercedes-Benz 320 Streamlined Saloon (W 142) at “Legends of the Autobahn”. Known at the time as a “Stromlinien-Innenlenker” (Streamlined Car with Interior Steering), this body style is one of the brand’s most spectacular designs of the 1930s, translating the aesthetics of speed into an aerodynamically shaped form.
Alongside the 540 K Streamliner, the Streamlined Saloon came face to face with the new Mercedes-AMG GT Four-Door Coupé at Pebble Beach. The joint presentation highlighted how the fascination with design, performance and technical innovation continues across the generations – from early findings on aerodynamic drag and high-speed stability to today’s high-performance vehicles. Further information on the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé is available on the website High Performance AMG Electric Architecture | Mercedes-Benz Media.
Mercedes-Benz Star of Excellence Award
The “Mercedes-Benz Star of Excellence Award” went to a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc Pinin Farina Coupé from a private collection. This one-off model, designed by the Italian design studio Pinin Farina, was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1956. It combines the technology of the 300 Sc (W 188) luxury coupé with a bespoke body and is a prime example of the close collaboration between car manufacturers and renowned design houses in the 1950s.
Vehicles spanning 140 years of innovation
The presentation at the Pebble Beach Automotive Week began with an authentic replica of the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886. The history of the motor car began 140 years ago with Carl Benz’s three-wheeled vehicle.
One model that embodied the fusion of motorsport technology and an exclusive production car was the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W 198) from 1961. The decisive impetus for the development of the open-top super sports car came from Maximilian E. Hoffman, who was then the Mercedes-Benz importer for the USA. This model replaced the 300 SL gull-wing model in 1957. Mercedes-Benz Classic had the 300 SL Roadster on sale at Pebble Beach. Vehicle details.
The Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II from 1990 is one of the brand’s more recent performance icons. Only 502 examples of the DTM homologation model were produced, and it is now one of the most sought-after versions of the 201 model series.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black Series (C 209) marked the transition to Mercedes-AMG’s modern high-performance heritage. The Coupé, which was produced in small numbers between 2007 and 2008, was modelled on the Official Safety Car for the 2006 and 2007 Formula 1® seasons. Mercedes-AMG has been supplying the Formula 1® Safety Car for 30 years.
Tomorrow’s classics
Under the banner “Future Classics: Mercedes-Benz creates tomorrow’s classics today”, Mercedes-Benz USA also showcased current models from Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and the G-Class as potential classics of tomorrow and beyond. Staged as if in an auction house for exclusive cars, the exhibition showcased the breadth of innovation, performance and craftsmanship found in the current range. Several vehicles demonstrated the possibilities offered by MANUFAKTUR customisation. Mercedes-Benz recently opened the first “MANUFAKTUR Made to Measure Hub” in the United States at the Mercedes-Benz Studio in Los Angeles, offering US customers an exclusive, bespoke vehicle personalisation experience in a private setting.
Mercedes-Benz anniversary year “140 Years of Innovation”
Since Carl Benz filed the patent for the first automobile 140 years ago and Gottlieb Daimler built his motorised carriage shortly afterwards, Mercedes‑Benz has dedicated itself to constant innovation and to creating the world’s most desirable cars for customers. This ambition has driven every innovation – from the world’s first automobile in 1886 to the biggest product launch programme in the company’s history that is currently underway. With its passion for performance and pioneering power, excellence and an unwavering commitment to customer service, the brand has consistently shaped the future of mobility. The result goes well beyond engineering achievement – it creates the unmistakable feeling that runs through everything Mercedes‑Benz does: Welcome home.
Mercedes‑Benz is celebrating 140 years of innovation by driving three new S‑Class saloons on a trans-continental journey to 140 locations worldwide. Each place highlights the brand’s technology, heritage, pioneering spirit and worldwide presence. Along the way, customers, fans and colleagues will get to join in the celebrations – on an epic adventure that will run until October. Follow the “140 Years. 140 Places” drive across six continents on “140 Years of Innovation | Mercedes-Benz Media” special and via the Mercedes-Benz Community.
Enquiries by email to classic@mercedes-benz.com or online at www.mercedes-benz.com/classic
Report by media.mercedes-benz.com
