Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new concept car on Tuesday at its design headquarters in Nice, France. It’s called the Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture and, according to chief design officer Gorden Wagener, it was inspired by the world of high fashion and couture dressmaking. The exterior is painted a two-tone rose and blue. Inside there are seats covered in “crystal white” leather, matching white-shag floor mats, and side panels covered in a boldly patterned bouclé. Interior trim details are finished in rose gold and they match a pair of metal champagne flutes that fit into a rear console drinks station, which also has a bottle chiller.
The company will make a small number of the specially-outfitted S-Class sedans and sell them in the United States, Europe, and China. The car was one in series of unveilings Mercedes-Benz made this week that it says underline the company’s ongoing expansion from carmaker to broader luxury brand. Also on display was a Limited Edition Maybach by Virgil Abloh, one of three collaborations Mercedes completed with the late designer and artist. It also presented digital artworks as part of an announcement that the company would be joining Aura Blockchain Consortium, a partnership of luxury brands expanding their digital offerings.
The design team had to go outside its usual supply chains to outfit Haute Voiture. “We wanted a certain bouclé for the accents and found one we liked at a small fabric firm located in the Black Forest region,” said Belinda Günther, who oversees color and trim design for Mercedes-Benz. The interior of the trunk, also lined in white-leather, required intricate stitching usually seen on fine handbags. “This is one of my favorite details,” Günther said, running her hand over a complicated corner where the seams sweep out in elegant curves.
A few feet in front of the car, the designers had erected two displays that held a small collection of fashion pieces they had had made from the same materials used in the car’s interior, including a dress, a women’s suit with a jacket and A-line skirt, and small barrel bag. Unlike other Mercedes-Maybachs, buyers won’t get to customize the Haute Voiture. “This is a limited edition of a one-of-kind creation,” said Daniel Lescow, head of the company’s Mercedes‑Maybach division.
Haute Voiture will be brought to market in early 2023. The company did not list a price for the car. Non-limited edition Mercedes-Maybach S-Class sedans start around $185,000.
Norman Vanamee is the articles director of Town & Country.
