Ralph de Palma won the Elgin Road Races in August 1912 with record averages of more than 110 km/h

Vanderbilt race in Milwaukee, 1912. The later winner Ralph de Palma (starting number 22) with the Mercedes 140 hp Grand Prix model 1908. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives: 2000DIG15)

Ralph de Palma won the Elgin Road Races with record averages of more than 110 km/h

• Ever higher speeds in races in the early days of the car
• Five years before that, Baron Pierre de Caters won the Ardennes Race with an average speed of 92.6 km/h
• Both drove Mercedes racing cars

Early motor racing successes: on 30 and 31 August 1912, 110 years ago, Ralph de Palma won the Elgin Road Races in Elgin/Illinois, USA, in a privately entered Mercedes 140 hp Grand Prix model 1908, followed by Erwin Bergdoll in a Benz 150 hp. With an average speed of more than 110 km/h, Ralph de Palma set a record there. The 1912 race report states: “Driving a Mercedes, he won the Elgin National Trophy Race and the free-for-all in the best time ever made on the Elgin course.” By comparison, five years before that, Baron Pierre des Caters won the sixth Ardennes Race over 600 kilometres on 27 July 1907 in the Mercedes 120 hp Grand Prix racing car developed by Paul Daimler after 6:29:10 hours. Its average speed was 92.6 km/h

1967 Mercedes-Benz Introduces a New Safety Steering System

Sectional drawing of the Mercedes-Benz safety steering system introduced in 1967 with an impact plate in the steering wheel and a deformable impact absorber; the steering column and shift rod can slide telescopically into each other in the event of a collision. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives: U53041)

From August 1967, all Mercedes-Benz passenger cars received a new safety steering system with a telescopic steering column and an impact absorber in the steering wheel. At that time, the range comprised the W 108/109, W 100, W 110, W 111/112 and W 113 model series. Even before this, the steering was designed so that the steering column did not move directly towards the driver in the event of a severe frontal impact. For this purpose, the steering gear was positioned as far back as possible and directly in front of the front wall of the passenger compartment. The new safety steering system increased the effect: the components that could transfer forces towards the interior in the event of a serious accident could now be moved inside each other to reduce occurring impact forces and thus the strain on the occupants. This concerned the steering column tube, steering shaft and shift rod of the steering wheel gearshift. Experts quickly talked about a telescopic steering column. The journal “auto motor und sport” wrote in Issue 19/1967: “Safety research was already being carried out at Daimler-Benz when no law required it.” In addition to the telescopic steering column and impact absorber, other details improved the safety of the vehicle’s occupants from summer 1967 onwards: new door locks; child-proof door locks; protected and recessed dashboard controls; compliant plastic handles, armrests and window cranks; brake indicator lamp; folding outside mirrors

From Alabama to the world: The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV will be produced exclusively in the U.S.

• The first all-electric Mercedes-EQ built in the United States, the new EQS SUV, has been successfully launched at the Tuscaloosa plant
• The first all-electric Mercedes-EQ built in the United States, the new EQS SUV, has been successfully launched at the Tuscaloosa plant
• From Alabama to the world: The EQS SUV will be produced exclusively in the U.S.
• Highly efficient battery systems to be supplied by the recently opened Mercedes-Benz Battery Factory in Bibb County, Alabama
• Comprehensive sustainabilityconcept and carbon-neutral production at both sites

Mercedes-Benz is exclusively producing the all-electric EQS SUV at its North American passenger vehicle plant. These vehicles rolling off the line is a key step in Mercedes-Benz Cars’ global initiative to produce eight all-electric vehicles at seven sites on three continents this year. The full-size EQS SUV is integrated in series production at the Mercedes-Benz Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama, which has been the production site for large SUVs bearing the three-pointed star since 1997. Tuscaloosa serves as a key production location for Mercedes-EQ luxury electric SUVs: the EQS SUV and EQE SUV, which goes into production later this year.

Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production and Supply Chain: “Our production network is very well positioned for the sustainable and rapid scaling of electric vehicle volumes. With the new EQS SUV joining our production portfolio of all-electric Mercedes-EQ models, we reached another important milestone in our strategy to go all electric by the end of the decade – wherever market conditions allow. I am absolutely sure that our great Tuscaloosa team will make the electric SUV another global success.”

