In a time of global tensions, environmental crises, wars and ever-faster progress, the premium car brands from Germany decide to take a step back. Not out of pure nostalgia, but to rediscover the calming power of roots, memory and identity in design.
Today, Audi, BMW and Mercedes are exploring a formal language that refers to the distinctive features of their past. They do this with the latest models, which are either near-production concepts or are already being produced in series: Audi Concept C, BMW iX3 and the Mercedes Vision Iconic.
The front of the mighty Vision Iconic leaves no doubt: the radiator grille with horizontal, chrome-plated and prominent slats is a direct allusion to the Mercedes from the 1950s, from the Ponton models to the legendary 300 SL. Some people even feel reminded of the time before 1945…
The individually recessed and round headlights add a vintage touch that combines with the taut and powerful silhouette of the car. The body, solid but proportioned and very aerodynamic, appears as if it were cast from a single piece: the surfaces are clear, the roof is low and the high beltline gives the impression of a technological monolith. The color can only be black, with the lighting elements creating a strong contrast with or without outside light.
But it’s not just a stylistic exercise: the Vision Iconic expresses a philosophy. Returning to familiar elements, such as an emblem, a grille or a profile, today means offering visual certainties in a changing world.
For many years, Audis have had a front design with a horizontal arrangement or, in some cases, with the grille integrated into the hood – such as the Audi 100 C4 of the 1990s up to the most recent “Single Frame”. To get to something similar to the Concept C, you have to go way back in time, to the Auto Union years.
In the Audi Concept C there are not only echoes of the TT or the R8, but also of Auto Union’s sports cars from the past
Image from: Audi
BMW returned to building high-quality sedans and sporty coupes with the Neue Klasse, and the narrow double kidney grille was a feature of this that returns today in the production version of the iX3.
Image from: BMW
The same applies to the new BMW iX3, where the high and narrow kidney grille is a reference to the eponymous “Neue Klasse” of the 1960s. Whether Audi or BMW: Both rely on a greatly reduced design, which is clearly visible in the side profile.
It’s not the first time that German brands have flirted with the past. In the early 2000s, projects such as the Maybach Exelero – realized in Italy by Stola but with a design desired by the client – or the Audi Rosemeyer concept, inspired by the Auto Union racing cars, brought to life a language inspired by the streamlined aesthetic of the 1930s.
They were monumental, theatrical stylistic exercises that sought to evoke more power than elegance, on the border between car and art.
Peugeot also ventured into retro design with the 908 RC Concept in 2006
Image from: Peugeot
The 2000 Audi Rosemeyer inspired the 2025 Concept C
Mercedes is not new to evoking the past, especially with the Maybach brand: just look at the Maybach Exelero concept, which is similar to the new Mercedes study
The BMW Concept Coupé Mille Miglia from 2006, less known to the general public, falls into the same category: curved shapes, covered headlights, body of a touring car from 1940. But at the time these ideas seemed too far removed from production.
Today, however, people are increasingly relying on a special design given that the pure technology of electric cars is becoming more and more similar.
Renault Twingo E-Tech electric (2026) Teaser
Image from: Renault
Other brands have made retro design a real strategy. With the trio R5, R4 and Twingo in an electric new edition, Renault is relying on visual continuity that is very well received. Fiat has already done this with the 500, Volkswagen with the New Beetle and then the ID. Buzz, and of course there’s Mini.
The decision of some brands to revisit historical names for completely new models is more ambivalent: Ford Puma and Capri share with their namesakes only the name and a vague dynamic spirit.
The Fiat Trepiùno Concept from 2004 by Roberto Giolito, forerunner of the current 500 on a larger platform: The retro design picks up shapes, proportions and concepts from a “happy” past.
The return of the Mini 2001: the new edition of a brilliant and technically advanced idea. On this basis, Mini is now a whole brand based entirely on the same design principles.
And then there is Citroen, which has always been associated with a form of stylistic avant-garde. Everyone expects a new 2CV, but the brand responds with increasingly surprising concepts: nevertheless, the arch of the windshield of the first C3 in 2002 was enough to evoke the myth and boost sales.
Like film and music, design reflects our times. Today the sounds of the 80s are celebrating a comeback, old films are being retold and vinyl is experiencing a revival – cars are also looking for stylistic ideas in the past. It’s not about nostalgia, but about the desire to express yourself individually.
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