Mercedes-Benz at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2017

Mercedes-Benz Model S (W 06) at Sankt Hubertus forester’s lodge in Nürburg, headquarters of the Daimler-Benz racing team for the German Grand Prix for sports cars at the Nürburgring, 17 July 1927.

AMG 300 SEL 6.8 (W 109), authentic replica of the 1971 racing tourer, at Arlberg Classic 2013.

With a dozen racing cars and sporty vehicles from over 100 years, Mercedes-Benz Classic sums up the motto of this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed: "Peaks of Performance – Motorsport's Game-Changers" celebrates competition vehicles that have written racing history with their exceptional design. The spectrum ranges from the Mercedes-Simplex 40 PS of 1903 to Lewis Hamilton's MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W04 of 2013. In the year of its 50th anniversary, Mercedes-AMG is also strongly represented at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place from 29 June to 2 July 2017 at Goodwood in the south of England.

Stuttgart. Racing history is always also the history of innovation. This is made clear in a fascinating way by the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2017 with this year's motto "Peaks of Performance – Motorsport's Game-Changers". For, in the fight to gain fractions of a second, engineers have time and again extended the limits of what is technically feasible. And the most successful racing cars to be designed in this way have been genuine game-changers that create new conditions for motorsport and, sometimes, standard-production vehicles.

This year, Mercedes-Benz Classic will have a strong presence at the "world's biggest automotive garden party", showing how such racing milestones have characterised the brand's sportiness for almost 115 years. The large number of vehicles also demonstrates the enduring importance of innovative solutions from the world of racing when it comes to innovation in series production. For example, the Mercedes-Simplex 40 PS of 1903 would have been unthinkable without the Mercedes 35 PS from 1901, which was the world's first modern automobile and at that time dominated the important Nice Racing Week, its victories laying the foundation stone for the success of Mercedes-Simplex models and revolutionising the development of the motor vehicle.

Since then, the history of the brand has seen a succession of pioneering developments in the fields of racing and standard-production sports cars. Mercedes-Benz Classic brings this legacy to life at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with vehicles from across the ages and from different racing formats – including today's high-performance automobiles from Mercedes-AMG.

While some of the vehicles presented by Mercedes-Benz Classic in Goodwood will be on static display, others will be in live action on the hill-climb track with brand ambassadors such as Roland Asch, Ellen Lohr, Jochen Mass, Bernd Schneider and Karl Wendlinger at the wheel.

From the privately owned Mercedes Grand Prix racing car of 1914 (triple triumph at the French Grand Prix) to the Mercedes-Benz Model S, which was unveiled 90 years ago (the first of the legendary "White Elephants"), the range of vehicles on show also includes Lewis Hamilton's modern-day Formula One racer MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W04 from 2013.

Mercedes-Benz Classic is also bringing to Sussex two iconic Silver Arrows from the 1930s (W 25 of 1934 and W 125 of 1937), which dominated Grand Prix racing in their day. In addition, the AMG 300 SEL 6.8 from 1971, in the form of an authentic replica, and the Penske-Mercedes PC 23 indy car from 1994 bear testimony to the masterly technical achievements of the engineers. Another spotlight will be on three racing tourers used in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) and based on the W 201, W 202 and W 203 model series.

Two genuine game-changers are currently also up for sale on ALL TIME STARS, the vehicle trading platform of Mercedes-Benz Classic – both being allowed to make the trip to Goodwood before they find a new owner. One of them is a Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II from 1990, while the other is an AMG Mercedes C-Class racing tourer (W 203) from the 2005 DTM season.

50 years of AMG

At Mercedes-Benz, the powerful, design-based relationship between sportiness and racing is today epitomised in particular by the performance and sports car brand Mercedes-AMG. It was 50 years ago that Hans-Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher founded the AMG company as an "engineering office". This golden anniversary will be celebrated by Mercedes-AMG at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2017 with the impressive presence of numerous high-performance vehicles. These include the four-door hybrid show car AMG GT Concept, the Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster and the Mercedes-AMG GT R (fuel consumption, combined: 11.4 -9.3 l/100 km CO2 emissions, combined 259-216 g/km) and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series, which was unveiled in 2013. In addition, reigning Formula One world champion Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas, current Formula One driver with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, will be competing on the hill-climb track in an F1 W05 Hybrid Silver Arrow from 2014.

Automotive nobility

Since 1993, Lord March (full title: Charles Gordon Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara) has opened the doors of his country estate to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The four-day festival has long since established itself as one of the main attractions in the global event calendar for classic cars. Visitors can enjoy extraordinarily close contact with both vehicles and drivers. Festival highlights include the races on the historic hill-climb track, the paddock (open to all visitors) with exclusive sporty vehicles from all eras and categories as well as other programme items such as drives on the rally section in the forest on the estate.

