The Mercedes 190 (W 201) Electric Test Vehicle, 1990-1996

In May of 1990, Mercedes-Benz exhibited a model 190 (W 201) converted to electric drive in the innovation market section at the Hanover Fair. “In this way, the Mercedes 190, which in terms of length and weight comes closest to the requirements of an electric vehicle, is an ideal battery test vehicle. The main objective is to assess the functional suitability of all the components in realistic situations with all the vibrations, accelerations and temperature fluctuations experienced in everyday operation,” explained the brochure issued at the time.

Mobile laboratories for practical testing

The electric 190s were used to test different drive configurations and battery systems. The energy storage devices tested were mainly sodium-nickel chloride or sodium-sulphur high-energy batteries which had a significantly higher energy density than classic lead batteries. However, the working temperature of both systems was around 300 degrees Celsius. The group expressing the greatest interest at this industrial fair were representatives of the trades.

There was a considerable shift in this just under a year later, when, in March 1991, Mercedes-Benz displayed a more advanced vehicle in the context of the internationally orientated Geneva Motor Show. The press kit explained the 190 with the electric drive in detail and listed two important benefits: “The car is still a fully-fledged five-seater with almost unchanged effective space and with tried-and-tested Mercedes-Benz safety features.” Each of the rear wheels of the vehicle presented in Geneva was powered by its own DC motor energised by permanent magnets with a peak power of 16 kW (22 hp) each, so the total power output was 32 kW (44 hp). Energy was supplied by a sodium-nickel chloride battery, and regenerative braking returned energy to the power pack during braking actions. A particular advantage of the concept was the elimination of weight-intensive mechanical components, so the additional weight compared to a series-production vehicle with a combustion engine was only 200 kilograms.

The issue of electric cars experienced an upswing at that time as a result of the laws passed in California, for example, to introduce zero emission vehicles. Mercedes-Benz was not the only manufacturer to take steps in this direction. From 1992 onwards, some of the results were seen on the German Baltic Sea coast: a large-scale field trial was conducted on the island of Rügen and continued through to 1996. The German government funded the project to the tune of DM 60 m. The aim of the exercise was to test electric vehicles and energy systems including their batteries in everyday practice. A total of 60 passenger cars and vans of several brands were involved.

Among other things, Mercedes-Benz sent ten W 201 model series saloon cars, which had previously been fitted by hand with drive components in various electric motor-and-battery combinations in Sindelfingen, to Rügen. Special recharging stations using solar collectors were available during the field test with a view to testing the environmental concept in a consistent manner because only electricity from renewable sources can be considered completely CO2neutral.

100,000 kilometres in one year with an electric test vehicle

The pioneering 190s were driven by test participants on the island of Rügen: these various individuals, including taxi drivers, used them in normal everyday life. There were hardly any problems – the W 201 cars went about their work completely inconspicuously and reliably. One of the vehicles was used particularly intensively and achieved a peak usage rate of around 100,000 kilometres in one year. “The results provide new insights into battery service life, the number of possible discharge and charge cycles, range, energy consumption and reliability,” summarised the Mercedes-Benz brochure. In the following years Mercedes-Benz applied the electric drive concept to other passenger cars.

The question remains as to why electric vehicles are only now becoming established and why they did not take off on the basis of the projects of that time. Battery service life, range, recycling, charging infrastructure and vehicle price are quoted as just some of the keywords in a Mercedes-Benz press release from spring 1991 as challenges faced by e-mobility on the way to series production. 

A Horror Story of Getting a Replacement Throw-Out Bearing for a 1950s Ford Anglia

1955 Ford Anglia 100E with pre-facelift grill

Photographed at the Nationaal Oldtimer Festival Zandvoort 2014, The Netherlands

Here's a delightful period piece on the English Ford Anglia.  Likely I've told you the story of my crazy stepfather buying one used in 1959.  He had me and my sister in the car and told us he was going to "break the speedometer" -- got it up to 75 mph as I recall and I literally thought we were going to be killed.  Then at one point the clutch throw-out bearing went bad and he had it up on blocks.  We went to Garten Motors while my father still worked there (although they never met) and ordered a throw-out bearing from England.  The parts manager said it might take three months to get.  Four months later we got a call that the part was in and stepfather and I went to get it.  Found out what they had sent was a throw-out bearing for a Fordson tractor and not for the Anglia.  Stepfather went nuts, yelling and screaming!

