This blog will expand on themes and topics first mentioned in my book, "The Automobile and American Life." I hope to comment on recent developments in the automobile industry, reviews of my readings on the history of the automobile, drafts of my new work, contributions from friends, descriptions of the museums and car shows I attend and anything else relevant. Copyright 2009-2020, by the author.
A look at the former Mercedes-Benz company-owned sales and service outlet in Regensburg at 122 Landshuter Straße. Photo from the 1950s
1 – 94 years ago: Even before today’s German Technical Inspection Authorities (TÜV) were created in 1938, their predecessor organisations carried out general inspections of motor vehicles. In Baden, for example, cars that were to be used in the grand duchy were already being checked from 1906. From 1926, the Bayerischer Dampfkessel-Revisionsverein (Bavarian boiler audit association) took over official inspections in Bavaria with its newly formed “Maschinentechnische Beratungs- und Revisionsstelle für Kraftfahrzeuge” (mechanical consultation and audit office for motor vehicles) and awarded certification stamps in registration documents for the first time. The HU (official general inspection) badge on the rear number plate, on the other hand, was only introduced in West Germany in 1961, with the corresponding certification seal following on number plates in East Germany in 1963.
2 – No longer a monopoly: Other technical inspection offices and officially recognised monitoring organisations such as DEKRA (formed from the Deutscher Kraftfahrzeug-Überwachungs-Verein or German motor vehicle monitoring association), GTÜ (Gesellschaft für Technische Überwachung or society for technical monitoring) or KÜS (Kraftfahrzeug-Überwachungsorganisation freiberuflicher Kfz-Sachverständiger or motor vehicle monitoring organisation for freelance automotive experts) have also been carrying out official general inspections (HU) for a long time. Nevertheless, the former monopolist has stubbornly remained in common parlance in Germany when it comes to general inspections as people simply say “my car need its TÜV” or “the TÜV is due”.
3 – Statistics: Sounds surprising, but it’s true: the older cars get, the better they will eventually do in fault statistics. At least, this is the case if the car has reached classic status and has been taken good care of by its owner. After all, an owner wants to keep it functional and on the road, and will deal with all the necessary maintenance and repair work. By the way, numerous classics from Mercedes-Benz can be found in the classic cars registration statistics at the very top.
4 – General inspection: With a “visual, functional and effectiveness inspection of certain components not requiring disassembly”, the test engineers assess whether the vehicle meets the German regulations authorizing the use of vehicles for road traffic and can be operated in terms of road safety and environmental protection. For example, they look at the chassis, brakes and lights, as well as the pollutant emission control system. If everything is in order, the vehicle receives a new inspection badge on the rear number plate, and the driver is given a written test report.
5 – Sealed: The valid HU inspection badge, alongside the corresponding entry in the registration documents, has been the sought-after result of the general inspection since 1961. It is affixed to the rear number plate. Prior to this – after its introduction in Bavaria in 1926 – the inspector stamped the registration document belonging to the vehicle. Such an historic stamp of the “Amtliche Prüfstelle für den Verkehr mit Kraftfahrzeugen” (official inspection office for transportation with motor vehicles) is shown in the exhibit of the “33 Extras” series at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
6 – Regular cycle: In Germany, a private passenger car has to be presented for its first general inspection 36 months after its initial registration. After this, there is a two-year cycle. There are different terms for different vehicles – a taxi or rental car has to have a general inspection every year, for example.
7 – Drive right up: In the event of a serious or dangerous fault, the vehicle must be subjected to a re-examination within a month. If the vehicle owner misses this deadline, then they have to book in for a full general inspection. Should the vehicle no longer be roadworthy, the inspection badge is removed and the vehicle can no longer be operated on public roads.
8 – Legally regulated: To start with, the general inspection was voluntary. It was not long before a mandatory inspection was discussed, however. In 1929, the largest German car club – the ADAC – held a vote of its members and 90 per cent were against a mandatory inspection. Yet from 1 December 1951, it was introduced in West Germany for all motor vehicles and trailers requiring registration. Vehicles have had to undergo regular inspections ever since. In the former East Germany, the technical inspection of motor vehicles became mandatory in 1963. If the inspection was passed, a coloured badge was added to the rear number plate (from 1980, the badge was replaced with a sticker). The technical inspections were carried out by motor vehicle workshops, “Verkehrssicherheitsaktiven” (active participants in road safety) in companies as well as by the police. They also offered information on when the next inspection was due – no later than with the issue of a new generation of certification seal.
9 – A question of nerves: The older the vehicle gets and the closer the deadline for the next general inspection looms, the greater the worry of some vehicle owners: Will the car pass its test without any issues? Or will it need expensive repairs? And if these aren’t worth it any more, does it make economic sense to keep the car?
10 – Internationality: The general inspection exists in a similar format in France, Austria, Switzerland and the USA, for example. There, too, vehicles have to undergo a regular technical inspection
Mercedes-Benz 319 and O 319 D. “The large minibus” advertisement dated 1956.
