Popular Posts

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

The work of John "the Dent Wizard" on my 1982 Mercedes 380 SL





So I don't want to go into the details of a recent stupid action on my part, but you can see the results! 2 body shops didn't want to touch this job. One wanted to do a repaint and then re-striping on the drivers side, another suggested I get another door. The second also suggested I go see John the "Dent Wizard," and indeed I am glad I did. Here is how it turned out:




Very good! John wasn't perfect: he crossed vacuum lines to the central locking system, and I am stilll working on that issue.  Also, I still need to replace the door check tomorrow and then put the inner door panel back.  That will take a few hours, but then a major job is accomplished!
Door check story soon!

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Jose Meiffret becomes the first person to reach 200 km/hr on a bicycle trailing in the slipstream of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing

Defining moments in races and records ---  

This is a crazy photo posted below. 200 km/hr is over 120 mph! On a bicycle?  Why not, motorcycles go that fast. but human powered.

125 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsport history include many surprising and special successes, whereby world speed records are just as much a part of this tradition as unparalleled racing victories. Such fantastic moments are born out of the will to compete. And right from the start, they serve as proof of the outstanding sporting and technical competence of the famous brand with the star.
High-performance automobiles bearing the famous star also contribute to other sporting records. In 1962, for example, racing cyclist José Meiffret becomes the first person to reach 200 km/h on a bicycle trailing in the slipstream of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198), a good half a century after the Benz 200 hp record car becomes the first petrol-powered vehicle to cross this magical threshold.

In 1962, French racing cyclist José Meiffret becomes the first person to reach 200 km/h on a bicycle trailing in the slipstream of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198) sporting an aerodynamic design.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

2nd Call:The Society of Automotive Historians Richard Scharchburg Student Paper Award, 2019

The Society of Automotive Historians Richard Scharchburg Student Paper Award, 2019

THE SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE HISTORIANS


RICHARD SCHARCHBURG  STUDENT PAPER AWARD, 2019

In order to encourage research and writing effort among university students in the area of automotive history, the Society confers its annual award for the best student paper in the auto history field.  The award is named for Richard Scharchburg, the late Professor of History at Kettering University, eminent automotive historian, and past vice president of the Society of Automotive Historians. Persons submitting papers must be enrolled at educational institutions (upper-class undergraduate or graduate level) at the time of submission.  This competition is international in scope, but papers must be in the English language.  Papers already published or scheduled for publication will not be accepted.

Manuscripts should not exceed 10,000 words, and should be double-spaced. An abstract is requested.  Judging criteria include clear statement of purpose and testable hypothesis, accuracy and thoroughness of research, originality of the research, documentation, quality and extent of bibliographic resources, and writing style.  Diagrams, graphs, or photographs may be included.  Submissions are to be electronic, in Word or pdf files only, to the e-mail address below.

Possible subjects include but are not limited to historical aspects of automobile companies and their leaders, regulation of the auto industry, financial and economic aspects of the industry, the social effects of the automobile, highway development, environmental matters, and automotive marketing, design, engineering and safety.

A cover letter should be included stating the student’s address, school, program, advisor, and stage in studies.  The student should indicate how the paper submitted will relate to his or her professional future.  Submissions must e-mail dated by June 10, 2019.  All papers submitted will be acknowledged.

Recent Previous Award Winners:
2018 – Shuang and Adam Frost, Harvard University
2017 – No Award
2016 – Alison Kreitzer, University of Delaware
2015 – Patrick Nicolello, University of Dayton
2014 – Sarah Seo, Princeton University
2013 -- John Emerson Mohr, Auburn University
2012—Samuel Kling, Northwestern  University
2011 – Andrew Mabon, James Madison University
2010 – No award
2009 – Peter Cajka, Marquette University

Upon recommendation of the judges, the winning paper will considered for publication in the Society’s Automotive History Review.   The award consists of a plaque and a cash prize of $500.00.

Submissions should be sent to:       John Heitmann, Chair, Student Awards Committee
                                                Department of History
                                                University of Dayton                    Tel: 937-229-2803
                                                300 College Park                        Fax: 937-229-2816
                                                Dayton, OH 45469-1540                e-mail: Jheitmann1@udayton.edu

Friday, April 19, 2019

The First Porsche 911 Targa, 1968

Admittedly, if the claret-red 911 S which served as Ferdinand Piëch’s company car in 1968 and then belonged to Hans Mezger was one step ahead of its time, the same is perhaps even more true of the emerald-green protagonist of this story. As the first 911 S Targa ever built, it not only established a completely new type of bodywork, but also coined the name of a whole vehicle genre. And it also had a famous first owner: the pre-production prototype was registered to Ferry Porsche, the main boss himself, on 2 August 1966. This makes the one-off model even more special, unique and valuable.
The Targa was a very practical reaction from Porsche to a dispute that was raging in the early 1960s on the American market, which was vitally important for the young sports car manufacturer. Between Detroit and Dallas, open-top cars were suddenly considered dangerous as they were said to provide insufficient protection for occupants in an accident. Dark clouds were brewing over the future of the convertible. Of course this development was met with little enthusiasm in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen as most of the 356s shipped overseas had a fabric roof. And it goes without saying that the Swabians did not want to lose their customers in the sunshine states of the USA. The sales department also vehemently insisted on an open-top variant. So something new was required, a smart solution in keeping with the company’s style which would overcome apparent contradictions, be visually attractive, but functional in form.
911 S Targa pre-production model, 2018, Porsche AG

