Mercedes-Benz vehicles, particularly the W124/201 models, are known for their distinctive asymmetrical side mirror design. The passenger’s side mirror is square and shorter, while the driver’s side mirror is rectangular and longer. This design choice was implemented for practical and aesthetic reasons.
The shorter passenger-side mirror reduces the overall width of the car, making it easier to navigate narrow European streets and reducing the risk of scratching the mirror. While seemingly smaller, the passenger side mirror’s height was increased, resulting in a surface area slightly larger than the driver’s side (150 sq. cms. versus 127 sq. cms.). This compensates for the shorter length, ensuring adequate visibility for the passenger side.
This asymmetrical design was a deliberate stylistic choice by Mercedes-Benz designer Bruno Sacco, breaking from traditional symmetrical mirror designs. He highlighted the unique aesthetic appeal of the asymmetrical mirrors in the W124 press release brochure.
Initially, only the passenger-side mirror was electrically adjustable. Mercedes-Benz reasoned that the driver’s side mirror was within easy reach, eliminating the need for electric control, also reducing production costs. However, after 1993, with the introduction of the Memory Feature for electric seats, which often included mirror adjustments, Mercedes-Benz incorporated electric control for both side mirrors, even in models without the Memory Feature as standard. This marked a shift towards greater convenience and feature parity across models.
