Safety, that's what the manufacturers initially mean by 'operational safety'. The car should work, in general and then also as precisely as possible. If possible, this should be done inside the factory gates. Of course, this also includes how the individual components prove themselves over a certain service life.

In principle, however, everything that the car does after delivery is the responsibility of the driver. The fact that with the increase in drivable speeds greater safety must also be built into the car and this may also have to be transferred to the cheaper models, only later did the manufacturers realize.

According to the historiography of Daimler-Benz, real research in the field of accident prevention began with the recruitment of the young engineer Béla Barényi, although he was initially involved in a project to stabilize frames for convertibles. No, apart from the introduction of laminated glass, not much happened before the war.

And after that one had other worries. Even the first completely newly conceived 180 showed nothing fundamentally new apart from a new shape in contrast to the 170. If such a vehicle crashed into a non-yielding element, one was proud of the fact that as little as possible could be seen at the body. What happened to the passengers didn't seem to get enough attention.

After all, one could not avoid once again realizing the progress made by the USA after a war, where seat belts were already preferred and everything else in the interior should be defused. But only the latter requirement was reasonably fully realized in the W 110, e.g. with padding of the dashboard at the top and bottom, rubber-like control elements and a padded steering wheel.

There were also standard inclined shoulder belts, but optional headrests were only available from 1968. The American model was clearly recognizable on the body. Never again did Daimler-Benz so obviously venture into certain styling cues. And then the highlight for passive safety, the softer body at the front and rear combined with a more stable passenger cell.

One had the impression that the world of engineers was networking in the field of accident research. In the USA, the advantages of systematic biometric research were now also becoming apparent. In 1965 the lawyer Ralph Nader's book 'Unsafe at any speed' burst into it, which caused a stir in the USA. Here the safety measures not implemented in the series, mainly for cost reasons, were denounced.

The skidding of the tail of the Chevrolet Corvair was fought with adventurous values for the tire pressure instead of a stabilizer. The convertible version is life-threatening if it rolls over, Nader wrote, whereupon it was even banned and no convertibles were produced in the USA for years. However, the book not only sparked debates and attracted increased attention from politicians, but also initiated an unprecedented wave of lawsuits.

Here's Porsche's answer to the convertible crisis: First just a fixed Targa bar with a loose top in front and behind it, then just a fixed rear window and a collapsible roof insert that can be placed under the front hood. Today there is almost no convertible without a support at the back, which is supposed to help in the event of a rollover. If it is extendable, however, it is not operated with pyrotechnics but with spring force, so it can be reset without damage.