Visually attractive, but functional in form


Once again, motorsport provided the inspiration. It had long been standard practice to fit a rollover bar to open-top sports cars for racing customers – the battle for seconds and positions can sometimes end in a double somersault, and nobody wants to think about having to tuck their head in when it happens. However, the developed designs did not look particularly chic. 911 designer Ferdinand Alexander (“Butzi”) Porsche, who could find few positives in a convertible version of his acclaimed hatchback design, also deemed a bulky tubular construction to be out of the question. But it would be possible to give the rollover bar a nice shape and make it from stainless steel to give a sporty yet elegant look with plenty of charisma. The basic idea for the “safe convertible” was born, but the name “Targa” was not mentioned at the time.
The initial trials in summer 1964 began promisingly. The now 20-centimetre wide rollover bar, the roof section which could be removed in a few easy steps, and the rear mini soft-top retained the coupé silhouette while simultaneously boosting the torsional rigidity of the body. The variant featuring a handle brought further advantages as the surgical interventions on the bodywork were kept within minimally invasive limits. For example, the bonnet, rear end and rear wing panels remained unchanged, which also pleased the thrifty Swabian accounts department – due to the costly development of the successor to the 356, money was still tight so soon after the market launch of the 911.
911 S Targa pre-production model, 2018, Porsche AG

The Italian term “Targa” also means “licence plate”


When the curtain was raised on the great new hope at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt in September 1965, it had already undergone a baptism. Just as the iconic term “Carrera” referenced Porsche’s early success at the famous Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, the name of the new 911 bearing a rollover bar was also intended to evoke motorsport connotations. “Le Mans” or “Monza” were obvious choices, but both were already taken. The Swabians had just won a crazy endurance race on Sicily for the fourth time in five years, the Targa Florio. The name “911 Flori” was briefly on the table before domestic sales manager Harald Wagner casually ended the search for a name with the question: “Why don’t we just call it “Targa”?” The Italian term also means “licence plate”, but legend has it that this only came to light when the copywriters were working on the sales brochure. Be that as it may: “Targa” has long been as legendary and self-explanatory as “Kleenex”, although only Porsche models are allowed to bear this name.
Back to Stuttgart. It would be some time before the first customers were able to feel the sun on their backs at the wheel of a 911 or 912. Even the green Targa which Ferry Porsche received in August 1966 was a pre-production model and featured some details that were not carried over into production – such as the plastic strips fastened to the B-pillar with three screws, decorative panels on the upper edges of the doors by the triangular windows, and black-rimmed circular dials which were not included in the A-series until 1968. Even the roof construction is not entirely the same as the later solution. The vehicle also featured special velour carpets, slightly more comfortable seats with basket-weave covers, and a limited-slip differential for the rear axle.
911 S Targa pre-production model, 2018, Porsche AG

“Targa” has long been as legendary and self-explanatory as “Kleenex”


The predecessor to the Targa provided a generous helping of convertible pleasure.  But there were also certain features that its owners – delivery of series models began in early 1967 – were forced to grin and bear, such as the enormous roar of wind noise, which put the beefy sound of the boxer engine in the shade at high speeds. The fiddly folding window also did not find many fans, especially as the plastic had the annoying habit of shrinking in cold temperatures. Porsche even recommended keeping the rear cover closed below 15 degrees Celsius otherwise it may not have been possible to shut it again. Therefore, after only a few months, a panoramic windscreen with heated glass was also made available as an option. It reduced the noise level slightly, improved the all-round visibility, and reduced the risk of theft. It quickly resulted in high demand. In mid-1969 the soft window was finally dropped from the series range, but remained available on request for a short period. Very few people ordered it.
At around the same time, Ferry Porsche and his emerald-green 911 S Targa also went their separate ways. An American aerospace engineer acquired the unique vehicle and remained loyal to it for the next 45 years. It was only at Christmas 2014 that he sold the patinated car to Porsche collector Michael Heinemann, who brought it back to Germany. “I’m fascinated by the fact that, thanks to expert care, the car is still in great shape after 300,000 kilometres”, said the expert, who recently loaned the car to the Porsche Museum. “That is clear evidence of the excellent quality of the brand.”
Porsche 911 S Targa pre-production model 
Engine: Six-cylinder boxer
Capacity: 1,991 cm³
Bore x stroke: 80 x 66 mm
Compression: 9.8:1
Mixture preparation: 2 triple downdraught carburettors (Weber)
Maximum power: 160 hp at 6,600 rpm
Wheelbase: 2,211 mm
Maximum speed: Approx. 220 km/h

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

1971 Porsche 911 T Targa

A student took photos of my car last week at the University of Dayton Motorsports Club gathering. Here are a few of them:






Sunday, April 7, 2019

University of Dayton Motorsports Club Cruise-In, April 7, 2019, lot S 1

One of my history of Civil Engineering students, Ryan,  is the current present of the University of Dayton Motorsports Club, and invited me to the club gathering this afternoon. It was a nice event, and the photos the follow represent just a few of the members cars. From what I learned today from this generation, the car hobby is alive and well!


Kyle, a robotics engineer, owns 7 performance Pontiacs!



A Honda Beat



A parent of one of the students owns this 1952
Ford Pickup

Friday, April 5, 2019

Mercedes-Benz Resumes Racing, 1950-1955




24-hour Le Mans race, 13 and 14 June 1952: The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports cars (W 194) piloted by Hermann Lang/Fritz Riess (starting number 21) and Theo Helfrich/Helmut Niedermayr (starting number 20, at front of picture) clinch a sensational victory in this legendary race.


Bern Grand Prix, 18 May 1952, start scene. Triple win for Mercedes-Benz sports cars. Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194) in the first row: Rudolf Caracciola (starting number 16), subsequent winner Karl Kling (starting number 18) and Willy Peter Daetwyler (Ferrari 4102, starting number 26). Hermann Lang (starting number 20) takes second place from the second row of the grid, also in a 300 SL sports car. After an accident in this race, Rudolf Caracciola ends his driver career.