The Tuscaloosa plant uses state-of-the-art digital, sustainable, efficient and flexible production methods and follows the blueprint of the company`s Factory 56 in Sindelfingen, Germany, which symbolizes the future of automotive production of Mercedes-Benz. Thanks to early investments into flexible production and the use of the state-of-the-art MO360 digital production ecosystem, Mercedes-Benz is already able to produce battery-electric vehicles in large volumes.

Michael Goebel, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz US International (MBUSI): “We have a highly skilled and motivated team that has absolutely delivered in the successful product launch of the new EQS SUV. Our Team Members in Tuscaloosa have shown a lot of flexibility, energy and commitment in helping us to achieve milestone after milestone since our first Mercedes-Benz rolled off the production line more than 25 years ago. The employees here at the site can be proud that the first all-electric SUV from Mercedes-Benz and its battery are being built in Alabama.”

Local battery production is a key success factor for Mercedes-Benz's electrification initiative

The new battery factory, which opened in Bibb County in March, produces the battery systems for the EQS SUV on an approximately 300-meter or 985 feet-long production line with more than 70 workstations. A host of components is assembled into a complete system in a fully digitized production process, including up to twelve cell modules and what is known as the EE compartment for the intelligent integration of the power electronics. The battery for the EQS SUV is based on a modular architecture that is also used in the EQS and EQE Sedans. With the new plant, Bibb County is now a part of the global Mercedes-Benz battery production network, which comprises of factories on three different continents.

Sustainable production concept

 As of this year the Mercedes-Benz US production sites operate on a CO2 neutral basis as all of the Mercedes-Benz owned passenger car and van plants worldwide. In line with the Mercedes-Benz strategy of expanding renewable energy production at its plants, the Bibb County battery site’s entire electricity needs will be met through renewable energy sources from 2024 onwards.

With a view to the future return of lithium-ion battery systems from Mercedes-EQ vehicles, the company established a global battery recycling strategy, starting to build its own battery recycling plant in Germany, based on hydrometallurgy. Analogue to this technology, the company plans to close the recyclable material loop with high-tech partners for battery recycling in the U.S. and China

Mercedes-Benz US production at a glance

Since the 1990s, Mercedes-Benz has invested a total of more than seven billion dollars in Alabama. From this amount 1 billion dollars was invested into the battery plant, the logistics centers and to upgrade the production line to make EV’s. Today, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) employs around 4,500 people and also secures an estimated additional 11,000 jobs with suppliers and service providers in the region. Around four million vehicles have left the Tuscaloosa plant since 1997, with around 260,000 SUVs rolling off the production line in 2021 alone. Roughly two-thirds of annual production is exported, making MBUSI one of the largest exporters of automobiles from the US.

The new EQS SUV at a glance

 With the luxury EQS sedan and the sporty executive EQE sedan, Mercedes-Benz has entered a new, all-electric era in the upper market segments. The EQS SUV is the third model series with this architecture developed for electric vehicles. The SUV offers plenty of space, comfort and connectivity for up to seven passengers in its avant-garde, luxurious interior. Thanks to powerful electric motors, responsive 4MATIC all-wheel drive and an intelligent OFFROAD driving mode, the EQS SUV is also capable of tackling light terrain with ease.

• Highly efficient battery systems to be supplied by the recently opened Mercedes-Benz Battery Factory in Bibb County, Alabama
• Comprehensive sustainabilityconcept and carbon-neutral production at both sites

Mercedes-Benz is exclusively producing the all-electric EQS SUV at its North American passenger vehicle plant. These vehicles rolling off the line is a key step in Mercedes-Benz Cars’ global initiative to produce eight all-electric vehicles at seven sites on three continents this year. The full-size EQS SUV is integrated in series production at the Mercedes-Benz Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama, which has been the production site for large SUVs bearing the three-pointed star since 1997. Tuscaloosa serves as a key production location for Mercedes-EQ luxury electric SUVs: the EQS SUV and EQE SUV, which goes into production later this year.

Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production and Supply Chain: “Our production network is very well positioned for the sustainable and rapid scaling of electric vehicle volumes. With the new EQS SUV joining our production portfolio of all-electric Mercedes-EQ models, we reached another important milestone in our strategy to go all electric by the end of the decade – wherever market conditions allow. I am absolutely sure that our great Tuscaloosa team will make the electric SUV another global success.”

