Former Mercedes-Benz Chief of Design gets awarded 2026 design Lifetime Acheivement Award
Posted by Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 17 comments
Gorden Wagener retired from Mercedes-Benz as Chief of Design effectively on January 31st. He was employed at the company for 30 years and had held the Chief of Design role since 2016.
Beforehand he had been Head of Design since 2008. Chief of Design was the new title for Head of Design and came with more control in terms of what designs were greenlighted for production.
Former Mercedes-AMG Chief of Design Bastian Baudy suceeded him on February 1st. Besides Gorden Wagener he led design of the W214 which is the sixth generation E-Class that was unveiled in 2024.
Some of the notable Mercedes branded models Gorden Wagener led development on were the 1st generation CLS, SLR McLaren, SLS-AMG, 1st & 2nd generation AMG-GT, AMG-One, Vision Iconic Concept, GLC & GLE Coupe, Vision One Eleven Concept, GLC EV, ànd the R-Class.
strongmanass@reddit
Before the comments about banana shaped cars, big screens, gaming computer interiors, and creaking piano black plastics roll in, it's worth acknowledging that while he ran out of ideas toward the end of his career (IMO), he did oversee some stunners and move Mercedes on from the shadow of Bruno Sacchi.
FreeTheMarket@reddit
Image having to follow up on Bruno.
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
Defintely so. Defintely some did designs from him but a lot of great ones and great greenlighting deicisons made.
strongmanass@reddit
I didn't know Wagener's work on future models extended that far out. That must be frustrating for Baudy. Realistically that's longer than his tenure will probably be. He'll get no public credit for his work but will get any and all criticism for Wagener's last work.
10 years strikes me as a really long time. When BMW switched up all their designers and brought in Missoni from Polestar, van Hooydonk said we'd see Missoni's influence after 5 years.
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
It makes it seem like his retirement was sudden to mercedes or baustian was the person they had the most confidence in as a new chief but they didn’t think he had enough design experience ànd/or leading design experience in their eyes to not have Gorden design a lot future models
Eclipsetube@reddit
I don’t get the hate that guy gets. It has to be recency bias because he designed stuff like the 2nd gen CLS, S Coupé, AMG-GT, W222 S-Class, first gen GLC (which was a HUGE upgrade design wise from the GLK), newest gen SL which is beautiful, last gen C-Class and more importantly the coupé version of it and the E-Class
b-Lox@reddit
Hate comes also from people who know about real car design process, because he didn't design anything in the role of chief designer. He has dozens of managers and a hundred designers. Yet, he never named one of them. It's like asking why hating the director of the movie, when he shows up alone at the premiere, give all the interviews, saying that he is filming so well, and didn't put any credit at the end of the film. A few of these personalities still exist in car design, it's a relic of the past, ego maniacs that believe they are the brand themselves. Disgusting when you spend months working like hell for people who never even say thank you.
K_R_A_K_E_N-540@reddit
2nd gen CLS is probably the most iconic Mercedes design in recent time
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
I feel like it doesn’t have much longevity fame wise as models like the s class coupe or W222
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
Yeah he’s done a ton of great design work for the brand. I think the people who are only focusing on his EQ line just never liked him as a designer in comparison to Bruno ànd prefer to be negative
Maximilianne@reddit
I don't really hate the EQS design cues, like the EQS problem is it doesn't have the long hood and chunky rear boot,but such a design would compromise the aero and interior space
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
That’s true
PurpleHairedLoon@reddit
Long overdue he pissed off. Too many monstrous egos in car design and the cars suffer for it.
Capri280@reddit
Former? Glad to hear that the era of "Sensual Purity" is finally behind us. Hopefully the new guy turns things around, but I'm not holding my breath.
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
It’s really just a different phase of it being Gorden said he did design work on models leading up to 10 years from now. I like the era too for the most part, some iffy designs but a lot I like.
Capri280@reddit
Good thing I wasn't holding my breath then, eh? 🤣
Here's to hoping that just means planned facelifts of existing cars with even bigger grilles and more stars instead of Gorden Wagener shaped next generation cars
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
Indeed lol.
Some of them will be but the majority of them will new generations ànd new models since he retired when the majority of their models either have just been refreshed or are refreshed next year. Some new models coming in the next two years including this year are the EV gt 4 door, the ev c-class, a 1000 horsepower amg ev suv, the ev e-class, others im probably not thinking of. Mercedes-Benz CEO said there’s a ton of models coming this year ànd next year.