Parts department reordered and four months later the correct part arrived.  Literally, it took 8 months to get the clutch repaired.  At that point my stepfather was so angry he literally gave the car away and we never saw it again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wspue1o5Ic

The Spread of the Corona Virus and the Interstate Highway System in the U.S.

This morning I looked at the most recent US virus case map and it seemed that as the illness spreads west and south, it may follow Interstate  Highway routes. Look at the midwest and south starting with Michigan and then through Ohio and Indiana finally focusing south on Georgia and Florida.  Those dots seem to follow the alignments of I-65 and 75. As time unfolds from this point forward check to see if the spread of the virus cases trace I-70, I 80, and I-44. This is just an hypothesis to predict what will happen in the weeks ahead. It does make a case, however, to stay close to home after the lockdown ends.

The 1975 Mercedes-Benz SEL 6.9

Sensation at the 1975 International Motor Show: Mercedes-Benz S-Class model 450 SEL 6.9

Mercedes-Benz engine 450 SEL 6.9, 1975

The model series 116 S-Class was introduced in September 1972. It received a number of awards from the outset. These included the 450 SE’s being named the 1974 “Car of the Year”. Three years later, the top-of-the-line model 450 SEL 6.9 rounded off the model range (which started with the 280 S) at the top end. Its predecessor, the 300 SEL 6.3, generating 184 kW (250 hp), already set a benchmark within the luxury saloon segment.

Engine with a legacy

The technical basis for the eight-cylinder engine with plenty of displacement stems from the legendary Mercedes-Benz 600 (W 100 model series). However, with the same displacement, its cylinder bore had been increased even further, from 103 millimeters to 107 millimeters. This resulted in a displacement of 6,834 cc in the 450 SEL 6.9. The engine generates 210 kW (286 hp) at 4,250 rpm and reaches its maximum torque of 550 newton-meters at 3,000 rpm. Such a high torque allows the integration of a very “long” rear-axle ratio (2.65). This cuts the engine speed and thus noise levels. Engineers even kept maintenance costs in mind: the hydraulic valve clearance compensation mechanism makes past adjustment procedures obsolete. Thanks to a newly developed cylinder head gasket, it is no longer necessary to retighten the cylinder heads. Dry sump lubrication paired with an oil capacity increased to twelve liters makes it possible to stretch oil change intervals to 15,000 kilometers. The three-speed automatic transmission basically stems from the 4.5-litre models, but is adapted to the output and increased torque of the “6.9”.

Gas springs: Mercedes-Benz took a completely new approach in terms of the suspension. Following on from the pneumatic suspension in the 300 SEL 6.3, the 450 SEL 6.9 is equipped with a hydropneumatic variant, which includes a level control system. Four spring elements additionally take over shock absorber activities. A pressurised oil system balances out the oil volume within the spring struts. As a result, the vehicle’s ride height remains constant and the full spring travel always remains available. A press release dating back to 1975 described the outstanding handling as “this innovation ideally links excellent handling characteristics and maximum comfort throughout the entire speed range”.

Vehicle data: Its performance values are extremely impressive considering automotive engineering’s state of the art around five decades ago: the vehicle’s top speed is 225 km/h, a value that was even frequently exceeded during tests conducted by the motoring press. The model accelerated from zero to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds. When empty, the “6.9” weighed 1,935 kilograms. In 1975, its DIN consumption value was stated as 16 liters per 100 kilometers at a speed of 110 km/h. Compared with today’s dimensions, the wide-base tires back in the day were relatively small at 215/70 VR 14.

Unit figures and price

A total of 7,380 450 SEL 6.9 vehicles were produced in Sindelfingen between 1975 and 1980. Price list no. 16, dated 28 January 1976, states 69,930.00 German marks as the basic price of the model series 116’s top-of-the-line model. By comparison, the entry-level variant of model series 116, the 280 S, was priced at 28,848.90 German marks and the model series W 115 Mercedes-Benz 200 was available for 18,381.60 German marks in 1976.