In 1955, Mercedes-Benz presented a versatile talent bearing the star in the midst of the strongest economic growth phase of the Miracle on the Rhine: the L 319 van and compact O 319 minibus perfectly met the demands of assistance services as well as traders in all sectors. During its production period up to 1968, the 319 model series – built in many variants – became the market leader of its category. Nowadays the Sprinter, currently on the market in its third generation, continues the post-war tradition established back then, based on an ample range of vehicle variants.
Introduction at 1955 IAA: The presentation of the L 319 and O 319 at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main between 22 September and 2 October 1955 led the company, known at the time as Daimler-Benz AG, into a new commercial vehicle category. These vehicles, designed and developed by a team managed by Hermann Ahrens and Eugen Stump, closed two important gaps in the product range: vans and light commercial vehicles in the payload category between one and two metric tonnes and minibuses with up to 18 seats (excluding driver).
Germany in 1955: Up to that point, it had been the year with the strongest economic growth of the only recently established Federal Republic of Germany. The GDP increased by 12.1 per cent and, between May 1954 and May 1955, the average wage of West-German industry workers rose from DM 1.65 per hour to DM 1.76, which equated to six per cent more in workers’ pockets. Germans started travelling again – Italy was very popular. Italy was also the country Germany signed the first recruitment agreement with, welcoming many migrant workers. And Chancellor Konrad Adenauer used the Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186), from then on nicknamed the “Adenauer”.
Mercedes-Benz in 1955: 65 years ago the brand covered every segment within the automotive segment except for motorcycles. It was the first year the company generated more than one billion German Marks in revenue. In the United States it established Daimler-Benz of North America with headquarters in New York. The 190 SL (W 121) was launched on the market. Motorsport drew plenty of global attention to the company: Juan-Manuel Fangio was crowned Formula 1 world champion in the W 196 R Silver Arrow. The 300 SLR (W 196 S) won more than just renowned races. With drivers like Stirling Moss, Juan-Manuel Fangio, Peter Collins and Karl Kling behind the wheel, the vehicle also claimed the overall sports car world championship title. All in all, it was a strong year.
Background information about L 319 and O 319: In August 1949 Director General Dr Wilhelm Haspel put “1-metric tonne diesel HGVs” on the agenda of an executive board meeting. He identified that a diesel engine stemming from passenger car production would also be suitable for other vehicles, such as platform trucks, ambulances or rural mail delivery vehicles. Managed by the Head of Development, Dr Fritz Nallinger, trials with a test vehicle boasting a payload of 1.5 metric tonnes launched on 19 July 1951. This prototype still featured a conventional frame with rigid axles as well as coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers at the front and rear. However, between 1951 and 1954, engineers designed the vehicle completely from scratch. Different to what Director General Haspel had originally envisaged, the vehicle’s debut was thus postponed from the first ever post-war IAA in 1951 to the trade show held in 1955.
Design: Cost-effective vehicle production lies at the core of any specifications. As a result, engines, transmissions and steering gear assemblies were taken from the passenger car range. The decision to design the vehicle as a space-saving COE truck was made at an early stage. Consequently, the panel van variant provided a loading capacity of 8.6 cubic metres at a length of only 4.80 metres. Just like the rear-engined O 321 H coach, the 319 model series featured a chassis subframe and a body with a welded ladder-type frame as a self-supporting body. Engine, transmission, steering, the rigid front axle with multi-leaf longitudinal springs, torsion-bar stabiliser and telescopic shock absorbers (angled towards the rear) were linked to the chassis subframe, which had been elastically screwed to the floor assembly at four points. A rigid banjo axle featuring leaf springs and – once again – angled telescopic shock absorbers were installed at the rear. Coil springs supported the leaf springs in the event of increasing loads. The wheelbase was defined as 2,850 millimetres.
More payload and a new model designation: From 1963 the platform truck was also available with a wheelbase of 3,600 millimetres, which then also led to variants with a crew cab or a platform body with a length of four metres. At this point, the payload increased from 1.75 to two metric tonnes thanks to reinforced brakes and springs. The model designation also changed, the petrol-powered variant was now known as the L 407 and the L 405 became the diesel-powered variant. The new designations describe the weight and output: the engine in the first four-tonne van generated 70 hp, while the other vehicle’s engine developed 50 hp. This nomenclature became standard for all Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles for decades to come.
First of all, the diesel: In the initial years after the war, the diesel engine had not yet prevailed in small vans. This changed with the L/O 319. As of its production launch in August 1956, it was initially exclusively available with an efficient diesel engine as the L/O 319 D. The commercial vehicles used the 1.8-litre four-cylinder OM 636 with hanging valves and 32 kW(43 hp) from the 170 D and 180 D passenger car types. The van’s consumption was specified as 9.2 litres of diesel oil per 100 kilometres and its top speed as 80 km/h. From autumn 1961 it was replaced by the more modern, new, two-litre four-cylinder OM 621 development generating 37 kW (50 hp) from the 190 D. It was the first large-scale-production diesel engine in this displacement category with an overhead camshaft. In 1965 the output was increased to 40 kW (55 hp).