The Tuscaloosa plant uses state-of-the-art digital, sustainable, efficient and flexible production methods and follows the blueprint of the company`s Factory 56 in Sindelfingen, Germany, which symbolizes the future of automotive production of Mercedes-Benz. Thanks to early investments into flexible production and the use of the state-of-the-art MO360 digital production ecosystem, Mercedes-Benz is already able to produce battery-electric vehicles in large volumes.

Michael Goebel, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz US International (MBUSI): “We have a highly skilled and motivated team that has absolutely delivered in the successful product launch of the new EQS SUV. Our Team Members in Tuscaloosa have shown a lot of flexibility, energy and commitment in helping us to achieve milestone after milestone since our first Mercedes-Benz rolled off the production line more than 25 years ago. The employees here at the site can be proud that the first all-electric SUV from Mercedes-Benz and its battery are being built in Alabama.”

Local battery production is a key success factor for Mercedes-Benz's electrification initiative

The new battery factory, which opened in Bibb County in March, produces the battery systems for the EQS SUV on an approximately 300-meter or 985 feet-long production line with more than 70 workstations. A host of components is assembled into a complete system in a fully digitized production process, including up to twelve cell modules and what is known as the EE compartment for the intelligent integration of the power electronics. The battery for the EQS SUV is based on a modular architecture that is also used in the EQS and EQE Sedans. With the new plant, Bibb County is now a part of the global Mercedes-Benz battery production network, which comprises of factories on three different continents.

Sustainable production concept

 As of this year the Mercedes-Benz US production sites operate on a CO2 neutral basis as all of the Mercedes-Benz owned passenger car and van plants worldwide. In line with the Mercedes-Benz strategy of expanding renewable energy production at its plants, the Bibb County battery site’s entire electricity needs will be met through renewable energy sources from 2024 onwards.

With a view to the future return of lithium-ion battery systems from Mercedes-EQ vehicles, the company established a global battery recycling strategy, starting to build its own battery recycling plant in Germany, based on hydrometallurgy. Analogue to this technology, the company plans to close the recyclable material loop with high-tech partners for battery recycling in the U.S. and China

Mercedes-Benz US production at a glance

Since the 1990s, Mercedes-Benz has invested a total of more than seven billion dollars in Alabama. From this amount 1 billion dollars was invested into the battery plant, the logistics centers and to upgrade the production line to make EV’s. Today, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) employs around 4,500 people and also secures an estimated additional 11,000 jobs with suppliers and service providers in the region. Around four million vehicles have left the Tuscaloosa plant since 1997, with around 260,000 SUVs rolling off the production line in 2021 alone. Roughly two-thirds of annual production is exported, making MBUSI one of the largest exporters of automobiles from the US.

The new EQS SUV at a glance

 With the luxury EQS sedan and the sporty executive EQE sedan, Mercedes-Benz has entered a new, all-electric era in the upper market segments. The EQS SUV is the third model series with this architecture developed for electric vehicles. The SUV offers plenty of space, comfort and connectivity for up to seven passengers in its avant-garde, luxurious interior. Thanks to powerful electric motors, responsive 4MATIC all-wheel drive and an intelligent OFFROAD driving mode, the EQS SUV is also capable of tackling light terrain with ease.

Sustainability at Mercedes-Benz

• Mercedes-Benz tackles circularity with BASF and start-up Pyrum Innovations AG
• Industry first: chemical recycling enables circular manufacture of virgin-quality plastics for technically demanding and safety-critical Mercedes-Benz vehicle components
• Pyrolysis oil from scrap tyres and certified biomethane replace raw fossil resources in line with mass balance approach
• First components to enter series production this year as bow door handles for S-Class and EQE

From scrap tyres to door handles – Mercedes-Benz takes firm grip of circularity

“On our journey to an all-electric future, we are rethinking the composition of all the materials in our vehicles. Every action counts when it comes to conserving resources. Through close collaboration with our supplier network, we are replacing raw fossil resources with pyrolysis oil made in part from recycled scrap tyres supplied by Mercedes-Benz. Components featuring this technology will enter series production in a number of our models as soon as this year. We anticipate being able to chemically recycle several hundred tonnes of scrap tyres from Mercedes-Benz vehicles every year and use the resulting plastic in our new vehicles. Together with our partners, we are closing the materials loop and actively driving the development of innovative recycling processes,” says Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, responsible for Development and Procurement. Mercedes-Benz AG is pursuing the goal of increasingly decoupling resource consumption from growth in production output. The company is striving to increase the proportion of recycled materials in its car fleet to an average of 40 percent by 2030.