The company’s debut in post-war motor racing came in September 1950, when Karl Kling entered the ADAC Six Hour race for sports and touring cars at the Nürburgring circuit in a Mercedes-Benz 170 S. A total of one hundred cars took to the track, after a Le Mans-style start. Kling described the race as follows: “On hearing the starter’ � s signal, I sprinted to my car as if I was Jesse Owens, tore the car door open, sat behind the wheel, started the engine, and was soon on the track, in a pack surrounded by all the other cars.” In spite of these efforts at the start, KIing could finish only seventh for the up to 2,000 cc class. He did, however, succeed in posting the fastest lap time for touring cars.
Only after his success at the Eifel race did Kling receive his long-coveted invitation to join the racing department re-established by Mercedes-Benz in 1950 under the proven leadership of Alfred Neubauer. Neubauer’s first attempt to return to the elite discipline of motor sport was not far away and he pinned his hopes on Grand Prix cars from the 1930s that were in good operational condition. Four W 154 vehicles and six racing engines provided enough components for the engineers to build three viable racing cars and four engines. These cars were first put to the test in 1951, in two races in Argentina. Hermann Lang, Karl Kling and Argentinian driver Juan Manuel Fangio performed valiantly in Buenos Aires, with Lang and Kling both achieving second places on 18 and 24 February 1951 respectively. However, these fast, yet heavy cars were unable to secure a win. These races in Argentina clearly demonstrated that the W 154 now had its best years behind it.
1951 also saw the launch of the first new post-war passenger car models, the 220 (W 187) and 300 (W 186). The 300 became the nucleus of the company’s motor sport successes over the next few years, as the basis for the 300 SL (W 194) sports car designed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, followed by two production models: the ‘Gullwing’ coupé (W 198 I, 1954) and roadster (W 198 II, 1957). Before the war, Uhlenhaut had been technical manager of the racing department; from 1949 he headed the research and development department of the passenger car development operation.
The return of the Silver Arrows
On 15 June 1951, Daimler-Benz management announced its plans for involvement in motor sport, with a focus on racing and sports cars. However, the Grand Prix vehicles had to wait until 1954, when the new Formula 1 rules came into effect. The first Mercedes-Benz project was the new 300 SL racing sports car. A design period of just nine months was enough to create the legendary coupé (standing for ‘sports light’). The new car’s chassis was largely based on the Mercedes-Benz 300, with the brakepads extended to 90 millimetres. The main enhancements were to the six-cylinder inline engine, including three Solex down-draught carburettors and a more acute camshaft angle, boosting output to 129 kW at 5,200 rpm.
The engine was inclined 50 degrees to the left in its support structure, a lightweight spaceframe. This light yet robust tubular frame extended well up the sides for stability reasons. This was the origin of the 300 SL’s legendary “Gullwing” doors, since side-hinged doors would have made it difficult to climb into the car over the high sill structures. The doors initially came down to waist level, but for the Le Mans race in June 1952 they had to be lowered still further. The smooth contours of the body of the 300 SL and the narrow roof were a brilliant achievement, as demonstrated by the low cd value of 0.25. A maximum speed of 240 km/h offered favourable prospects for victories in international competition.
On 3 May 1952, two 300 SL were entered in the Mille Miglia race. Karl Kling and Hans Klenk were second across the line in the 1000-mile event, with Rudolf Caracciola in fourth place. Not quite a victory, but Mercedes-Benz was the only brand to have two vehicles among the first five places. For racing manager Alfred Neubauer, a dream was coming true. “That day, I started to feel young again,” he later recollected.
Then on 18 May, the 300 SL scooped the pool in the Bern Prize for sports cars with a triple victory, with Karl Kling winning the race ahead of Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess. However, the race was overshadowed by a serious accident involving Rudolf Caracciola. The crash, caused by brake failure, ended his racing career. Caracciola was an exceptional driver in the history of Mercedes-Benz, dominating the eras of the supercharged cars and the pre-war Silver Arrows, and playing an active part in the return of the Stuttgart brand to motor racing in 1952.
A one-two victory in the famous Le Mans 24-Hour race soon afterwards showed that the power of the “Gullwing” car was matched by its stamina. The team of Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess crossed the finish line ahead of Theo Helfrich and Helmut Niedermayr in the 300 SL racing sports car. The Jubiläum Grand Prix for sports cars at the Nürburgring in August saw the appearance of the 300 SL in a new format: four coupés modified as roadsters, with one also having a slightly shorter wheelbase and narrower track. The 300 SL duly took the first four places in the following order: Hermann Lang, Karl Kling, Fritz Riess and Theo Helfrich. In contrast, the double victory in November 1952 of Karl Kling/Hans Klenk and Hermann Lang/Erwin Grupp in the Carrera Panamericana – an eight-stage race covering a total distance of 3,130 kilometres in far-off Mexico – caused a worldwide sensation.
A comprehensively reworked version of the 300 SL for the 1953 season was quickly developed but never used, since in 1953 all efforts were focused on preparing for the return to Grand Prix racing in 1954.
1954: Formula 1 racing with the W 196 R