The petrol-powered variant followed suit: As of February 1957, additional versions featuring a four-cylinder M 121 petrol engine with an overhead camshaft and 48 kW (65 hp) from the 180 passenger car model launched in production. Ex-factory figures specified a consumption of 14.2 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres and a top speed of 95 km/h. From autumn 1961 onwards the engine output totalled 50 kW (68 hp), increasing to 59 kW (80 hp) from 1965. Petrol-engine variants were popular in areas where lower mileage and better performance made the difference. For instance, many fire service departments ordered this version of the L 319.
Variations: The L 319 and O 319 were available for delivery with different bodies, so that, according to the sales brochure, “there is a matching vehicle available for any transport tasks in retail, trade and industry”. Consequently, the small commercial vehicle – initially produced in Sindelfingen and later in Düsseldorf – was available in 1956 as a panel van featuring hinged doors or sliding doors, as a platform truck with frame and tarpaulin or as a delivery vehicle with open sides. In the latter variant the openings were sealed by tarpaulin, which could be set up to use as awnings – ideal for selling products at markets. The O 319 was available for commuters with a capacity of 18 passengers, as a coach with 17 seats and as a luxury coach with ten passenger seats. In terms of comfort, the brochure describes the O 319 as “featuring pleasant, upholstered seats, exemplary ventilation and heating, large, round windows and the sliding sunroof, its equipment stretches from the bare necessities to luxury-level comfort.”
“This front end is very nice”: You still hear people say this when they look at 319 model series vehicles today. After the stringent lines of many pre-war production commercial vehicles, designers developed a new shape for the COE vehicles of the 1950s with similarities to the brand’s passenger cars. The L/O 319 as well as the O 321 H minibus presented in 1954 took on pioneering roles. For decades this face became an ambassador for the Mercedes-Benz brand in everyday situations around the globe.
Market positioning: The 319 model series closed the gap between competitor vehicles and the larger Mercedes-Benz L/O 3500. And it was very successful in doing so: when production was discontinued in 1968, both the L 319 and O 319 were market leaders. Initially produced in Sindelfingen, the production site was moved to Düsseldorf in 1962. To this day, Düsseldorf remains the Group’s main plant for vans and is the home of the Sprinter. The T2 (1967 to 1996), known as the “Düsseldorfer Transporter” (the “Düsseldorf van”) was the direct successor of the 319. The TN van, produced in northern Germany, made its debut in 1977. It is often referred to as the T1 to distinguish it from the larger T2 – or known as the “Bremer Transporter” (the “Bremen van”) on the basis of its first production site. In 1995 the Sprinter succeeded the TN.
Praise from experts: In the 20/1955 issue, “Auto Motor und Sport” magazine said the following about the new Daimler-Benz minibus: “In many areas exemplary and modern, whilst being very, very traditional in other areas, the O 319 is less a technically interesting solution than it is a more economically interesting one which doesn’t need to hope for plenty of success, but can be pretty sure of it.” “Last-Auto und Omnibus” specialist magazine intensively analysed the O 319 in the 3/1957 issue: “We can genuinely praise the roadholding, suspension, steering, field of vision and many other elements. All in all, we can showcase a passenger vehicle here that merges significantly more benefits than you would initially assume. Anyone fond of gearshifts in the O 319 D – something that is actually fun with the genuinely smooth steering wheel transmission – will nonetheless reach average speeds that are definitely worth mentioning. As a result, we managed to achieve average speeds of 50 to 60 km/h on normal roads several times, albeit on routes without inclines, covering distances of over 300 km. The diesel-powered variant doesn’t move as slowly as you would initially assume.”
Mercedes-Benz 124 model series, cross-sectional drawing of the front-axle drive for 4MATIC types. Graphic from 1987
Mercedes-Benz 124 model series estate, interior. Third row of seats in the luggage compartment. Photograph from 1985.
Mercedes-Benz continued its success story 35 years ago when the 124 model series estate celebrated its premiere at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main between 12 and 22 September 1985. It marks the brand’s first combination saloon called E-Class, and is only the second estate in the E-Class history. The estate, or T-Modell in German, “T” being short for tourism and transport, is closely related to the saloon presented in December 1984. As individual 124 model series body shapes, coupés (1987) and cabriolets (1991) would later complement the range. Saloons with a long wheelbase and chassis variants for special-purpose bodies with a short and long wheelbase were also available. Until 1996 a total of 340,503 units of this station wagon were built at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen. The S 124, which was its internal designation, has long since established itself as a popular modern classic with iconic status and many benefits.
The wagon is a further masterpiece drawn up by the Design department headed up by Bruno Sacco. At first glance, the front and centre sections of the saloon and estate seem identical. However, there are subtle differences. For instance, the estate’s roof is somewhat higher than the saloon’s. Designers and engineers harmoniously implemented this difference by making the sheet metal surfaces between the fold above the doors and the cover strips towards the central roof section slightly steeper. The rear with a larger volume changes the aerodynamics: the estate boasts a drag coefficient of cd = 0.340, the saloon’s value stands at cd = 0.300.
The floor assembly was modified at the rear to create an even loading area. Since the fuel tank, installed behind the rear seat backrest in the saloon, would be in the way here, the component was relocated to underneath the vehicle floor at the rear. The special design of the top side of the tank and the vehicle floor featuring oblique contact surfaces contributes to passive safety: in the event of a rear-end collision severe enough to deform the frame side members, the fuel tank is deflected towards the bottom and held by arrester cables.
