The End of an Era: Gorden Wagener Leaves Mercedes-Benz

In October, Wagener spoke in an interview about one of the biggest product offensives in the history of Mercedes-Benz. The announcement of his departure marks a deliberate, amicable transition and the end of a formative era. On his social media channels, the Essen-born designer explained that it was ‘the right time to close this chapter’. The announcement on Instagram was accompanied by a pictorial review of his career. Mercedes-Benz has since confirmed his departure in an official press release. After joining Mercedes-Benz in 1997, Gorden Wagener succeeded Peter Pfeiffer in 2008 and quickly became one of the most influential figures in international automotive design. As Chief Design Officer, he was responsible for the global design of all the group's brands and products.

Hardly any Mercedes-Benz model remained untouched under Wagener. His design signature ranges from luxury and sports cars to classic passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Among his best-known projects are the Mercedes SLS AMG, the rebirth of the G-Class (G Wagon), the Mercedes-Maybach 6 concept car and the S-Class of the W222 series. With his design philosophy of ‘sensual clarity,’ Wagener shaped the modern design language of Mercedes-Benz and positioned the brand worldwide as a synonym for progressiveness, luxury and technological elegance. As Chief Design Officer, Wagener was responsible not only for individual models, but also for the overall design identity of the Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and G-Class brands – from vehicles and brand appearances to architecture and lifestyle projects.

Regarding his retirement, Wagener offers an outlook that suggests the company's creative future has already been planned for the long term: ‘The future for the next decade has already been mapped out, so I can hand over Mercedes-Benz with confidence.’ What the future holds for Gorden Wagener professionally remains to be seen. One thing is clear, however: he will remain closely connected to the design scene. As a member of the Presidium of the German Design Council, Wagener will continue to be committed to national design culture and the innovative strength of German industrial design.