Oskar Flaig invented the "denting technique without painting" in February 1960 at the "International Motor Sports Show" in New York, USA.

Mr Flaig - a simple Mercedes employee - had the task of caring for all exhibition vehicles on the paintwork side at Mercedes trade fairs. Damage, scratches in the paint and small dents caused by the public during the day had to be painted at night, so that the vehicles were in perfect condition during the day. At the fair in New York, Mr. Flaig had pressed a small dent with a hammer handle to paint it with less spatula. After expressing the result, however, looked perfect. That was the birth of the "denting technique without painting".

After the exhibition back home Mr. Flaig developed under primitive circumstances further tools from hammer and broomsticks, screwdrivers, nail iron and angled flat iron. He quickly discovered that spring steel was especially well-suited for the production of straightening hooks and stainless steel and developed the technology ever further.

With great commitment, he trained employees at the Sindelfingen plant and was promoted to works master in 1962 and respectfully referred to by his colleagues as Goldflaschner. Shortly thereafter, he carried out training at all plant branches in the USA and in England. Incidentally, the term "Goldflaschner" has remained until today.

From the USA, the dent removal technique via Italy came back to Europe. Italian artisans acquired appropriate knowledge and hail damage first in Italy and Austria, later in Germany, afterwards. In Germany, this technology was kept secret for a long time and only spread when dent removal troops from Italy pushed into the German market.

At the Gärtringer body shop Nüssle this dent removal technique has been practiced for more than 2 decades.

Their owner, Mr. Erich Nüssle, developed special bulge-out tool, which he sells through his company Nüssle Spezialwerkzeuge founded in 1996. Also training courses to learn the Ausbeultechnik offers the house Nüssle - under the motto: The right path is the right training. Because only those who are familiar with the tool, who knows the right procedure and handles, can perform the necessary work with high quality.

Meanwhile, the dent removal technique without painting is used by every car manufacturer in the world. This saved billions of euros.

This is the merit of Oskar Flaig, who retired in 1987 as factory foreman at Mercedes and recently had 120 employees under his wing.

Oskar Flaig (born November 21, 1922) died at the age of 90 in the Swabian Böblingen.