Goodwood House and the adjoining park have been in the possession of the Richmond family since 1697. The 9th Duke of Richmond, a passionate racing driver known as "Freddie" to his motorsport contemporaries, established the Goodwood circuit on the nearby airfield after the Second World War. That is where famous races were held from 1948 until 1966. His grandson, the current Earl of March and Kinrara, has successfully revived Goodwood's motorsport tradition with the Festival of Speed (since 1993) and the Goodwood Revival Meeting (since 1998).

The Goodwood Festival of Speed begins on the Thursday (29 June 2017) with the traditional "Moving Motor Show", at which current standard-production vehicles are presented. For the first time in the history of the festival, the Thursday will also see super sports cars competing on the hill-climb track. On the Friday (30 June 2017), the hill-climb track will host races for outstanding sports vehicles of all types "from past, present and the near future", as described by the organiser. On the Saturday (1 July 2017), modern-day racing cars and super sports cars will compete for the fastest lap time — with the crowning finale on the Sunday (2 July 2017), when the fastest time of the festival will be determined.

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2017:
Mercedes-Benz Classic vehicles

The ALL TIME STARS vehicles on show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed are subject to change at short notice.

Mercedes-Simplex 40 HP, 1903

The Mercedes-Simplex 40 HP was launched in March 1902, superseding the legendary Mercedes 35 HP. The suffix "Simplex" was intended to indicate how easy the new model was to operate for its time. Its direct predecessor had defined the motor car's distinctive form for the first time. Characteristic features included the long wheelbase, the light and powerful engine installed low down and the honeycomb radiator integrated organically into the front end, which was to become distinctive for the brand. The Mercedes 35 PS marked the end of the "horse carriage" style that had dominated the industry and is thus considered to be the first modern car. From the very start, the new Mercedes-Simplex was successful in motorsport, with the Englishman E. T. Stead winning the Nice–La Turbie hill climb. In the mile race, the 40 PS models attained speeds of over 100 km/h. Delivered in 1903, the white example from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection is one of the oldest-preserved vehicles bearing the Mercedes brand.

Technical data of Mercedes-Simplex 40 PSProduction period: 1902 to 1910
Cylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 6785 cc Output: 29 kW (40 hp) at 1100 rpm
Top speed: 100 km/h

Mercedes Grand Prix racing car, 1914

On 4 July 1914, Mercedes celebrated a triple triumph at the French Grand Prix. The race over the 37.6-kilometre circuit to the south of Lyons was contested by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft with its newly developed Grand Prix racing car. The race consisted of 20 laps of the challenging circuit over a distance of more than 750 kilometres, with Mercedes facing allegedly unassailable competition. Despite Theodor Pilette and Max Sailer being forced to retire after technical problems, Christian Lautenschlager, Louis Wagner and Otto Salzer in the other cars finished first, second and third after over seven hours at the wheel: the first triple triumph in the history of motorsport. As the rules for the first time stipulated a maximum displacement of 4.5 litres, Mercedes developed an all-new four-cylinder engine with overhead camshaft as well as two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder. The racing engine had a peak output of 78 kW (106 hp) at a revolutionary high engine speed of 3100 rpm.

Technical data of Mercedes Grand Prix racing carPeriod of use: 1914 to 1922
Cylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 4483 cc
Output: 78 kW (106 hp)
Top speed: 180 km/h

Mercedes-Benz Model S (W 06), 1927

The Mercedes-Benz Model S of 1927 was the first in a series of supercharged sports cars that were nicknamed "White Elephants" and which dominated motorsport in the late 1920s, achieving world fame. The "S" stood for Sport, which says it all. Its first race outing – the inaugural race at the Nürburgring on 19 June 1927 – resulted in a triple victory for Mercedes-Benz. The winner was Rudolf Caracciola, who went on to become the most successful racing driver of the pre-war era. Other triumphs for the brand included a triple victory at the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring on 17 July 1927. Although the racing version of the Model S was reserved for works drivers, it was also available as an exclusive road-going sports car that numerous private drivers successfully drove in competitions. A total of 146 units were built up until 1928. Two models based on the Model S (for "Sport) were produced in 1928 – the SS (for "Super Sport") and the SSK, with SSK standing for "Super Sport Kurz" ("Kurz" meaning "short") – followed by the SSKL in 1931, with SSKL standing for "Super Sport Kurz Leicht" ("Kurz Leicht" meaning "short, light").