Equipment

 Comfort features, such as an air conditioning system, heat-insulating glass, a heated rear window, central locking, cruise control, power windows, a headlight cleaning system, velour upholstery as well as inertia-reel seat belts both at the front and rear formed part of the standard equipment on board the 450 SEL 6.9. It goes without saying that optional extras were also available, for instance an electric sunroof (987.90 German marks) and the highly exclusive Becker AT 160 S car phone (13,542 German marks).

Tradition 

In 1972 Mercedes-Benz introduced the new S-Class with the 280 S, 280 SE and 350 SE models. “S-Class”: This designation was used for the first time. With it, the Stuttgart-based brand dominated the top-level and luxury categories and the vehicle became a synonym for luxury, comfort and safety. Vehicles by Mercedes-Benz and its original brands have dominated this segment since the dawn of the 20th century.

Market Positioning

 Right from the outset there were plans to expand the range towards the top by models with 4.5- and 6.9-litre engines. The 450 SE and 450 SEL models were launched on the market in spring 1973, the 280 SEL and 350 SEL models with a wheelbase that had been extended by 100 millimetres to provide more legroom for passengers in the rear were added to the range in 1974. At the presentation of the “6.9” in Le Hohwald in France in May 1975, Professor Hans Scherenberg, Member of the Board of Management of what was then Daimler-Benz AG and Head of the Overall Development and Research department said: “As the S-Class’s top-of-the-line model and successor of the 300 SEL 6.3 with air suspension, the 450 SEL 6.9 has the potential to live up to the demands of our most spoilt contemporaries.”

Oil Shock 

In autumn 1973, West Germany was made aware of its dependence on oil-producing states on the Arabian peninsula for the very first time. OPEC member states limited crude oil production and the price of petrol and diesel soared. This had consequences: for instance, on 25 November 1973 as well as on the following three Sundays leading up to Christmas, a national driving ban was enforced in Germany. However, even during the critical phase for the automotive industry in 1973/74 – when incoming orders were stagnant or even in decline – Mercedes-Benz was able to increase sales figures. However, the market launch of the 450 SEL 6.9 was postponed by a few months.

Praise from critics

Swiss “Automobil Revue” commented on Mercedes-Benz’s brave step to introduce this powerful saloon as follows: “It is gratifying that, just at this time, a car has appeared that offers the very highest driving enjoyment for the aficionado – and at any speed. The 6.9 is not only testimony to the optimism for the future expressed by its creators, but also of their courage to stand by their convictions.” British “Motor” magazine remarked the following: “There is only one word to sum it all up: fabulous!” And “Auto Motor und Sport” headed up edition 21/1975 with a simple “The world’s best car” and captioned: “The 450 SEL 6.9 sets new benchmarks in the automotive top class.”

Hitler's initial vision for the Autobahn Project.

An automobile on the sweeping curves of the Autobahn with view of the countryside (Library of Congress)

Clearly Hitler envisioned the Autobahn construction project  as a domestic, not military imperative.

Taken from David Irving's Hitler's War, 2002 edition:

During the months in Landsberg prison Hitler had mentioned one particular ambition, the construction of a network of superhighways. Schwerin von Krosigk would write: 

Hitler used to describe how the city folk returned from their Sunday outings in overflowing trains, getting their buttons torn off, their hats crushed, their good mood ruined and every benefit of the relaxation wasted; how different it would be if the city workers could afford their own cars to go on real Sunday outings without all that. . . Road-building has always been the sign of powerful governments, he said, from the Romans and the Incas down to Napoleon. 

