Few question the idea that the classic cars built by Mercedes-Benz between the 1930s and the 1950s were some of the best looking vehicles ever made, but now an icon is being re-imagined for the 21st century in Los Angeles.

The Silver Arrows were originally conceived as a racing team in 1934 and the roster of vehicles included cars such as the W25, W125 and the SSK.

One of the defining features of these cars was that they often had the raw aluminium of their body panels exposed in order to keep the weight low enough to meet the regulations of entering a Grand Prix.

The 2011 auto show in LA will play host to a fresh rethink of the original spirit which helped to sculpt the Silver Arrows.

Designed by Mercedes employee and American citizen, Huber Lee, the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow looks outlandish by modern standards, just like the original classics would have been ground-breaking in their day.

Omnidirectional shells replace traditional wheels and the long, sleek body is certainly reminiscent of past vehicles, albeit with a thoroughly contemporary twist, which would make it look perfectly at home in a sci-fi movie produced a few miles away in Hollywood.