Technical data of Mercedes-Benz Model S
Production period: 1927 to 1928
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 6789 cc
Output: 88 kW (120 hp), with compressor  132 kW (180 hp) at 3000 rpm
Top speed: 170 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 750-kilogram racing car (W 25), 1934

The W 25 was the first Mercedes-Benz racing car for the new Grand Prix formula that came into effect in 1934 and which stipulated a maximum weight of 750 kilograms. The designers at Mercedes-Benz opted for a traditional vehicle architecture, with the front-installed engine transferring its power to the rear wheels via a transmission on the rear axle. The eight-cylinder in-line engine initially had a displacement of 3.4 litres and was equipped with a supercharger of the kind that had already proved extremely successful on the race track. Legend has it that, overnight, the mechanics sanded off the white paint in order to meet the required weight limit – thanks to its silvery aluminium skin, which now gleamed in the sunshine, the car soon earned the nickname Silver Arrow. With Manfred von Brauchitsch at the wheel, the car was victorious on its very first outing, thereby establishing the unique success story of the Silver Arrows. The W 25 was used from 1934 until 1936, during which time it underwent continuous further development. In 1935, it helped Rudolf Caracciola to win the European championship.

Technical data of Mercedes-Benz 750-kilogram racing car W 25Period of use: 1934 to 1936
Cylinders: 8/in-line
Displacement: 3360 to 4740 cc
Output: 260 kW (354 hp) to 363 kW (494 hp)
Top speed: around 300 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 750-kilogram racing car (W 125), 1937

When it started to become clear in the 1936 season that, despite two Grand Prix victories, the W 25 was no longer competitive, the racing department was given its own Technical Director: Rudolf Uhlenhaut. Together with his team, he immediately embarked on the development of a fundamentally new racing car. Having thoroughly tested the W 25 under racing conditions, for the successor W 125 Uhlenhaut chose a revolutionary chassis design with rigid frame, soft suspension and strong damping. The eight-cylinder in-line engine, too, was meticulously improved and, after being equipped with a supercharger and having its displacement increased to 5.7 litres, developed an output of up to  475 kW (646 hp). It was the late 1980s before the same level of engine output was again attained by a Grand Prix racing car. The new Silver Arrow was triumphant in its very first race, the Grand Prix of Tripoli (Libya), with Hermann Lang at the wheel, and went on to dominate the rest of the 1937 racing season. In the end, Rudolf Caracciola won his second European Grand Prix championship.

Technical data of Mercedes-Benz 750-kilogram racing car W 125Period of use: 1937
Cylinders: 8/in-line
Displacement: 5663 cc
Output: up to 475 kW (646 hp)
Top speed: 320 km/h

AMG 300 SEL 6.8 (W 109), 1971

At the wheel of the AMG 300 SEL 6.8 racing tourer, Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz posted a totally surprising class victory on the very first outing in the 24-Hour Race at Spa–F rancorchamps in Belgium on 24 July 1971 and took second place in the overall classification. The winning car was developed by the then virtually unknown AMG, founded in 1967 by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher in Grossaspach. The modified vehicle was based on the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 which, with an output of  184 kW (250 hp), was absolutely unrivalled in its day. Yet AMG made what was at that time Germany's fastest standard-production automobile even more powerful, the displacement being increased from 6330 to 6835 cc, while the output from the revised V8 engine rose to  315 kW (428 hp). The triumph in the race at Spa marked the breakthrough for AMG and was to be followed by further victories. Although the original vehicle from 1971 is no longer in existence, this faithful replica, produced in 2006, impressively illustrates the start of a success story that has endured for 50 years.

Technical data of AMG 300 SEL 6.8Cylinders: V8
Displacement: 6835 cc
Output: 315 kW (428 hp)
Top speed: 265 km/h

Penske-Mercedes PC 23 IndyCar, 1994

In 1994, the Penske-Mercedes PC 23 was victorious in the legendary Indianapolis 500 on the oval circuit (Indy 500). The last time a Mercedes racing car had won this prestigious title was when, in 1915, Ralph de Palma triumphed in a Mercedes 4.5-litre Grand Prix racer from 1914. The all-new eight-cylinder turbo engine with 754 kW (1026 hp), the valves of which were controlled via pushrods by a camshaft in the engine block, exploited a loophole in the rules: engines that followed this antiquated design principle were allowed to be operated with a higher boost pressure. This gave the Penske-Mercedes team an extra output of around  147 kW (200 hp) compared to the competition. Al Unser jr. won the 1994 Indianapolis 500 in the PC 23, which weighed just 703 kilograms, at an average speed of 258.9 km/h. After this spectacular victory, the rules were immediately changed, and the Indy 500 of 1994 remained the only outing for the V8 engine.