Turbocharged diesel engine exclusively available for the estate
The estate’s range initially included engines with an output range between 53 kW (72 hp) in the 200 TD to 138 kW (182 hp) in the 300 TE. The model range differs from the saloon’s in terms of detail: for instance, the 300 TD TURBO featuring the three-litre turbocharged OM 603 D 30 A six-cylinder diesel engine generating 105 kW (143 hp) was exclusively available for the 124 model series estate. Further, the engine is also installed in the 300 SDL S-Class export model for North America. The 300 TD TURBO was initially also produced as an export model, but was additionally available in Germany from 1987. All estates with petrol engines, initially excluding the 200 T, optionally featured a lambda-probe-equipped emissions control system with three-way catalytic converter. The so-called “RÜF-Version” was alternatively available: without a catalytic converter and lambda probe, but with the multifunctional mixture preparation and ignition system. It was no problem to retrofit lambda-probe-equipped catalytic converters in RÜF-Version vehicles. From September 1986 the catalytic converter formed part of the standard scope of all estates powered by a petrol engine.
In terms of the suspension, the estate’s shock-absorber strut front axle was identical to the one in the saloon. The multi-link rear axle had been combined with hydropneumatic level control as a standard feature. Unlike the predecessor, 124 model series estates came with a shorter rear axle ratio compared with their saloon counterparts.
Successful development
The 124 model series estate was successful from the get-go, convincing its customers across two facelifts and a total production time spanning more than ten years. Continuously enhanced developments also played their part in this context. For instance, 4MATIC, the new all-wheel drive concept development for passenger cars, had already been showcased at the 1985 IAA in the 300 TE and 300 TD Turbodiesel. As of April 1987, the 300 TE 4MATIC launched into series production, followed in August 1987 by the 300 TD TURBO 4MATIC. The complex four-wheel drive system was available at an extra charge of 12,000 German Marks.
September 1989 saw Mercedes-Benz introduce a comprehensive facelift for the 124 model series estate. Its exterior characteristics include elements, such as doors and sills with plastic trim, painted outside mirrors and numerous chrome strips. Reinforced side windows lower the noise level in the vehicle interior and revised seats boost comfort. The new Sportline package is optionally available for all two-wheel drive types. It comes with lowered suspension, wider tyres and front seats with improved lateral guidance as well as a leather steering wheel and a selector lever with leather trim.
In as early as September 1988, the 200 TE already supplemented the type range with an introductory-level model with an injection engine. In 1988 and 1989 diesel engines were upgraded with a pre-chamber featuring inclined injection to reduce particulate and pollutant emissions. The six-cylinder M 104 featuring four valves per cylinder in the new 300 TE-24 (162 kW/220 hp) was introduced alongside the facelift. As of June 1990, the 250 TD TURBO was exclusively produced for export to Italy. In September 1992, the M 111 model series four-valve, four-cylinder engines succeeded its M 102 model series predecessors in the 200 TE and 220 TE. The M 104 model series three-litre engine in the 300 TE evolved into two variants with engine capacities of 3.2 and 2.8 litres in the 320 TE and 280 TE. As of 1992, airbag, central locking and electrically adjustable outside mirrors formed part of the 124 model series estate’s standard equipment.
A new name for the estate
As of June 1993, the S 124 was the first Mercedes-Benz estate to bear the E-Class designation. The new nomenclature followed the principles applied to the S-Class and C-Class. From now on, the type designation consisted of the preceding letter E and a sequence of digits derived from the engine capacity as well as the corresponding indicator for models powered by a diesel engine. For example, the 300 TD was now known as the E 300 Diesel Estate, whereby the tailgate merely said E 300 DIESEL. In 1993, the first passenger car diesel engines with four valves represented a world first in the E-Class. The OM 605 D 25 and OM 606 D 30 featuring a three-stage resonance switchover intake system generated more torque and output across a significantly enhanced engine speed range. At the same time, they cut the fuel consumption under full load by up to 8 per cent. As of 1993, all diesel-powered models featured an oxidation catalytic converter and exhaust gas recirculation.
The panel radiator grille is the most prominent exterior feature of this facelift. It guaranteed a uniform appearance in line with the 140 model series S-Class and the 202 model series C-Class. The front turn indicators now featured transparent lenses and the bumpers’ protective strips were now no longer black, but painted in the same colour as the attachments.
Estate high-performance versions
In terms of the E-Class estate, the direct collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and AMG resulted in the E 36 AMG (200 kW/272 hp) high-performance vehicle in 1993. AMG developed the 3.6-litre engine in Affalterbach on the basis of the M 104 standard engine with a capacity of 3.2 litres and thus converted it from a short-stroke to a long-stroke engine, amongst other things. The E 36 AMG Estate was delivered with a four-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment and boasted a top speed of 240 km/h.