While the 300 SL was winning races, the Stuttgart team was already working on the return to Grand Prix racing on the basis of major changes to Formula 1 specifications announced by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) for the 1954 season. This was an ideal time for the re-entry of Mercedes-Benz, since other manufacturers would also have to develop new cars. The displacement restrictions were now a maximum of 750 cc for supercharged engines and 2.5 litres for naturally aspirated engines. The objectives announced at the beginning of 1953 by Fritz Könecke, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler-Benz AG, were ambitious indeed: twin world championship titles for Mercedes-Benz works drivers, in Formula 1 and the sports cars racing season. This programme was to be coordinated by Hans Scherenberg as the head of design. The men responsible for achieving these demanding targets were Fritz Nallinger as chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut as head of the research and development department and Alfred Neubauer as racing manager. The new racing department had its capacity boosted accordingly, eventually employing a total of over 200 staff. They were also able to call on the expertise of a further 300 specialists in other departments of Daimler-Benz AG.
1953 was dominated by the development of the new Grand Prix car, and for this reason the racing department did not participate in other competitions that season. The fruit of their labours was a new racing car, the W 196 R. The vehicle originally had streamlined fairings, and at the start of the season a maximum output of  188 kW (256 hp) from the 2,497 cc naturally aspirated engine with desmodromic (forcible) valve control, and a maximum speed of around 275 km/h. The single-joint pendulum axle was also innovative as a rear axle construction advanced for its time.
The new Silver Arrows made their debut at the second European race of the year, the French Grand Prix. The fully streamlined W 196 R posted the fastest times in training, and at this debut at Reims on 4 July, the vehicle surpassed the expectations of the public and their competitors alike – with a dual victory for the recently recruited Argentinian driver Juan Manuel Fangio – the 1951 world champion – and Karl Kling. This sensational result had a truly historical resonance, since 40 years earlier to the day, on 4 July 1914, the French Grand Prix in Lyon had also been won by Mercedes cars, with Christian Lautenschlager, Louis Wagner and Otto Salzer filling the first three places in that order. The victory at Reims was also special because, on the same day, the German national football team became world champions in Bern. Both sporting successes were important for rebuilding the destroyed self-belief of the Germans after the NS era and the Second World War. That’s why several historians consider 4 July 1954 to be the end of the post-war period.
The focus was now on securing the 1954 world championship title for Juan Manuel Fangio. He had to be content with fourth place in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 17 July, where there were some problems with the car in its initial, rather unprepossessing streamlined format. Uhlenhaut, however, had already fast-tracked the construction of the second variant of the W 196 R, this time with exposed wheels and also new tyres, developed for Daimler-Benz by Continental.
For the remainder of the 1954 season, there was always at least one Silver Arrow driver on the Grand Prix winners’ podium. Fangio took the German, Swiss and Italian events. Hans Hermann secured a third place in Switzerland. When he won the Swiss Grand Prix at Bern-Bremgarten on 22 August, Fangio had built up an unbeatable lead in the standings for the 1954 Formula 1 world championship. The fact that he could manage only third place in the final race of the season, the Spanish Grand Prix, did nothing to diminish the clear superiority of both car and driver that year.
1955: twin championships and ‘auf Wiedersehen’< /strong>
In 1955, armed with the improved Grand Prix car and 300 SLR (W 196 S) racing sports car derived from it, the racing department set about the quest for the double title, seeking a repeat of the Grand Prix title, plus the sports car championship. With this aim in mind, Neubauer had recruited British ace driver Stirling Moss to complement the skills of Juan Manuel Fangio. In addition to Fangio and Moss, Mercedes-Benz drivers during the 1955 season also included Karl Kling, Hans Herrmann, Piero Taruffi, Peter Collins, John Fitch, André Simon, Desmond Titterington, Pierre Levegh, and Wolfgang Count Berghe von Trips.
The W 196 R raced in 1955 had been thoroughly reworked in terms of both the engine and the chassis. Along with the long wheelbase model (2,350 mm), there was now also a medium version with a 140-mm shorter wheelbase, and the ultra-short ‘Monaco’ model with a wheelbase of just 2,150 mm. The car was now around 70 kilograms lighter, and also had 22 kW more power: at 8,500 rpm, the engine of the W 196 R now developed 213 kW (290 hp), ultimately giving the car a maximum speed of around 300 km/h. The distinctive visual feature of the W 196 R in its second year was the air scoop on the bonnet, required because of the modified intake manifold.
The 1955 racing season opened with the Argentinian Grand Prix, won by Fangio in extremely hot conditions. And just 14 days later, on 30 January 1955, Fangio also took first place in the Buenos Aires Grand Prix. The race featured four Silver Arrow cars, powered with the 3-litre engine that was to be fitted in the new 300 SLR racing sports car. Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss recorded a dual victory in what was in essence an extremely demanding road test for the new engine, with Karl Kling in fourth place.
The 300 SLR, based on the current Grand Prix Silver Arrow, made its racing debut on 1 May 1955 in the Mille Miglia. Four of the new cars lined up at the start: Fangio and Kling drove alone, Moss and Herrmann with co-drivers. In addition, the starting line-up included several Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and even three Mercedes-Benz 180 D diesel saloons. Juan Manuel Fangio was generally regarded as the favourite, but it was the young Englishman, Stirling Moss, with co-driver Denis Jenkinson, who took the event as the first non-Italian winner since Rudolf Caracciola (who had won in 1931 in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL). Moss also recorded the best-ever time for the Mille Miglia: 10:07:48 hours, at an average speed of 157.65 km/h – driven on public roads. Fangio took second place, and Mercedes-Benz won both the overall title and two categories: GT cars with displacement greater than 1,300 cc, and the diesel class.
