MERCEDES AUTO 2000, 1981

It’s hard predicting the future – ask any carmaker trying to get a product plan that will see out the next six months, let alone the next six years. Guessing what’s going to happen in two decades? Let’s all pause for a brief chuckle.

It’s cathartic to laugh at the swings and misses of past futurologists, to ease the pain we might feel at the absence of flying cars, nuclear engines or self-driving Teslas.

The first rule of predicting the future is if you aim low, you can’t go wrong. Take Mercedes. The German government’s research ministry laid down a challenge back at the end of the oil crisis-riven Seventies to come up with the ‘car for the new millennium’.

There were rules – two different weight categories, strict targets for fuel consumption and suchlike. The heavier category meant a weight below 2,150kg, fuel consumption of at least 21.3mpg, room for four and a load capacity of 400kg at the same time. Phew. Mercedes says it was “a very ambitious target in those days”.

Mercedes presented its Auto 2000 concept at the 1981 Frankfurt motor show (remember those? In the olden days people used to gather together periodically to see new cars, rather than squinting at pictures on Twitter), and Audi and VW also had a go. All the cars of the future came with downsized engines, and while Mercedes produced this ungainly estate, Audi’s long and elegant saloon and VW’s short, stubby hatchback showed different ideas. Tellingly, no one decided to inflate their concept to the size of a two-bed semi and call it sporty.

The Mercedes engineers placed a particular emphasis on aero – the Auto 2000’s dragcoefficient was a slippery 0.28Cd thanks to the Kamm tail, the look characteristic of every eco-themed car since. A long sloping roofline leads to a sudden drop, which helps air to flow more quickly and smoothly over the car.

There were three powertrains – a 3.8-litre V8 petrol with fancy new cylinder shutoff tech, a 3.3-litre twin-turbo 6cyl diesel that did 31.3mpg, and even a gas turbine car. The engineers liked that one for its light weight and lower emissions.

There was nothing particularly futuristic about the Merc – sure, the side-hinged bonnet and glass tailgate were distinctive, but safety was key. The front seats had belts mounted directly on them, there were integrated child restraints and the car had pedestrian friendlier bumpers.

So, no floaty space car, but if you half close your eyes and squint a little bit, there’s a touch of 2005 R-Class about the Auto 2000 concept. What’s even more interesting is that the launch R350 was powered by a 3.5-litre V6 petrol, managed 24.4mpg and weighed around 2.1 tonnes. That was the progress that two decades of future brought. See? Just aim low.