Only twelve days after the seizure of power in 1933, Hitler announced the autobahn construction program; on June 28 the Cabinet passed the law, and a few days later he sent for Dr. Fritz Todt, an engineer who had written a 48 page study of the problems of road-building in 1932, and asked him if he would like the job of Inspector-General of German Road Construction. He said he had always preferred travel by road to rail, as the contact with the people was closer: ‘I must have driven half a million miles in my fourteen years of struggle for power.’ Todt accepted the job: the interview lasted barely three minutes. In July,  Hitler again sent for Todt, strolled for ninety minutes with him, told him what routes the first net- work would take, laid down the minimum width of the traffic lanes, and sent Todt to begin work at once. (All this emerges from Todt’s own private papers.) The military importance of the autobahns has been exaggerated. The German railroad system was of far greater significance. For the present, the autobahns were the means whereby Germany’s national unity could be enhanced, because Hitler realized that the fight against provincialism and separatist trends would last for many years yet. 

Eliminating Covid 19: Disinfecting the Interior of an Automobile with Penetrexx

From the Detroit Free Press, April 19, 2020.

Sellers Auto Group in metro Detroit is offering an in-car spray to protect medical workers from coronavirus starting Monday.

The dealership group has partnered with Legacy Service Solutions of Waterford to provide health care workers and first responders with an antimicrobial solution in their cars.

The solution, called Penetrexx, is sprayed in the vehicle. It disinfects the car as well as applies a layer of antimicrobrial solution to protect against the growth of bacteria and viruses including coronavirus, said Jim Ales, CEO of Legacy Service Solutions.

"The disinfectant is certified to kill COVID-19. The top coat is awaiting certification to kill COVID-19," but it can kill flu and other coronavirus strains, said Ales. "The top coat, when it's dried, is like a bed of nails. It's designed to kill bacteria and flu viruses and other coronaviruses when they land on it. It pierces them."

Highway to Heaven

Well, it is really a short section of US 50.  The ride goes steeply down before we ascend to the heights. An allegory about life in 2020 and beyond.

 One day we will have an answer to the Corona virus, life will be less stressful, and churches and stadiums will be filled again. Challenges lead to opportunities, and result in the growth of wisdom and maturity.

Now to take that ride on this road with the top down and you in the passenger seat!

Ford Motor Company Now Making Respirators and Gowns

From the Detroit Free Press, 4/15/2020

Ford Motor Co. is expanding its efforts to help the medical community in treating coronavirus.

The Dearborn-based automaker said Monday it has designed and will produce powered air-purifying respirators, as well as face masks, at two Michigan facilities.

Ford also is ramping up production of reusable medical gowns made from vehicle air bag material. It also will help make more desperately needed testing collection kits.

The respirator, worn by health care workers, will be made by about 90 UAW paid volunteers at Ford’s Vreeland facility near Flat Rock. Production starts Tuesday. Ford normally builds the Mustang and Lincoln Continental at its Flat Rock Assembly plant.

About 30 UAW paid volunteers are making face masks at Ford's Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights. The masks are for internal use, but Ford is pursuing certification for medical use, too. Eventually, 80 workers will be needed as production increases.

“We knew that to play our part helping combat coronavirus, we had to go like hell and join forces with experts like 3M to expand production of urgently needed medical equipment and supplies,” said Jim Baumbick, vice president of Ford Enterprise Product Line Management.

"We were thoughtful in terms of how we could produce this equipment ... being mindful of being able to restart our plants for automotive," Baumbick said. "We've been thoughtful around what we know is our internal need, as we start to crank up and restart ... but making sure we continue to help these great men and women on the front line."

But Ford is clear the medical products are not a new line of business for the company.

"We have no desire to develop these products to build a business. This is doing what we can to help," Baumbick said.

Meanwhile, the UAW supports the use of the facilities to make medical products.

“UAW Ford members continue to step up and volunteer to work during this difficult time as we expand at the facility across from Flat Rock to make respirators and at the Van Dyke Transmission Plant to make face masks for medical use,” Gerald Kariem, vice president of UAW Ford Department said in a statement.

The UAW, Kariem said, will continue to work with Ford to follow stringent CDC guidelines and go above and beyond to protect members who volunteer to make the medical products. 

100,000 respirators

Ford can manufacture 100,000 respirators over the next two months, Baumbick said, noting there is incredible demand for the product. 

Ford is not releasing the price for a respirator. But pending regulatory approval, 3M will distribute the respirators to U.S. health care workers, the company said. 

Ford has worked with 3M and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to developed the powered air-purifying respirator to protect health care workers.