However, the top-of-the-range engine introduced in 1993 was not the first 124 model series estate to be worked on by performance specialists at the engineering office managed by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher. Even before the official collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, the original AMG company had been completely independently designing and producing high-performance vehicles featuring a V8 engine on the basis of the lifestyle estate in the 1980s – these vehicles were nicknamed “The Hammer”. Variants ranged from the 300 TE 5.0 with an engine capacity of 4973 cubic centimetres to the 300 TE 6.0 boasting an engine capacity of 5953 cubic centimetres. The output range stretched from 203 kW (276 hp) to 283 kW (385 hp)
The congratulations from Zuffenhausen arrived by airmail: “Dear Mr. McQueen,” the letter dated March 1970 began. “It is a great pleasure to extend my warm congratulations to you on your outstanding performance at the 12 Hours of Sebring.” Ferry Porsche wrote that he had “followed the race from home with rapt attention.” Forty-years-old at the time, McQueen was not only one of the most successful Hollywood stars of the day, but also an avid racer: “You can imagine how delighted I was that you posted such a brilliant result in a car of our brand,” concluded Ferry Porsche.
“I’m not sure whether I’m an actor who races or a racer who acts.” Steve McQueen
McQueen and his teammate Peter Revson had indeed pulled off a heroic feat at the classic long-distance race in Florida. Although in their Porsche 908/02 Spyder KH (Kurzheck or short tail) nicknamed “Flounder” they were clearly outmatched by the more powerful competition from the higher class, they led the pack in the final stages of the race and were only overtaken by Mario Andretti in a Ferrari on the last lap. The American driver crossed the finish line with a mere 23-second gap after 12 hours at race pace.
Steve McQueen hated coming in second: he always wanted to win. But even for him, this second-place finish felt like a victory. A victory over himself, as it were; he had injured his left foot two weeks earlier at the motocross race at Lake Elsinore.
He had arrived for the race in Sebring on crutches and sporting a cast. “The foot’s broken in six places,” McQueen explained matter-of-factly to the waiting TV reporters. “We had to shorten the left pedal in the car and glue sandpaper to the sole of my shoe for me to be able to work the clutch.” The notion of pulling out, however, hadn’t crossed his mind. “I had given my word.”
That’s how he was. The coolest guy around. A guy who pushed boundaries and broke the rules. And not only in blockbusters like The Magnificent Seven, Bullitt, and The Towering Inferno – he was no different in real life. And that meant one thing above all others: racing. He was “always in a hurry,” Steve McQueen once said. “That’s how I live.” His son Chad, now 59, puts it this way: “He loved racing. It was his drug.”
He fled the poverty he had grown up in, in Missouri and Indiana, at top speed. At the age of 14 he was still living in a home for delinquent youths; as a 17-year-old, he enlisted in the Marines as a tank driver. At the age of 22, he successfully auditioned for one of the coveted spots in Lee Strasberg’s famed Actors Studio in New York – the drama school par excellence in the 1950s.
“You only live once, so live life to the fullest.” Steve McQueen
To make ends meet, McQueen worked as a dishwasher and truck driver, and topped up his budget by running races on his Harley-Davidson. The prize money was usually one hundred dollars – a sizable sum at the time.
McQueen scored his first starring role at the age of 27 in the science-fiction horror film The Blob. His pay: $3,000. It was the comparatively modest beginning of an unprecedented rise.
By the end of the 1950s, his income was sufficient to buy his first new car: a black Porsche 356 A Speedster. Like his fellow actor James Dean, McQueen felt drawn to the young brand out of Stuttgart. The Speedster and its 75 hp engine combined day-to-day usability with the qualities of a club racer.
1970 Le Mans Shooting break: McQueen enjoyed the camaraderie of the drivers and the unique opportunity to drive on the legendary track, even if not in competition. Filming the racing epic “Le Mans” was “almost an afterthought,” as Derek Bell (right) recalled later.
In 1959 he entered nine races of the Sports Car Club of America in California. His very first official race, in Santa Barbara on 31 May, ended with a victory in the novice class. “I was hooked. Racing gave me a new identity,” McQueen acknowledged later, “and it was important to me to have that independent identity.”
Before the summer of 1959 drew to a close, McQueen had traded in the Speedster for a more powerful Porsche 356 A Carrera. Later, he entered his first race in a pure race car, a Lotus Eleven. Countless more sports cars and racing machines would follow over the course of his 20-year career. He collected almost obsessively – not only cars, but also motorcycles and even aircraft. “He was mad about speed and machines,” said Neile Adams, his first wife.
“I’m not sure that acting is something for a grown man to be doing.” Steve McQueen
McQueen himself regarded his toys as a means of escape into another world in which only his laws applied. “I can really only relax when I’m racing. I loosen up at high speeds,” he once said in a television interview.
But there was something else as well: the need to assert himself, at any price. “He had to overtake you, that was his personality,” says Clifford Coleman, his assistant director for many years, who also raced motorcycles. “That’s why he was so successful. He had to win.”
And not only on the racetrack – also when it came to getting back his first Porsche 356 A Speedster. When McQueen found out that fellow race-car driver Bruce Meyer of Beverly Hills had bought the car for $1,500, he hounded him for months until Meyer let him have it back. McQueen would keep it for the rest of his life. “Today it would fetch a seven-figure sum,” says Meyer. “Not one million, several million.” Not that the Speedster with the rare central lock hubs is for sale. It’s firmly ensconced in Chad McQueen’s garage.