Technical data of Penske-Mercedes PC 23 IndyCarPeriod of use: 1994
Cylinders: V8
Displacement: 3429 cc
Output: 754 kW (1026 hp)
Top speed: 412 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II (W 201), 1990

For use in the German Touring Car Championship, the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution was produced in 1989 on the basis of the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16. As the name of the car suggests, there was now a new engine under the bonnet: the 2.5-litre 16-valve powerplant had an output of up to 250 kW (340 hp). In August 1989, work began on the second stage of development, "EVO II", in an in-house department called Mercedes-Benz sport technik (st). To meet the regulation weight of 1040 kilograms, almost the entire interior was taken out, with a safety cage being installed instead. Kevlar was used for numerous body parts, such as the bonnet, boot lid and spoiler. Now with an output of 274 kW (373 hp), the "EVO II" made its racing debut on 16 June 1990 on the "Nordschleife" of the Nürburgring – in the 1992 season, Klaus Ludwig won the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) in the car.

The "EVO II" presented by ALL TIME STARS at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is an especially sought-after and rare young classic car. Like all of the 502 units (the number required for homologation), the vehicle is painted in "blue-black metallic".

Technical data of Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II, standard-production vehicleCylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 2463 cc
Output: 173 kW (235 hp) at 7200 rpm
Top speed: around 250 km/h

AMG-Mercedes C-Class racing tourer (W 202), 1994

In 1994, Mercedes-Benz contested the DTM with a new racing tourer based on the C-Class Saloon W 202. Underneath the reinforced monocoque body with welded steel safety cage, the vehicle boasted some thoroughbred racing technology: the new high-performance machine was based, in accordance with the rules, on a standard-production engine. The engineers at AMG designed a V6 engine that was developed from the 4.2-litre V8 powerplant M 119 and which, with 2500 cc, complied with the prescribed engine size limit. Rotating at up to 11,000 rpm, the engine transferred its power through a sequentially shifting transmission. For reasons of weight, the bonnet, boot lid and aerodynamic attachments were made of carbon fibre/kevlar. In 1994, Klaus Ludwig was crowned German Touring Car Champion in the same vehicle. The following year, Mercedes-Benz competed in the DTM and ITC with the further-developed racing tourer – Bernd Schneider won both series of races, with Mercedes-Benz winning the constructors' championships.

Technical data of AMG Mercedes C-Class racing tourerPeriod of use: 1994 to 1996
Cylinders: V6
Displacement: 2499 cc
Output: 324 kW (440 hp)
Top speed: 300 km/h

AMG Mercedes C-Class racing tourer (W 203), 2005

The new DTM having been set up in the 2000 season under the name "German Touring Car Masters", the teams initially competed in silhouette vehicles based on two-door coupés. Beginning in 2004, four-door saloons based on the W 203 model series were then used. The competition vehicle had a load-bearing space frame with roof and side walls of steel, in which the driver's safety cell was integrated. The exterior panels and attachments were made from lightweight and resistant carbon fibre plastic. The new racing tourer was powered by a V8 engine that had already since 2000 proved successful in the DTM vehicle based on the CLK. The C-Class racing tourer was further optimised for the 2005 season, with, among other things, its overall weight being reduced by 30 kilograms and with both the body length and the wheelbase being increased. Gary Paffett won the DTM drivers' title in 2005, while, in the following year, Bernd Schneider was crowned German Touring Car Champion for the fifth time.

The vehicle that is on show and up for sale in Goodwood is on offer at ALL TIME STARS – the vehicle trading platform of Mercedes-Benz Classic. The original vehicle served as a replacement/practice car in the 2005 DTM season.

Technical data of AMG Mercedes C-Class racing tourerPeriod of use: 2004 to 2007
Cylinders: V8
Displacement: 4000 cc
Output: 346 kW (470 hp)
Top speed: 280 km/h

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W04 Formula One racing car, 2013

The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W04 was the fourth Grand Prix racing car of the Mercedes-Benz Formula One works team, which was established in 2010 and is headquartered in Brackley. Nico Rosberg and new works driver Lewis Hamilton – 2008 world champion with McLaren-Mercedes – posted three victories and a total of nine podium finishes. The W04 was a further development of Mercedes-AMG's basic concept from the 2012 season. This racing car was the last to be powered by a V8 engine (FO 108) from Mercedes-AMG's Formula One engine manufacturer High Performance Powertrains (HPP) in Brixworth. From the 2014 season on, the power unit employed featured hybrid technology, which, in addition to the electric powertrain component, included a 1.6-litre V6 engine, also from HPP. Three times in succession since 2014, the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 team has won both the drivers' and constructors' championship by a wide margin. In 2016, Germany's Nico Rosberg crowned his Formula One career by winning the world title.

Technical data of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W04 Formula One racing car

Period of use: 2013 Cylinders: V8 Displacement: 2400 cc Engine speed: 18,000 rpm (max. under FIA rules)