The short-wheelbase version of the W 196 R started in the Monaco Grand Prix, but Mercedes-Benz was not successful on this occasion. The various wheelbase and body versions of the W 196 R provided a wide range of options, yet the bodies were actually interchangeable with just a few simple adjustments. Chassis No. 10, for example, now displayed in a new aluminium body, raced in 1955 with exposed wheels in the Argentinian and Dutch Grand Prix events and was used for training at Monza with a fully streamlined body. The variant used on a given occasion depended on the characteristics of the track and the individual preferences of the driver.
Technical features common to all versions included the swing axle with low pivot point and an eight-cylinder, 2,496 cc engine. The desmodromic operation of the valves, with cam lobes and rocker arms, provided higher revolutions along with improved safety and power ratings. Fuel supply to the cylinders was via an injection pump jointly developed with Bosch.
Following the disappointing results at Monaco, both the racing and sports cars were back at the top of their form in May and June. Fangio took the Eifel race in his 300 SLR, with Moss in second place, and won the Belgian Grand Prix in the W 196 R. This triumph was followed by a tragic accident at the Le Mans race of 1955, in which three 300 SLR were entered. When Jaguar driver Mike Hawthorn braked to go into the pits after a hard-fought duel with Fangio, he obstructed Lance Macklin (Austin Healey). Macklin veered to the left, straight into the path of Pierre Levegh’s 300 SLR, who collided with the rear of the Austin, launching the vehicle into the air. The engine and front axle came away from the rest of the car and flew into the crowd of spectators. The result was the worst accident in motor sports history. The race was continued in spite of the accident to ensure access for the rescue services was not blocked by the departing public. After midnight, Daimler-Benz made the decision to withdraw the 300 SLR from the event as a sign of respect for the victims. Accordingly, Moss and fellow-team member Simon were recalled to the pits.
The memory of the disaster cast a shadow over the rest of the season. Numerous races were cancelled, including the Grand Prix events in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain. The Grand Prix of the Netherlands in June, however, brought another double victory for Fangio and Moss in their W 196 R. Moss then won the British Grand Prix at Aintree in a short-wheelbase W 196 R, followed by Fangio, Kling, and Taruffi. This was an absolute sensation for the local public, since the young British star was the first English driver ever to win his home Grand Prix.
The Swedish Grand Prix for sports cars was won by Fangio, ahead of Moss, both in 300 SLR, and Karl Kling complemented their double victory by winning the sports cars category in his 300 SL. One of the two racing sports coupés designed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut was also on hand in Sweden and used during training for the race. The 300 SLR coupés were originally intended to start in the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, but this race had been discontinued, and did not take place in 1955. The “Gullwing” coupé did not race. One of the two vehicles was later used by Rudolf Uhlenhaut as a company car.
The final performance of W 196 R cars on the racing scene was in the Italian Grand Prix on 11 September. And because four events had been removed from the season calendar, this was also the one and only appearance of the streamlined version of the car in 1955. The Monza track had been extensively modified, and was now very much a high-speed course, with each lap tantamount to two straight drives past the grandstands. This meant high average speeds for the race, so Neubauer decided that Fangio and Moss would race in the faired open-wheel car design with a long wheelbase. Kling was to drive an open-bodied medium-wheelbase variant, and Taruffi a short-wheelbase “Monaco” car, also with an open body. Fangio was a clear winner for Mercedes-Benz – his last victory for the marque – followed by Piero Taruffi just 0.7 seconds behind. The Argentinian master driver ended the season with 40 points and a third Formula 1 world championship. Stirling Moss was the runner-up with 23 points.
However, the racing department’s second goal for the 1955 season seemed now to be out of reach. As Alfred Neubauer later recalled: “ The only disappointment was the likely failure to win the racing sports car championship, the Constructors’ Prize.” Ferrari was clearly in the lead, and everything now hinged on the Tourist Trophy in Northern Ireland and the Targa Florio on Sicily.
On 17 September, three 300 SLR lined up at the start of the race in Northern Ireland, and the miracle Neubauer dreamed of duly came to pass: Stirling Moss and John Fitch won the race, ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling’s 300 SLR, and third place went to Wolfgang Count Berghe von Trips (racing for the first time in the 300 SLR, although he did have competition experience in the 300 SL), with co-driver André Simon.
To take the world constructors’ championship, however, Mercedes-Benz still had to achieve the desired result in the Targa Florio in Sicily mid-October. They needed to win the race, with arch-rivals Ferrari doing no better than third – and so a strike force of unparalleled proportions headed south. Eight racing cars, eight heavy-duty trucks and 15 passenger cars were unloaded from the ferry from Naples, along with a support team of 45 mechanics. Stirling Moss said that he had never seen such a level of preparation and attention to detail or such a massive logistical effort.