Steve McQueen’s films, too, were made according to his rules. As one of the biggest film stars of the 1960s, he could do as he pleased. He built cars and motorcycles into the plot lines wherever possible. Take, for instance, the madcap beach drive with Faye Dunaway in a VW Buggy in The Thomas Crown Affair.
In the legendary chase scene in Bullitt he insisted on doing the stunts himself instead of using a double – a producer’s nightmare come true. An injured star would have meant losses to the tune of millions.
Yet even as he was filming one cinema hit after the other, he couldn’t resist continuing to take part in motocross races. Generally unnoticed by the public. McQueen enjoyed the anonymity granted to him by the helmet and entered races under the pseudonym Harvey Mushman. But even with a helmet on, his riding style was an unmistakable calling card. “He was strong and fast,” recalls assistant director Coleman. “That was evident in the way he rode a motorcycle – very aggressively.”
His racing activities on four wheels attracted more attention, not least because he occasionally shared the cockpit with world-class drivers like Innes Ireland, Pedro Rodríguez, and Stirling Moss. “He always wanted to measure himself against the best,” says son Chad.
McQueen was driving at the highest level by that time and even financed his own racing team through his company Solar Productions. The pinnacle of his racing career was to be the 12 Hours of Sebring on 21 March, 1970, one of ten races in the World Sportscar Championship season.
The Porsche factory team brought seven cars to the starting line, including four 917 KH models, with which the team hoped to repeat the previous year’s world championship victory. But the lion’s share of attention went to McQueen and co-driver Peter Revson, who were starting in the 908/02 as a private team. McQueen had already driven the open-cockpit car to victory in races in Holtville and Phoenix. Porsche driver Kurt Ahrens, who was trading places with Vic Elford at the wheel of a 917, kept a keen eye on his celebrity rival during training. “McQueen had a lot of talent, and he was ambitious, practically obsessed,” recalls the now 80-year-old. “And he was fast, even if not quite as fast as Revson.”
A top show at Sebring in 1970: the McQueen/Revson duo earned the hard-won respect of established pros at the 12-hour race. In the 908/02, they’d kept the more powerful competition at bay until just before the finish
With their 350 hp, three-litre Spyder, McQueen and his teammate didn’t stand a chance against the competition in the five-litre class with their roughly 600 hp – not, at least, in theory. To compensate for their slower lap times, the team didn’t change tyres or brake pads for the entire race. “We were all surprised how consistently they drove; the rigors of the race were considerable,” says Ahrens. “The track was made of concrete slabs; it gave us a good rattle.” McQueen also had the broken foot to contend with. But even that didn’t shake his composure. In the end, the pit strategy paid off with a sensational second place, notwithstanding McQueen and Revson benefiting from multiple dropouts and repairs suffered by competitors.
“I look forward to meeting you personally at Le Mans.” Ferry Porsche
The best factory team Porsche, driven by Leo Kinnunen, Pedro Rodríguez, and Jo Siffert, came in fourth after a time-consuming pit stop. It was not the result Porsche had hoped for.
“Your finish enabled us to keep the lead in the Manufacturers’ World Championship, and for that I would like to thank you,” Ferry Porsche noted in his letter to McQueen.
The head of Porsche and the Hollywood star were anticipating the high point in the annual racing calendar with equal enthusiasm. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, McQueen intended to contest the race with Formula One champion Jackie Stewart in a Porsche 917. But, for insurance reasons, this would have caused him no end of trouble with the Hollywood brass.
For the first time in his life – or so it would seem – McQueen backed off and restricted himself to preparing for his racing epic Le Mans from trackside. He had the 908/02 from Sebring drive as a film car. Sharing driving duties, Herbert Linge and Jonathan Williams were to capture authentic racing scenes. In the end they took a respectable ninth place but were disqualified for a controversial rule violation.
For Porsche, the race would end with a long-awaited triumph: Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood scored Porsche’s first overall victory at Le Mans in their red-and-white 917.
Shortly thereafter, Steve McQueen started shooting the scenes for his film. He had long dreamed of making the ultimate movie about racing and Le Mans was his pet project. The film was on the verge of collapse several times, almost ruined him financially, and brought the end of his marriage to Neile Adams once and for all.
He fired the first director, John Sturges, because the latter wanted to film a love story against the backdrop of the 24-hour race. For McQueen, the race itself was the love story. The second director, Lee H. Katzin, finally gave way. There never would be a coherent script and dialogue was scarce. Le Mans would only attain its cult status many years after its release in 1971.
“He wanted to be one of us. And he was one of us.” Richard Attwood
For the driving scenes, McQueen brought in the top ranks of Le Mans professionals, including Derek Bell, the later five-time overall winner. It didn’t take long, Bell recalled later, before McQueen was roaring down the track himself in a 917. “Steve’s passion for speed was obvious: he wanted to drive full-throttle all the way.” The filming was “almost an afterthought” for McQueen, he said. “That’s probably why we all got along so well.” Richard Attwood, the winner in 1970, summed things up succinctly: “He wanted to be one of us. And he was one of us.” Steve McQueen died of cancer at the young age of 50 on 7 November, 1980.
