Mercedes-Benz cars cancelled at the last minute

[JBell]

The 1950s Baby Benz (1953)​

Mercedes-Benz unsuccessfully tried launching an entry-level model several times before it introduced the W201 190 in December 1982. In 1953, the company’s board approved the development of a model that would have cost 15 to 20% less than the 170V but the project got cancelled when Daimler took over Auto Union in 1958.
Members of its board pointed out a small Mercedes would have competed against a large DKW and they wanted to avoid all unnecessary overlapping.

Mercedes-Benz 600 (1960)​

Mercedes really made its mark on the post-war world with its 600 'Grosser' saloon, which was offered in standard- and long-wheelbase forms when it was launched in production form in 1963.
But this is how it could have looked; the stacked headlights could have given way to this rather American-looking nose design. Thankfully Mercedes didn't pursue this design and chose instead to use much more Germanic styling for the production 600.

Mercedes-Benz 600 Coupe (1965)​

The regular- and long-wheelbase variants of the Mercedes-Benz 600 catered mostly to chauffeur-driven buyers. The company tried capturing the top end of the personal luxury car market with a two-door variant of its limousine. Doors aside, the coupe looked almost identical to standard 600 save for a pair of air vents added behind the front wheels.
Mercedes preferred allocating its resources to other projects and the 600 Coupe remained a prototype. The only example built resides in a private collection today

Mercedes-Benz C112 (1991)​

Intended to be the road-going version of the Sauber-built 1990 Mercedes C11 Group C racer, the C112 was a spiritual successor to the original 300SL, with its gull-wing doors and supercar performance. The latter came courtesy of a mid-mounted 400bhp 6.0-litre V12, while great attention to weight saving and aerodynamics ensured the car would have been fabulous to drive.
But despite more than 700 orders being placed after the car had been unveiled, Mercedes got cold feet and decided not to build the car