Neubauer had pondered long and hard on his tactics for the race: “I had never planned a race so carefully and thoroughly. For that 1955 Targa Florio, I drew one last time on all my knowledge and experience, all my tricks and my love of the game.” The most important part of the plan may have been his strategy for the change of driver: rather than handing over after three laps, as was the normal practice, this time the Mercedes drivers were to change only after four laps. Uhlenhaut also strengthened the 300 SLR for this tough circuit.
The first car started at 7.00 a.m. on 16 October 1955. Stirling Moss was in the lead before falling back to third place after his 300 SLR left the road. The damage to the car was clearly visible, but the mechanical systems were still fully intact. Peter Collins took over at the wheel and promptly set a new lap record in the dented Mercedes-Benz. He was back in the lead when he handed the wheel back to Stirling Moss, who won the event, almost five minutes ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio. The third 300 SLR of John Fitch and Desmond Titterington came in fourth, behind Eugenio Castellotti and Robert Manzon (Ferrari 860 Monza). Mercedes-Benz had the double victory it needed to take the brand constructors’ championship – their goal had been achieved.
This marked the end of the triumphant Silver Arrow era: already before the tragic accident at Le Mans, Mercedes-Benz had decided to end the activities of the racing department at the end of the 1955 season. The commitment of effort and resources to the development and construction of the racing vehicles and supporting the campaign was enormous. Daimler-Benz AG now felt that the talents of these outstanding engineers and mechanics were more urgently needed for the development of new passenger cars. Technical Director Fritz Nallinger confirmed this decision at the function held to celebrate the successful drivers’ achievement on 22 October 1955: “Given the growth in our product range, we believe the right approach now is to relieve some of the load placed on these highly skilled specialists and allow them to focus all their efforts on the area that is most important for our customers all around the world – production car construction. The skills and experience my staff have gained from making racing vehicles will be put to good use in this capacity.”
This departure from the racing scene was the perfect example of “ retiring at the top”: in 1955, the W 196 R racing cars had taken part in seven races, winning six first places, five seconds and one third. The 300 SLR racing sports car had started in six races, recording five victories, five second places and one third place. Mercedes-Benz’s domination of the season’s racing could scarcely have been more complete.
Mercedes-Benz cars also picked up a third international title in the same year, when Hamburg driver Werner Engel became European touring car champion in a 300 SL (W 198) production vehicle. This model in the W 198 series was developed on the initiative of USA importer Maximilian Hoffman from the highly successful racing car of 1952. It immediately made its mark at its launch at the New York Show in 1954 and went into production at the Sindelfingen plant in August that year. Its 3-litre engine with petrol injection produced  158 kW (215 hp). Designed as a sporty and comfortable touring car, it proved itself as very successful on long journeys thanks to the balanced concept and its reliability. In the Mille Miglia 1955, the car won the Gran Turismo class for John Fitch (USA). At the same event the following year, in the pouring rain, it finished in places 6, 7, 8 and 10 overall. Europe’s most demanding road race of the day was the Liège–Rome–Liège event, a non-stop race over five days and a total distance of around 5,000 kilometres. In 1955, the Belgian team of Gendebien/Stasse won the race in their 300 SL, an achievement replicated the following year by Mairesse/Genin, another Belgian combination. That same year, Walter Schock and Rolf Moll won the European Rally Championship (as it was now known) as Werner Engel’s successors. The vehicle also had some national championships to its credit, in Italy (Armando Zampiero, 1955) and the USA (Paul O’Shea, 1955, 1956 and 1957). Stirling Moss also took the wheel of a “ Gullwing”, finishing second in the Tour de France Automobile 1956.
For the moment, however, the Silver Arrow era on the race track was over. It would only be many years later that Mercedes-Benz would return to the sports car championship and Formula 1 racing. Alfred Neubauer recalls a sombre leave-taking at the end of the season that had brought such outstanding success. The drivers pulled white cloth covers over the cars, and said their goodbyes. “ We shook hands one last time – then they all went their separate ways – Fangio and Moss, Collins, Kling, Taruffi, and Count von Trips. The adventure was over.”
Mid-1954 to 1955: the world’s fastest racing car transporter
The Silver Arrows were not the only hot topic on the racing scene in the early 1950s. Mercedes-Benz also caused a stir off the circuit with the “world’s fastest racing car transporter”. Alfred Neubauer’s thoughts went back to 1924, when, at his suggestion, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft had converted a large Mercedes touring car into a racing car transporter. A new racing car transporter was created as a unique specimen according to this role model. The 300 S contributed its X-section tubular frame as the basis for the structure, the powerful engine was taken from the 300 SL and the designers used components from the 180 model. The result was a visually and technically unique vehicle with a 3,050 mm wheelbase which, depending on the cargo, reached speeds of up to 170 km/h. The remarkable high-speed transporter was ready for use by 1955, painted in characteristic Mercedes-Benz blue. The racing department used it mainly for special assignments between the factory and race track. The racing car transporter, known as the “Blue Wonder”, became a favourite. The original scrapped in 1967 was rebuilt at great expense between 1993 and 2001. Today it resides in its home at the Mercedes-Benz Museum – with a 300 SLR on board