Source: John A. Scoville, Behavior of the Automobile Industry in Depression, Address delivered before the Econometric Society, Roosevelt Hotel, New York, December 39, 1935.
This page says much about what happened to the American Automobile Industry as a result of the 1929 market crash. Note that the high volume producers all survived. Small volume producers that survived in 1930 -- Auburn, DuPont, Elcar, Gardner, Jordan, Moon, Pierce-Arrow, Roamer, Stutz, all would not make it through the 1930s.
Three episodes have marked American History since 1861 -- The Civil War, The Great Depression, and the pandemic of 2020. What this evidence suggests is that size and market scale matter in terms of weathering a significant socio-economic storm. How might America change post-Covid?
Effective cooling as a prerequisite for powerful engines
Wilhelm Maybach used the honeycomb radiator for the first time in the Mercedes 35 hp
The distinctive radiator grille became the hallmark of Mercedes-Benz vehicle design
Effective cooling of the combustion engine was, and still is, a prerequisite for producing powerful engine output. Vehicle designer Wilhelm Maybach was the first to demonstrate this fact 120 years ago. On 20 September 1900, he took out a patent for the honeycomb radiator design: as the car moved, the airstream was forced through a multitude of tubes mounted side-by-side, similar to a honeycomb when viewed from the front, which efficiently cooled the cooling water – that had been heated by the combustion action in the engine – as it passed through the radiator. The system was constructed as a protruding, vertical radiator and debuted in the Mercedes 35 hp in 1900. Form follows function – and so the high-performance radiator became a central characteristic of the modern car. What's more: that distinctive heat exchanger at the front of the vehicle became a defining stylistic element for the Stuttgart car manufacturer over the decades, and the front grille remains so today.
Sectional drawing of the tube-based radiator made by Wilhelm Maybach. The design, registered as a utility model in 1897, is the forerunner of the honeycomb radiator of 1900.
The background: The first vehicles after the invention of the car by Carl Benz in 1886 did not have a closed cooling circuit. Instead, the cooling water heated by the engine just evaporated. Refilling the water supply was part of the motoring experience – but, as engine power increased, it was no longer a practical solution.
Taking up the challenge: Wilhelm Maybach (1846 to 1929) was the first car designer to develop a solution, and quickly, at that. As early as 1897, that resourceful engineer, together with Gottlieb Daimler, introduced the tube-based radiator. Maybach himself described it as an "apparatus for cooling the water flowing around the cylinders of internal combustion engines, consisting of a flat vessel traversed by a large number of tubes, whereby a stream of air generated by a suitable ventilation device passes continuously through the tubes and extracts the heat from the cooling water". The tubes were made of brass because that alloy of copper and zinc has very good thermal conductivity. The new cooling system was first used in September 1898 in the world's first road vehicle with a four-cylinder engine: the engine of the "Phoenix" horseless carriage initially developed 5.8 kW (8 hp) from a 2.1-litre engine.
Wilhelm Maybach (1846 to 1929) was a close associate of Gottlieb Daimler until Daimler died on March 6, 1900. In the same year, the honeycomb radiator developed by Maybach was patented with effect from 20 September 1900. The cooling system made a considerable increase in the performance of car engines possible.
The breakthrough: On 20 September 1900, Maybach applied for a patent for the honeycomb radiator design as a "cooling and condensation device based on the cross-flow principle". From 8 August 1901, German Reich Patent (DRP) number 122 766 came into force to protect the invention, which was a further development of the tube-based radiator. Wilhelm Maybach had a new type of radiator soldered, made up of 8,070 square tubes measuring six by six millimetres in cross-section. The increased inner surface area of the square tubes in comparison to round tubes, combined with the smaller gaps between the individual tubes, increased the cooling effect considerably and made significantly higher engine performance possible.
Better efficiency: Compared to the Phoenix horseless carriage from 1898, the water consumption in the new 26 kW (35 hp) Mercedes engine from 1900 was reduced by half, from 18 litres to nine per 100 kilometres. In other words: for each horsepower, rather than requiring 2.25 litres of water for cooling purposes, only 0.26 litres was needed over that distance. A small fan located behind the radiator additionally improved the cooling effect at low speed. In this way, the new high-performance radiator solved the car cooling problem permanently – to this day, vehicle radiators are based on exactly the same principle.
Première The honeycomb radiator found its first practical application in the Mercedes 35 hp, the epoch-making new high-performance car manufactured by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG). After the long-legged early motorised, horseless carriages, the design of this, the first modern car in history was trend-setting and triggered a landslide design change: the elongated silhouette, high engine output, honeycomb radiator, low bonnet, long wheelbase, a gear-change gate, inclined steering column, equally sized wheels on both axles and low weight were pioneering core features.