The powered air-purifying respirator includes a hood and face shield to cover health care professionals’ heads and shoulders, Ford said.

A high-efficiency filter system provides a supply of filtered air for up to eight hours, Ford said. The air-blower system — similar to the fan found in F-150’s ventilated seats — is powered by a rechargeable and portable battery that helps keep the respirator in constant use.

In developing the respirators, Ford looked for parts it could use "off the shelf," said Marcy Fisher, Ford director of Global Body Exterior and Interior Engineering. 

"The power source in it is an off-the-shelf battery that we use," Fisher said. 

Air-bag gowns

Likewise, for the isolation gowns Ford is making for hospitals, Fisher said Ford worked with Beaumont Health to develop the  proper fit. More than 5,000 gowns have already been delivered to Beaumont.

"The material is the same material we use in our vehicles for our air bags," said Fisher. "It meets the requirement for liquid permeation to it. It's a nylon material."

The isolation gowns are washable up to 50 times, Fisher said. Production will reach 75,000 gowns a week by Sunday and scale up to 100,000 gowns for the week of April 19 and beyond. By July 4, Ford supplier Joyson Safety Systems will cut and sew 1.3 million gowns, Fisher said. It was not known where the gowns are  being produced. 

Stirling Moss, Mercedes-Benz, and the 1955 Race Season

Mille Miglia 1955 in Italy from 30 April to 1 May 1955: Stirling Moss won the legendary road race with his co-driver Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz racing sports car 300 SLR (W 196 S) in the best ever time achieved.

Mille Miglia 1955 in Italy from 30 April to 1 May 1955: Stirling Moss won the legendary road race with his co-driver Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz racing sports car 300 SLR (W 196 S) in the best ever time achieved.

Mercedes-Benz racing driver Sir Stirling Moss. Picture from 1955 at the edge of test drives with the Mercedes-Benz racing sports car 300 SLR (W 196 S) at the Hockenheimring. The vehicles were then brought to Italy for training on the route of the Mille Miglia.

British Grand Prix in Aintree on 16 July 1955: Stirling Moss won the race in a Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 racing car W 196 R. It was the first victory for a British racing driver at this Grand Prix.

Mille Miglia 1955 in Italy from 30 April to 1 May 1955: Stirling Moss won the legendary road race with his co-driver Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz racing sports car 300 SLR (W 196 S) in the best ever time achieved.

“Mercedes-Benz will keep the memory of a great character and racing driver alive and honoured,” says Christian Boucke, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. “Sir Stirling Moss died on 12 April 2020. He was a star of the Mercedes-Benz racing team in the 1955 season. Triumphs such as the overall victory of the Mille Miglia in absolute record time and victory in the British Grand Prix will ensure that his name will forever be closely linked with the motorsport successes of this brand. Thank you, Stirling!”

1 May 1955 in Brescia, Italy. It is 7.22 a.m. A silver racing sports car is given the starting signal and shoots down the ramp: Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S) launched into one of the most important and gruelling road races in the world at the time – the Mille Miglia. No less than 1,000 miles of roads through Italy lie ahead of them, the equivalent of 1,597 kilometres. Their opponents are not merely the 520 other vehicles but, above all, a winding route along public roads and the clock with an unstoppable second hand. In the end, the only thing that counts is the time it takes to cover the 1,000 miles.

After 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, the silver 300 SLR with the red “722” painted on it and driven by Stirling Moss crossed the finishing line in Brescia. The start number depicts the starting time, as is usual in the Mille Miglia. This was a sensation: Moss and Jenkinson set a new record time for the thousand-mile race, their average speed on that day was an unbelievable 157.65 km/h. Their time for this legendary road race was never beaten.

“Only Mercedes-Benz could build such a car.”

“It was indeed my greatest victory,” Moss later said. “No other vehicle in the world would have given us the capability to achieve this tremendous speed. Only Mercedes-Benz could build such a vehicle.” Frightened? Definitely before the race, because he knew how fast he had to drive to win, without always knowing the exact course of the road. That’s why it took a co-driver as reliable as Denis Jenkinson with his roadbook instructions recorded on a paper scroll.