The Recent History of Mercedes-Benz Racing in Formula 1


Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, 22 May 2011. Michael Schumacher (starting number 7) and Nico Rosberg (starting number 8) are sixth and seventh in their MGP F1 W02s

Mercedes-Benz officially returned to the pinnacle of motor sports, Formula 1 racing, in March 1994, in collaboration with Peter Sauber. What would eventually become Team McLaren-Mercedes was established in 1995 and won three driver’s world championships (1998, 1999. and 2008) as well as the constructors’ world championship in 1998.
2010 saw the return of a Mercedes-Benz works team. These new Silver Arrows of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team continue a further golden age for the brand with the star in Formula 1: the team goes on to win five World Championship one-two victories in a row: the world championships are won a total of four times by Lewis Hamilton (2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018) and once by Nico Rosberg (2016).
The path to its first works team since 1955 started with relatively small steps for Mercedes-Benz: the C 12 racing car used by the Sauber team in Formula 1 racing in 1993 was labelled “ Concept by Mercedes-Benz”. The Stuttgart-based brand had yet to make the final decision on whether or not to return to the elite discipline of motorsport. However, Mercedes-Benz supported its long-standing partner from Group C racing with its know-how in the development of the Ilmor engine. Sauber drivers Karl Wendlinger and JJ Letho (Jyrki Juhani Järvilehto) finished in 11th and 13th position, respectively, in the drivers’ championship that year, with the team securing 6th place in the constructors’ championship with 12 points.
Then, in 1994, the Sauber-Mercedes C 13 returned the name of the Stuttgart-based brand back to the racetrack for good. The car was again powered by a ten-cylinder engine built at Ilmor. It produced  515 kW(700 hp) of power at 14,000 rpm, propelling the car to a top speed of up to 340 km/h. At the end of a season marked by several rule changes, drivers Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Karl Wendlinger, and Andrea de Cesaris finished 13th, 19th, and 20th, with an 8th place finish in the constructors’ championship. This was still well behind the leading teams of Williams-Renault and Benetton-Ford.
In a team with McLaren
1995 saw the arrival of a new team on the Formula 1 stage: after the disappointing results of the collaboration with Sauber, Mercedes-Benz parted with the Swiss team at the end of 1994 and embarked on a collaboration with British racing team McLaren International. Its owner, Ron Dennis, had already established ties to Mercedes-Benz in the late 1980s. In just four-and-a-half months, the completely new FO 110 engine was designed for the 1995 McLaren-Mercedes MP4-10. This open-wheel car was the first result of the partnership between McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and engine specialist Ilmor. After fourth place finishes in the constructors’ standings in 1995 and 1996, Mika Häkinnen and David Coulthard scored three victories in the 1997 season, securing 6th and 4th place in the world championship.
The German-British racing partnership achieved its goal of a world championship in 1998 with a two-fold triumph: Mika Häkkinen took the world championship in his McLaren-Mercedes MP4-13, and Coulthard won 3rd place in the drivers’ standings. McLaren-Mercedes also won the constructors’ championship by a wide margin, ahead of Ferrari and Williams. During that 1998 season, the Silver Arrows – back in their traditional silver racing livery since 1997 – were first across the finish line in Australia, Brazil, Spain, Monaco, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, and Japan (Häkkinen), as well as in San Marino (Coulthard).
While the basic concept of the MP4-13 of the world championship car was derived from the MP4-12 model of the previous year, substantial modifications in many details were required to comply with the changes to the regulations for the 1998 racing season. The track and overall width were reduced by 200 millimetres, which in turn necessitated extensive modifications to the aerodynamics. A characteristic feature of the MP4-13 was the low nose, ending just above the front wing. The now wider cockpit was moved further back in line with the regulations to optimise weight distribution. This resulted in a longer wheelbase than the MP4-12 had had, along with a slight increase in overall length.
However, the outstanding reputation of Mercedes-Benz as an engine partner of international racing teams was not limited to Formula 1. For example, the 1994 season became the stuff of legends when the American Penske team won the CART IndyCar World Series with a Mercedes-Benz engine built at Ilmor. The Penske cars won 12 out of 16 races that season, including the Indy 500. The Penske cars were powered by Mercedes engines between 1994 and 1999.
Mika Häkkinen successfully defended his world championship title in 1999 in his McLaren-Mercedes MP4-14, with David Coulthard finishing in 4th place. In the constructors’ championship, McLaren-Mercedes finished as the runner-up. Häkkinen and Coulthard again secured the runner-up position in the constructors’ championship in the following years. Mika Häkkinen drove his McLaren-Mercedes MP4-15 to second place in the drivers’ standings in 2000, behind Michael Schumacher for Ferrari, with Coulthard in 3rd place. In the following years, Coulthard (2001 in the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-16) and Kimi Räikkönen (2003 in the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-17D and 2005 in the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-20) both came runners-up in the Formula 1 Championships.
At the end of 2006, the McLaren Mercedes team announced that it had signed Formula 1 novice Lewis Hamilton for the 2007 season as its regular driver. He attained his first victory in the premier class of motorsport on 10 June 2007 at the Canadian Grand Prix. Three further Grand Prix victories followed, and the Brit finished his first Formula 1 season as runner-up, just one point behind World Champion Kimi Räikkönen for Ferrari.
In 2008, Lewis Hamilton turned his narrow defeat of the previous season into an equally narrow victory: in his MP4-23, he decided the championship in his favour in the closing stages of the last race of the season. The Brazilian Grand Prix was raced in particularly difficult conditions, with rain before the start and again just before the end. In the last turn of the 71-lap race, Hamilton passed rival Timo Glock (Toyota) for 5th place. This was enough to win the world championship with 98 points. At the age of 23 years, 9 months and 26 days, Lewis Hamilton became the youngest champion in Formula 1 history at the time. This was the third drivers’ title for Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes in Formula 1, following wins in 1998 and 1999. Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes took 2nd place in the constructors’ championship.
In the 2009 season, Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes competed in the new MP4-24. Another team whose Formula 1 racing cars were powered by Mercedes-Benz engines was doing the winning, however: Englishman Jenson Button from Team Brawn Mercedes, driving a BGP 001, won five out of the first six races and was eventually crowned Formula 1 world champion, with his team-mate Rubens Barrichello finishing third.
Return of the works team
For the 2010 season, Daimler AG revived a tradition that had been in hiatus since the end of the 1955 season by entering its own Formula 1 works team. The new Team MERCEDES GRAND PRIX was created by the acquisition of British racing team Brawn GP. After concluding a long-term sponsorship deal with the Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas in late 2009, the new partners settled on the team name MERCEDES GRAND PRIX PETRONAS, or MERCEDES GP PETRONAS for short. The sensation of the 2010 season was the signing of Michael Schumacher as a Mercedes-Benz driver for the new works team: the seven-time Formula 1 world champion drove one of the two Silver Arrows. His team-mate was Nico Rosberg.