A design feature for decades: The vehicle design of the Mercedes 35 hp was defined to a large extent by the radiator that presented itself to the airstream, which was copied by many manufacturers. "Allgemeine Automobil-Zeitung", (issue 51-52/1902), commented on the Mercedes Simplex at the Paris Motor Show: "The honeycomb radiator, which also influences the lines of the vehicle in some respects, was virtually unknown at the last Paris Motor Show, but has since become 'de rigueur' for most French construction engineers." This was followed by the vertical, pointed radiator, also a defining design feature for decades. From the Mercedes-Benz 170 (W 15) model series, from 1931 on, the flat radiator was hidden behind a grille. It was incorporated as part of the bonnet and, with its house-roof shape, resembled the pointed radiator. The chrome-plated grille became the central distinctive feature of the brand. Now flatter, more elongated and redesigned many times over, it still is today.
Almost silently, the huge cage of the crane system in the atrium of the Mercedes-Benz Museum lowers its valuable freight from the top level down to the ground floor seven storeys below. The spectacle is a majestic one to behold and is perfectly suited to the high-gloss, deep-red Mercedes-Simplex 60 hp touring saloon that dates from 1904. The entire, riveting procedure takes barely five minutes. This was the climax of a technical masterpiece lasting several hours, which experts from the museum and the special logistics company Scholpp completed in mid-August.
This Mercedes Simplex 60 hp is the oldest original car amongst the 160 vehicle exhibits in the permanent exhibition that has ever left the museum for an extended period. The top-of-the-range model produced by the former Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) was once a key object of enthusiasm in the highest social circles. The owner of this particular luxury touring saloon was none other than Emil Jellinek, the inventor of the Mercedes brand name. Until the end of the current year, that magnificent car will be the star of an exclusive event at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre in Fellbach near Stuttgart, which will focus on the history of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Prior to that event, the experts at the Mercedes-Benz Classic workshop will examine the car meticulously.
State-of-the-art crane technology
The Mercedes Simplex 60 hp is normally to be found in its allotted space at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in the room bearing the title Legend 2: Mercedes – Birth of the Brand. In that location, the touring saloon is presented like a priceless jewel on a faceted, shiny black inclined surface, where it attracts many delighted visitors. Preparing its journey to the new location was a logistical challenge. This was because the luxury vehicle weighing around 2.2 tonnes had to be lifted from its four steel support points without putting any strain at all on the surface of the slope. “This was the first time we have used a mobile mini-crane from Scholpp to manoeuvre the car out,” says Benedikt Weiler, curator of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, explaining the procedure. The compact lifting gear is mounted on rubber tracks and can move up to eight tonnes.
On the day the touring saloon was moved, the special-purpose lifting gear was first raised to the level of Legend 2 using the museum’s permanently installed crane system. The hooks of the twelve ropes were visible in the ceiling of the atrium. In line with the desired orientation, four of the cables were lowered and attached to a huge transport cage. The cage had previously been moved on air cushions from the museum depot into the atrium by the team. To prevent damage to the terrazzo floor, robust rubber mats were additionally used. The crane system was originally planned and built especially for the museum and can lift 40 tonnes with the transport cage. The crane cage is 15 metres long, 4 metres wide and weighs around 20 tonnes. This leaves a maximum payload of around 20 tonnes – which is sufficient even for the large buses and trucks found in the museum.
“The crane system is the heart of our vehicle logistics activities. When the museum was opened, we used it to move all the vehicles, including the large touring coach, into the museum. And since then it has been used regularly around two dozen times a year,” explains Benedikt Weiler. The crane operations always take place on Mondays, because that is when the museum is closed to visitors. “This gives us a maximum time frame from 6 p.m. on Sunday evening to 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning,” the museum’s curator continues. The 60 hp Mercedes Simplex also left the museum on a Monday.
Careful planning and meticulous implementation
Once the mobile mini-crane and other lifting gear had arrived and been set up at the Legend 2 level, the tricky part began: following a carefully choreographed sequence, a special lifting device, consisting of two parallel steel tubes, was locked in place under the rear wheels of the Mercedes Simplex 60 hp, while the front axle was attached to a powerful forklift truck by means of sturdy straps. As the crane carefully took the load, the forklift raised its forks in minute increments. Centimetre by centimetre, the touring saloon was lifted off its stand and floated freely in space before being moved about five metres to the side and carefully deposited on the museum floor. The preparations in the depot, at the stand and around the car took about eight hours. The actual lifting and lowering procedure of the touring saloon was completed in only ten minutes. “Like clockwork – just the way we had planned it,” says Benedikt Weiler happily.
After that, it was only necessary to increase the air pressure in the tyres, then the team carefully wheeled the valuable classic onto the large crane cage, suspended on four ropes, that was docked onto the parapet of Legend 2. The specialists from the Scholpp company wore white gloves – which is part of the careful handling of this unique, historic car. Conservation issues have top priority every time a vehicle is moved.
Then followed the five-minute crane ride down to the atrium floor, as described above. An enclosed van was waiting in front of the museum to take the touring saloon to the Classic Centre in Fellbach, which is just seven kilometres away. At the beginning of 2021, the vehicle logistics specialists from Scholpp, together with curator Benedikt Weiler, will be back in action again to transport the touring saloon in the tried and tested manner back to its home location at the museum.
