Benz “Prinz Heinrich car” from 1910. Faithfully restored by Mercedes-Benz Classic in accordance with the requirement for utmost authenticity and thereafter presented to the public again in 2013. This special touring car was driven by Carl Neumaier in the legendary long-distance race in June 1910. Equipped with four-valve technology, the 4-cylinder engine developed 59 kW (80 hp) from its 5.7-litre displacement.
FROM M-B:
Mercedes-Benz
Classic at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance
• Mercedes-Benz
Classic brings “Prinz Heinrich” Benz and 24/40 hp Benz landaulet to California
• Representatives
of the brand’s long tradition of sports- and luxury-class cars
Stuttgart –
Mercedes-Benz Classic is to mark its attendance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance to be held on
18 August 2013 by exhibiting a “Prinz Heinrich” Benz dating from 1910.
Restored by Mercedes-Benz Classic, the vehicle is considered to be one of the
first true sports cars ever made. Another exhibit which will be on display at
the event is a 24/40 hp Benz landaulet dating from 1907, representing the
long tradition of premium- and luxury-class vehicles at Mercedes-Benz.
The Pebble
Beach Concours d’Élégance is held
in the American state of California and traditionally takes place on the third
Sunday in August. The classic event staged on the 18th green of the Pebble
Beach Golf Links course is one of the world’s most prestigious classic car
shows. The Concours d’Élégance marks
the highlight of a weekend which is completely dedicated to elegant, refined,
and outstanding vehicles. For fans, experts,
and collectors of classic cars, the exclusive auctions are must-attend
events in their calendar, for example.
Mercedes-Benz
has enjoyed a long tradition of success at the top-class event celebrated under
the hot Californian sun: since 1950, the
brand’s long list of awards have included several overall victories in
the “Best of Show” category as well as more than 120 class victories and special prizes. Last year too saw a
Mercedes-Benz pick up the coveted title of “Best of Show” in the guise
of a Mercedes-Benz Saoutchik S Type. Designed by French coachbuilder Jacques
Saoutchik, the car first shipped in 1928. The S Type’s “torpedo” bodywork with
low windscreen captured the hearts of the judges so much so that it was named
the finest vehicle on display at the competition.
“Prinz Heinrich” Benz from 1910
This year
Mercedes-Benz Classic is bringing a representative of the very early days of
motor racing to the USA: a “Prinz-Heinrich” Benz dating from 1910, which
Mercedes-Benz Classic has faithfully restored to the very highest standards of
authenticity. More than 100 years old, the vehicle is a fascinating
contemporary witness of the motor sport innovations of the early 1900s. In
terms of technology, this Benz model combines everything that was, and today
still is, deemed to be high-tech in the field of automotive engineering,
including dual ignition and four-valve technology.
In its day, the “Prinz-Heinrich Fahrt” (Prince Heinrich Tour), named after the
brother of the German Emperor, was one of the most prominent automobile races in Europe. The “Kaiserlicher Automobil-Club”
(German Imperial Automobile Club) staged the event between 1908 and
1910, and only permitted four-seater production vehicles to take part – so
strictly no racing cars.
For the 1910
Tour, which was staged between 2 and 8 June of that year and covered a total
distance of 1,945 kilometres from Berlin to Bad Homburg vor der Höhe in Hesse –
via Brunswick, Kassel, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Strasbourg, and Metz – no less
than ten all-new special touring cars were built. Four of them had 5.7-litre
engines while the other six had engines with a displacement of 7.3 litres. All
the touring cars were equipped with cardan shaft drive and featured a
streamlined body with a characteristic pointed rear.
This dark
green Benz special touring car with race number 38, only presented in February
after being extensively restored to its original condition by Mercedes-Benz
Classic, is considered to be the first true sports car by many automobile
historians. It is one of only two known vehicles in the world produced by Benz
for the Prince Heinrich Tour of 1910 that have survived in their original form
since their first race more than 100 years ago. The vehicle from the
Mercedes-Benz Classic collection finished in 11th place at the time, and then
in the same year also took part in the Tsar Nicholas Tour. To this day the
racing car still has the modified engine – with a displacement reduced to 5.4
litres – with which it was fitted for this race in Russia.
Technical data for the “Prinz-Heinrich” Benz
Year of
construction: 1910
Cylinders: 4
Displacement: 5,715 cc
Power output: 80 hp (59 kW)
Top speed: 126 km/h
Cylinders: 4
Displacement: 5,715 cc
Power output: 80 hp (59 kW)
Top speed: 126 km/h
24/40 hp Benz
landaulet from 1907
The second vehicle to be presented by Mercedes-Benz
Classic at Pebble Beach is a 24/40 hp Benz landaulet. This vehicle stands
in the long tradition of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which dates back to the
start of the 20th century. Since that time, the product line of the brands
Mercedes and Benz – from 1926 Mercedes-Benz – has always comprised
outstanding premium- and luxury-class models. They represent innovative,
visionary automotive technology, generating the driving force for entire
automotive development.
The 24/40 hp model was produced at Benz in the
first decade of the last century as part of a whole series of newly developed products with 28, 35, 40 and 45 hp (21, 26, 29 and 33 kW) engines. They all
featured a variety of technical features: they all had a four-cylinder engine
with cylinders cast together in pairs. The laterally positioned camshaft was
driven via spur gears. Two spark plugs per cylinder drew their current via
magneto ignition. The four-speed transmission was operated via a sliding shift
mechanism. Despite being optionally available with cardan shaft drive system,
the power of the 24/40 hp model from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection
is still delivered to the rear wheels via chains.
As was usual for that period, different body variants
were available – hence also a landaulet version. The driver was left to sit out
in the open, with little protection, while in inclement weather the ladies and
gentlemen were able to sit beneath a well-upholstered folding roof. The vehicle
from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection was originally delivered to the south
of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, where it remained in service until
1966.
Technical data for the 24/40 hp Benz
landaulet
Year of construction: 1907
Cylinders: 4, cast together in pairs
Displacement: 6,107 cc
Power output: 40 hp (29 kW)
Top speed: 80 km/h
Cylinders: 4, cast together in pairs
Displacement: 6,107 cc
Power output: 40 hp (29 kW)
Top speed: 80 km/h
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