This meant that events had come full circle for both Michael Schumacher and for Mercedes-Benz. Schumacher had driven as a Mercedes-Benz junior in Group C and the DTM in 1990 and 1991, and it was with assistance from Mercedes-Benz that he had entered the world of Formula 1 in 1991 – on August 1991 at Spa-Francorchamps with Jordan. At MERCEDES GP PETRONAS, Schumacher now followed in the footsteps of the great Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 works drivers, who in addition to five-time world champion Fangio, included Stirling Moss, Karl Kling, Hans Herrmann, and Piero Taruffi. Schumacher also resumed his working relationship with team boss Ross Brawn, with whom he had won his seven drivers’ world championships at Benetton and Ferrari. Nico Rosberg, who scored three third place finishes during the season 2010, ended up 7th in the drivers’ standings. Michael Schumacher finished the year in 9th place of the drivers’ standings and MERCEDES GP in 4th in the constructors’ championship.
In the 2012 season, the works team competed under the new team name MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1. Nico Rosberg won the Grand Prix of Shanghai and finished second on 27 May in Monaco. Michael Schumacher recorded his best result of the season with a 3rd place finish at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 24 June. The record world champion ended his active career at the end of the year. His successor at the wheel of the Silver Arrow was Lewis Hamilton – the 2008 world champion.
Another protagonist ended a most successful career: Norbert Haug. In the 22 years since 1990 as Head of Motorsport, he shaped the racing activities and brought the brand back to the top of international motorsports. He was followed by Toto Wolff.
Another golden age for the Silver Arrows
In 2013, the Mercedes team raced the W04. At the start of the season, new Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished in 3rd place at the Grand Prix races in Malaysia and China. Nico Rosberg was victorious on 26 May in Monaco. More podium finishes for the works team followed in Canada (Lewis Hamilton, 3rd), Hungary (victory for Hamilton), Belgium (Hamilton, 3rd), India (Rosberg, 2nd) and Abu Dhabi (Rosberg, 3rd). The Mercedes team ended 2013 with 360 points and second place in the constructors’ standings. Lewis Hamilton finished 4th in the overall drivers’ standings, Nico Rosberg 6th.
In 2014, the next Silver Arrows golden era finally began. It would again present major challenges for all teams, with new regulations governing the new vehicles. These included a turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 power unit, expanded hybrid functions, an eight-speed instead of a seven-speed transmission and new specs for the aerodynamics components to reduce downforce levels. Fuel was limited to 100 kilograms per race and vehicle. All in all, the specifications imposed a cut in fuel consumption by around 30 per cent for the V6 engine compared with the V8 in use before.
The crew around new Head of Motorsport Toto Wolff and Technical Director Paddy Lowe tackled the fifth attempt to win the drivers’ and constructors’ crowns since the comeback with their new F1 W05 Silver Arrow. The W05 Silver Arrow had a so-called vacuum nose with a rather broad shape. The front section featured a hump towards the cockpit. As is the case for many competitors, the car had a slim waist and a graceful overall appearance. The colour scheme was classic Mercedes and featured the traditional silver – with the light green accents of title partner Petronas, a Malaysian oil corporation. A message to former driver and brand ambassador Michael Schumacher (45), who has been in a medically induced coma since his skiing accident in Meribel, France, on 29 December 2013, was painted on the sides of the cockpit: “KeepFightingMichael” – the hashtag for social media posts intended to give the legendary driver and his family courage.
The first race of the 2014 season, the Australian Grand Prix, was won by Nico Rosberg. This was followed by a breathtaking series one-two victories: Hamilton won the Grand Prixes of Malaysia, Bahrain, China and Spain one after the other ahead of his team colleague Rosberg. After the victory at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, there was a further series of race triumphs at the end of the season in Italy, Singapore, Japan, Russia and the USA. Hamilton, driving with self-chosen starting number 44, won the Formula 1 World Championship title with a clear lead over Nico Rosberg. The lead of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 in the constructors’ championship was even clearer: the team won 701 points, followed by Red Bull with 405 points in second place.
The dominance of 2014 was continued by the brand from Stuttgart in 2015 with the Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid: Lewis Hamilton became Formula 1 World Champion for the third time with 381 points (ten race victories, six runners-up and one third place) ahead of Nico Rosberg with 322 points (six victories, seven runners-up and two third places). The constructors’ championship once again went to Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 with 703 points, ahead of Ferrari with 428 points.
In the 2016 season, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport started with the Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid. In the competition between the two drivers, this year Nico Rosberg came out on top against Lewis Hamilton. Right from the start of the season, the racing driver born in 1985 in Wiesbaden, Germany, made his claim for the championship title clear with four victories in a row: Rosberg won the Australian Grand Prix (ahead of Lewis Hamilton) as well as in Bahrain, China and Russia (again, ahead of Lewis Hamilton). In total, Rosberg managed nine victories, five runners-up and two third places in this season. He won the Formula 1 World Championship with 385 points ahead of his team colleague Hamilton with 380 points (ten victories, three runners-up and four third places). In the constructors’ championship, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 was ahead of Red Bull with 765 points to its 468. After the end of the 2016 season, Nico Rosberg announced his retirement from Formula 1.
In 2017, Lewis Hamilton took back the world championship title in the new Mercedes-AMG F1 W08 EQ Power+ Silver Arrow. His new team colleague was Finnish racing driver Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton won his first race of the season on 9 April 2017 in Shanghai at the Chinese Grand Prix. At the Mexican Grand Prix on 29 October 2017, he completed the world championship win ahead of time. This year, Lewis Hamilton attained a total of nine victories and two runners-up positions. The constructors’ championship went to Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 with 668 points, ahead of Ferrari with 522 points.
In 2018, driving the Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+, Hamilton secured his fifth world championship title ahead of Ferrari racing drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen. Hamilton attained a total of eleven victories, three runners-up and three third places with 408 points in the racing year. As early as at the Mexican Grand Prix on 28 October 2018, he extended his lead in the drivers’ championship so clearly that he was already champion. In the constructors’ championship, the brand from Stuttgart was at the top for the fifth time in a row with 655 points, followed by Ferrari with 571 points. The championship was won by Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 ahead of time with Lewis Hamilton’s win at the Brazilian Grand Prix on 11 November 2018. Even the last race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 25 November 2018, was finished by Lewis Hamilton in first place. It was the 73rd victory of his career.
The triumphs of 2018 in Formula 1, DTM and customer sport were a unique start for the 2019 season. They are fully in step with the anniversary of 125 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsport. The highlights of this unique history from 1894 to the future of the fully electric racing can be experienced at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in the Legend 7: Silver Arrows – Races and Records exhibition area.