Only a few years earlier, in 1948 at the age of 19, Moss had taken part in his first race and finished fourth. He had a passion for motorsport in his genes: his father, Alfred Moss, who was a dentist by profession, and his mother, Aileen, were already active in motorsport in the 1920s and 1930s, and his sister, Pat, participated successfully in rallies and sports car races in the 1950s and 1960s. His second race in Brighton catapulted Stirling Moss right to the top of the podium. In his first year of racing, he contested a total of 15 competitions and finished twelve of them in first place.

This was the launchpad that shot Moss to an international career, which was expanded successfully in 1955 in the Mercedes-Benz works team after several intermediate stations. His contract covered all the major Formula One events and the World Sports Car Championship, and he took part in them in the W 196 R Grand Prix racing car and the 300 SLR (W 196 S) racing sports car. He closed the season as Formula One runner-up behind Juan Manuel Fangio. He also scored decisive points for winning the Sports Car World Championship, which Mercedes-Benz won in 1955 together with the Formula One World Championship. His successes in 1955:

• Mille Miglia: 1st place
• International “Eifelrennen” event on the Nürburgring: 2nd place
• British Grand Prix: 1st place and his first Formula One victory
• Swedish Grand Prix: 2nd place
• Belgian Grand Prix: 2nd place
• Dutch Grand Prix: 2nd place
• Tourist Trophy in Dundrod, Northern Ireland: 1st place
• Targa Florio: 1st place

Moss had a tremendous will to win. He said he was always spurred on by one thought in particular: “Today is race day, today I'm going to risk my life.” He always demanded everything from the vehicle – sometimes he crossed the finishing line in a severely battered car, but in first place.

When Mercedes-Benz withdrew from motorsport after the extremely successful 1955 season, the driver’s seats of all the major brands were open to Moss. In subsequent years, he drove various marques, such as Vanwall, Cooper, Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lotus and B.R.M. And every season confirmed once again that he was a world-class racing driver. It is true that he never won the Formula One World Championship, but he secured the title of Vice World Champion in subsequent years – as he had done with Mercedes-Benz in 1955: in 1956 and 1957 he was runner-up to Juan Manuel Fangio again and, in 1958, second place behind fellow-Briton Mike Hawthorn. In the years from 1959 to 1961, he took 3rd place in the Drivers’ Championship.

Happy Easter Everyone! What kind of car does the Easter Bunny Drive?

More importantly, what kind of life would Jesus want you to live?

The Successful Porsche Racing Career of Richard Attwood

Attwood developed a passion for motorsports at an early age – inspired by the car dealership run by his parents. After racing in formula sport with Triumph and BRM, he first came into contact with the Porsche brand in 1967. Together with William Bradley, he finished second in Zeltweg driving a private Porsche 906 Carrera 6. Porsche engaged Attwood for the World Sportscar Championship two years later in 1969, and from then on he was retained under contract as a works driver. He raced in the World Championship for Makes in a Porsche 908/02, and came second in both Brands Hatch and Watkins Glen together with Vic Elford. In the season finale in Zeltweg, he finished third with Brian Redman in the 917. Together with Hans Herrmann, he took part in the Nürburgring 1,000 km driving a Porsche 908/03 in 1970 – finishing in 2nd place.

Richard Attwood celebrates the first overall victory in Le Mans in 1970

The first overall victory in the most important endurance race in the world is considered to be one of the greatest racing successes of the sports car manufacturer from Zuffenhausen. On 14 June 1970, Porsche achieved the first of a total of 19 overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After exactly 4,607.811 kilometres or 343 laps, Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann crossed the finishing line first in the legendary Porsche 917 KH from Porsche Salzburg with the start number 23. “Unlike what many people may think, I never did any testing in the 917. I drove a 917 for the first time in a qualifying race in 1969,” says Attwood looking back. “In 1970 I did not believe for a minute that we had even the slightest hope of winning.”

