Mercedes' new Artisanal approach sets luxury cars apart

A single steering wheel takes four to eight hours to hand-stitch. Less time is required for a leather-only design, and more when leather is combined with wood or Piano Black. Over the course of a year, enough thread is used to equal the distance from the Earth to the Moon and back (477,000 miles). Sheets of leather are inspected for even the smallest flaws and damages. Seats can be personalized not only in terms of color and pattern but also tailored to fit the body shape of the customer.

All of this takes place at the Manufaktur factory in Sindelfingen, Germany. This division of Mercedes-Benz focuses on personalizing luxury models of Mercedes, Maybach, AMG, and the G-Class. Within a space of 13,000 square feet, 200 artisans work meticulously. During the opening of the Manufaktur Studio, I had the opportunity to closely observe their craftsmanship.

It's no secret that luxury car brands earn significantly by fulfilling the unique desires of customers who want their cars to stand out. This might include an unusual paint color or a distinct wheel design, but most often, it's the customized interior configuration. That's why Mercedes-Benz is expanding its Manufaktur division with additional production techniques and personalization options.

This trend follows the footsteps of brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce, which base their business model on bespoke personalization. "Bespoke personalization brings us significant profits, although even the basic version ensures a reasonable margin. It's just that no one orders the basic version," said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös.

There are stories, for instance, of ordering paint to match a favorite lipstick or pearls from a family collection. There's no limit to creativity—like having decorative elements made of salmon leather on the dashboard if the client is a fish breeder or a constellated zodiac sign illuminated on the headliner above each seat for every family member.

Mercedes-Benz is embracing this path, although brand representatives prefer to describe it as a return to their roots rather than imitating others. They often recall that the first car in Mercedes's history was specially commissioned by Austrian businessman and diplomat Emil Jellinek. It was meant to be a lightweight automobile capable of winning a race in Nice and outpacing French vehicles. Wilhelm Maybach designed it under the condition that the car be named after Jellinek's daughter, Mercedes.

In 2025, the Maybach S-Class configurator will feature 50 new paint colors, bringing the total to over 80. Despite the increasing demand for distinctive road presence, the classic black S-Class isn't disappearing anytime soon.

The Manufaktur Studio in Sindelfingen also implements innovative matrix assembly line technology. Vehicles are moved on autonomous trolleys from station to station, where custom-made interior elements are meticulously assembled by hand. Using PixelPaint, a "printer" for car bodies, the hood can be adorned with a mosaic of Maybach emblems. Additional designs will be available in the future.

Good lighting, cameras, and artificial intelligence assist in detecting even the smallest imperfections in leather sheets designated for upholstery production. Marks from insect bites, scars, or burns result in disqualification. However, the raw materials are not wasted—defective parts are cut out and used to produce gadgets and small leather accessories.

Leather can cover the steering wheel, dashboard, seats, door panels, and headliner. Individual elements are precisely cut by machine, either with a conventional blade or high-pressure water. The latter method offers greater precision. The leather is manually applied to structural elements.

A distinguishing feature of luxury Maybach and Mercedes models is the leather pillows on the rear captain's seats. The sewing is done from the inside out. An opening is left through which filler is inserted after the pillow is turned right side out. The pillow is then hand-sewn shut, rendering the seam invisible.

Personalization within Manufaktur may include embroidering or hot-stamping emblems or patterns on the headrests, among other parts. Customers can choose from a catalog of ready-made designs or a unique signature or family coat of arms.