October 1954, somewhere on a German road. A 21-year-old Frenchman driving a black Mercedes 300 is heading towards Stuttgart. A simple mission: drive the headquarters car to the factory for maintenance. Except that this short, routine trip will change the course of the global automobile industry. Because this young man behind the wheel is Paul Bracq, and in his bag, he is carrying drawings that will revolutionize Mercedes, then BMW, and forever transform the German automobile industry.
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I'm going to tell you the story of the only man in the world to have created the visual identity of both Mercedes AND BMW . A Frenchman who designed the legendary Mercedes "Pagoda", invented the first BMW "Series", and who also worked on the TGV and the Popemobile. Yeah, really.
The Boulle School and the art of failing at everything
Okay, let's start from the beginning. Paul Bracq was born on December 13, 1933, in Bordeaux. At 17, in 1950, he arrived in Paris to attend the École Boulle, the most prestigious school of applied arts in France . Normally, after three years there, you graduate as a cabinetmaker and make beautiful furniture for Parisian bourgeoisie.
Except that Paul has a little problem: he can't concentrate on the cupboards . Instead, he spends his time carving little cars out of wood. His teachers think it's cute but tell him, "My dear Paul, cars are all very well, but they don't feed your man."
Ah, if only they had known...
In 1953, having graduated but not really convinced by cabinetmaking, Paul landed an internship with a certain Philippe Charbonneaux. And there, a huge stroke of luck : Charbonneaux was a car designer. The guy who would later design the Renault 8, 16 and 21. And above all, he had just received a rather special commission: to create the French presidential limousine for Citroën .
Imagine young Paul, 20, who arrives in this office and finds himself working on the official car of the President of the Republic. I would have freaked out, but he's really enjoying himself.
Military service that changes everything
1954, Paul is called up for military service. He's off to Germany for his military service. And that's when things get completely crazy.
One day in October, he was told: "Bracq, you're taking the Mercedes 300 from the general staff and bringing it back to Stuttgart for servicing." A cushy mission, in other words. Except that Paul, as smart as a monkey , said to himself: "Hey, I'll take the opportunity to go and see Mercedes."
He arrives at the press office with his drawings under his arm. The guy at the reception desk must be thinking, "Another crackpot who wants to show us his scribbles." Paul explains that he'd like some racing posters to decorate his room.
Eight days later - EIGHT DAYS - Mercedes contacts him. They offer him a job while he finishes his military service.
Can you imagine? The guy just delivers a box and picks up some posters, and he comes out with a contract at Mercedes. I have friends who interview for months without landing an internship, and he lands the job of the century by dropping off his drawings like that, on the gall.
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1957: arrival at Mercedes
Paul finished his military service in 1957 and arrived at Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen. He was 24 years old and found himself in the holy of holies of German automotive design . To give you an idea, it was as if a young French chef had arrived directly at Joël Robuchon's.
And very quickly, Paul understands that he is in a world apart. Mercedes, in 1957, is already a war machine. They release luxury cars, racing cars, they have a worldwide reputation. And he, a little Frenchman from Bordeaux, will have to prove himself.
But the thing is, Paul has a different perspective. The German designers of the time created beautiful, solid, classic pieces. Paul came with a French vision : more finesse, more elegance, less rigidity.
The birth of the "Pagoda"
1963. Paul now has six years of experience at Mercedes. He has become head of the design studio in Sindelfingen, and there he is entrusted with a project that will make him immortal: designing the successor to the Mercedes 190 SL .
The brief? Create a sporty yet comfortable, elegant yet modern roadster. Basically, do better than Porsche with the 356, better than Jaguar with the E-Type. Nothing less.
Paul shut himself away in his office and came up with a revolutionary design: the Mercedes 230 SL . Clean lines, a sculpted body, and above all, above all, this hardtop with its concave side windows that give it this very particular shape.
The nickname that sticks to the skin
When the car was presented internally, the reactions were... mixed. Some found the roof odd, too modern. One automotive journalist, seeing the concave windows, said with a laugh: "It looks like a Chinese pagoda!"
The nickname was launched. And ironically, what was meant to be a mockery became the most famous name in Mercedes history . Today, when you say "Pagoda," everyone knows what car you're talking about.
The 230 SL was released in 1963 and was an immediate success. Brigitte Bardot bought one , as did a host of stars and millionaires. Paul Bracq had just created his first masterpiece.
When I see a Pagoda in the street, I still get goosebumps. This car encapsulates everything we love about automobiles: elegance, performance, style. And to think it was designed by a Frenchman...
The golden decade at Mercedes
Between 1957 and 1967, Paul Bracq was a hit at Mercedes. He wasn't satisfied with the Pagode, no. He also produced:
The Mercedes 600 : the ultimate limousine, the one for heads of state, kings, and dictators. A 6.3-liter V8, over 6 meters long, with doors that open by themselves. The most impressive car of its time.
The W108 and W109 series : the luxury sedans that would redefine Mercedes' image for decades.
The W114 and W115 : nicknamed the "/8", more affordable cars but still with that instantly recognizable Bracq signature.
Paul is at the top of his game. He leads a team of designers, he has carte blanche, and Mercedes trusts him. All is well in the best of all possible worlds.
And then, in 1969, everything changed.