Together with Hans Herrmann Attwood raced in the legendary Porsche 917 KH with the start number 23

In 1971, he achieved another first place in the 1,000 kilometre race at the Österreichring. Richard Attwood retired from active motor racing at the end of the season at the age of just 31. His last podium finish was in 1971 together with Derek Bell in the 917 KH at the season finale of the World Sportscar Championship in Watkins Glen (3rd place). However, the now 80 year-old was not quite ready to fully enjoy his retirement. In 1984, he finished 15th in Daytona in a Porsche 928. Today, Attwood still accompanies the Porsche Museum to its driving events at renowned classic car meets all over the world. Among other things, he can be seen at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood, the Sound Night as well as at various historic motorsports events.

Richard Attwood at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood 2019

Richard Attwood's most important Porsche racing successes

1967
2nd place	500 km Zeltweg, Porsche 906 Carrera 6
1969
7th place	12h Sebring, Porsche 908/02
2nd place	6h Brands Hatch, Porsche 908/02
4th place	1,000 km Spa, Porsche 908 LH
4th place	1,000 km Nürburgring, Porsche 908/02
2nd place	6h Watkins Glen, Porsche 908/02
3rd place	1,000 km Österreichring, Porsche 917
1st place	9h Kyalami, Porsche 908/02
1970
3rd place	1,000 km Brands Hatch, Porsche 917 KH
5th place	Targa Florio, Porsche 908/03
9th place	1,000 km Spa, Porsche 908/02
6th place	1,000 km Spa, Porsche 917 KH
2nd place	1,000 km Nürburgring, Porsche 908/03
1st place	24h Le Mans, Porsche 917
3rd place	CanAm Watkins Glen, Porsche 917 KH
4th place	1,000 km Österreichring, Porsche 917 KH
1971
2nd place	24h Le Mans, Porsche 917 KH
1st place	1,000 km Österreichring, Porsche 917 KH
3rd place	6h Watkins Glen, Porsche 917 KH

The Mercedes-Simplex

Mercedes-Simplex 40 PS from 1903, photographed on the road from Nice to La Turbie at the start of the 20th century, the destination of the hillclimb in Nice Week. April, 2017.

At the beginning of April 1900, businessman and motorcar enthusiast Emil Jellinek, concluded an agreement with Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) in Nice on the distribution of Daimler cars and engines. Emil Jellinek, who lived in Baden near Vienna and in Nice, insisted on greater performance and more innovative technology from Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft in the closing years of the 19th century, which resulted in the development of the modern motorcar. From 1899 on, he competed in car races on the Côte d’Azur in high-performance Daimler cars under the pseudonym “Monsieur Mercedes”, the first name of his daughter, who was born in 1889.

The decision to develop a new engine, which was to bear the name Daimler-Mercedes, was a further ground-breaking step: it meant that the name that Jellinek had been using as a pseudonym for several years became the product name. On 22 December 1900, DMG delivered the first car equipped with the new engine to Nice, a 35 PS racing car.

The vehicle was not only the newest and most powerful model produced by DMG – it has since come to be recognized as the very first modern motorcar. The Mercedes 35 PS was systematically designed for performance, weight savings and safety, its key features including a lightweight high-performance engine, a long wheelbase and a low center of gravity. With these attributes and the honeycomb radiator organically integrated into the front, it gave the motorcar its own distinct form: it was a new construction which had been systematically designed from scratch for the innovative new type of drive. Experts were immediately aware that this vehicle marked a profound change in the field of automotive engineering. Paul Meyan, the founding member and secretary-general of the motorcar Club de France (A.C.F.), is on record as having commented: “We have entered the Mercédès era.”

During Nice Week (“Semaine de Nice”) in March 1901, at that time arguably the most important international motorsport event, the Mercedes cars entered were unbeatable. This helped Jellinek and Mercedes to achieve exceptional publicity. “Clearly, French designers have nothing comparable to offer at present,” wrote the “La Presse” newspaper on 30 March 1901. In March and August 1901, the sister models, the 12/16 PS and 8/11 PS, were launched. Jellinek's business was booming: in society’s most exclusive circles, it was the done thing to drive a Mercedes or, even better, to be driven in one. The Daimler plant in Cannstatt was hardly able to keep up with the production demand.

