The C111 was a series of experimental automobiles produced by Mercedes-Benz in the 1960s and 1970s. The company was experimenting with new engine technologies, including Wankel rotary engines, Diesel engines, and turbochargers, and used the basic C111 platform as a testbed. Other experimental features included gullwing doors and a luxurious interior with leather trim and air conditioning. However, it had never been planned to produce the new Gullwing in series, and the C 111 was not to appear in showrooms.
The first version of the C111 was completed in 1969. It used a fiberglass body shell and had a three-rotor direct fuel injected Wankel rotary-piston engine mounted in the middle. It developed 280hp and gave the car a top speed of 260 km/h; with this engine, the car accelerated from standstill to 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds.