Following the ground-breaking motorsport and market successes of Mercedes cars, the name “Mercédès” was applied for as a trademark on 23 June, 1902 and legally registered on 26 September. Emil Jellinek took this a step further one year later, and in June 1903 he received permission to change his name to Jellinek-Mercedes from then on. He commented on the decision thus: “This must in all probability be the first time that a father has borne the name of his daughter.”

Easy operability: the Simplex model family

Even in France, where the motorcar enjoyed particularly early success, cars remained conspicuous by their absence in everyday life at the turn of the 20th century. The registration statistics for France nevertheless show 4,427 luxury passenger cars in 1901, plus 959 motorcars for commercial use. However, the product was continuously being developed and was becoming more widespread.

The first Mercedes and its less powerful sister models designed according to the same principles gave rise in 1902 to the Mercedes-Simplex model family, which initially comprised three models. The "Simplex" designation alluded to the vehicles' ease of operation by the standards of the day. The most powerful variant in 1902 was the Mercedes-Simplex 40 PS, the direct successor to the Mercedes 35 PS. The Mercedes-Simplex vehicles were equally successful as innovative racing cars and as sporty everyday luxury motorcars.

They also triumphed at Nice Week: in 1902 the Mercedes-Simplex 40 PS won the Nice-La Turbie race, followed in 1903 by the 60 PS model which set a new record time. A particularly memorable feat was the victory by Camille Jenatzy in a Mercedes-Simplex 60 PS in the 1903 Gordon Bennett race, which was the leading international motorsport event of the day. The original plan was to field the markedly more powerful 90 hp racing cars, but these were destroyed in a fire at the DMG factory in Cannstatt three weeks before the race. DMG thus raced the privately owned near-series Mercedes-Simplex 60 PS. The vehicle belonging to American millionaire Clarence Gray Dinsmore won the race with Jenatzy behind the wheel.

The final models bearing the Mercedes-Simplex designation appeared in 1904. These included the 28/32 PS model, a more advanced variant of the 28 PS model from 1902. The “Simplex” designation disappeared from the model names of the Mercedes motorcars in 1905. but the unique, global success story of the series production vehicles and racing cars which began with the Mercedes 35 PS in 1901 continues to this day.

Covid-19 and the End of the Automobile Age in America

Yesterday I was interviewed in the Dayton Daily News about layoffs at the Ohio Honda plant and I stated this may well be "The End of the Automobile Age" in America. So let me explain a bit further what I mean.

Much of the future is up to speculation. However, it seems clear that any return to "normalcy" is closely connected to the widespread availability of a vaccine to counter the Covid-19 virus. Until that happens, life will not even approach what it was before early March, 2020 in the USA. Will large numbers of folks buy new cars when one does not know if they will live beyond a few weeks? And beyond that, will the impact of the virus upend our recent orgy in self-gratification and materialism? Perhaps the new society will center on very different values that the automobile no longer represents.

I have been struck recently by how the lockdown has changed my community and neighborhood. Now when one walks or bikes it is common to get greetings from neighbors also on the road or working on lawns and gardens. In the early evening our neighborhood roads are filled with walkers and families on bicycles. Automotive traffic is minimal, and I think that is a good thing. And this is in a suburban neighborhood that does not have sidewalks. Community seems to be now more a way of life than anytime I have experienced  in my 35 years living in Washington Township.

Certainly until there is a vaccine there will be very little air and highway travel. With an economy in tatters, who can afford a 70k SUV? Between job losses and stock market decline, our wealth has dropped significantly. And the cost for things of necessity has risen -- check local food prices.

Will students return to residential colleges for a "social experience," or learn online? To add to this complexity,  can one learn laboratory skills online, or will there be other accommodations for engineering and science students? Clearly our social entropy will slow down from past patterns.

And then we have the global automotive industry. Given China's rather quick recovery, will the "virus experience" shift the focus of automobile manufacturing from the US to China in even more pronounced ways that we have already witnessed? The West -- US and Europe --  has taken a disproportional hit and the long-term consequences will be profound. Given the huge amount of government monetary infusion and long term debt, perhaps Oswald Spengler's Decline of the West (1922) was about 100 years premature.

All we can do now is see how it all unfolds, while continuing to stay safe.