Mercedes-Benz is working with a number of partners in order to achieve a circular approach to scrap tyres. One route takes advantage of BASF’s chemical recycling process. The starting point is pyrolysis oil generated from used tyres by pyrolysis company Pyrum Innovations AG. BASF combines this with biomethane from agricultural waste. Using both of these materials together, it is possible to create a virgin-quality plastic that is certified in accordance with the so-called mass balance approach. An independent certification confirms that the supplier replaced the quantity of fossil resources necessary for the final product with renewable resources and pyrolysis oil from scrap tyres. The cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and BASF marks the first use of pyrolysis oil from scrap tyres combined with biomethane.

The recovery of secondary materials reduces not only the use of fossil resources but also the carbon footprint of the resulting plastic. Furthermore, for the first time, the innovative recycled plastic has the same characteristics as virgin plastic produced from crude oil. This enables it to be applied quickly to ongoing production as a drop-in solution. At the same time, it fulfils Mercedes-Benz’s high quality demands, especially in respect of paintability and crash safety. These properties mean the process has the potential to replace a large number of vehicle components made from primary plastic.

This year, the EQE and S-Class will be the first series-production models to be equipped with bow door handles manufactured using a combination of biomethane and pyrolysis oil made from scrap tyres, instead of raw fossil resources. The S-Class will also come with a crash absorber based on this combination of raw materials. As part of the front end, the part creates a more even distribution of the forces acting on the other car in a frontal crash. Forthcoming models such as the EQE SUV will be equipped with bow door handles made from this innovative plastic as well. Looking to the future, the aim is to progressively increase the use of this more sustainable recycled material, and also to use chemical recycling in combination with the biomass balance approach for further plastic vehicle parts. The company is currently exploring suitable applications.

Innovative manufacturing process

In contrast to mechanical recycling, chemical recycling is particularly well suited to the manufacture of components subject to high quality and safety requirements. Chemical recycling is therefore not only a sensible counterpart to mechanical recycling, it also marks a decisive step towards the highest possible re‑use of scrap materials in a manner that is both ecologically and economically advantageous. By reducing the need for fossil resources, the process has the potential to decouple the production of high-quality plastics for a wide range of applications from crude-oil consumption.

Sustainability at Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is pursuing a target of CO2-neutrality throughout the entire value chain in its new passenger car fleet by 2039. When it comes to sustainability, the company is especially focused on the conservation of resources. The vehicle manufacturer’s “Design for Environment” approach takes into account resource consumption from the very earliest stages of product development. Together with its partners, Mercedes-Benz is researching more sustainable material technologies and working intensively towards circularity. Combined with the biomass balance approach, chemical recycling is an innovative process that supports this.

Sultan Mulai al-Hassan and his 1892 Daimler “Schroeder Car"

 Daimler Motor Road Car with chain drive (“Schroedter car”), 1892 to 1895. The photo shows the vehicle for Mulai al-Hassan I, ruler of Morocco from the Alawid dynasty between 1873 and 1894. He was the first customer of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. The vehicle had an ornate velvet roof liner as well as gold thread tassels and ebony trim as further special refinements. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz archive: 1989M1184)

The Motor Car was the first car model sold by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) – and in 1892 it was a highly exclusive affair. Considering the number actually produced, that is almost an understatement. After all, six years after the invention of the automobile, only a few select customers were able to enjoy this innovative mode of transport. By 1895, DMG had built just twelve Motor Cars. Nevertheless, it was a start. 

The vehicle – which looks simple from today’s perspective with its box-shaped body and open bench seat on four wooden wheels, the front ones slightly smaller – sent out a strong signal, and its name said it all. It looked like a carriage and yet did not need harnessed horses at all. Thus, even in this early phase of development, automobility as a prominent form of locomotion became clear. This fascination immediately gripped important decision-makers. 

130 years ago, it was an illustrious clientele that was interested in this innovative mode of transport. “Sultan, Morocco” was the very matter-of-fact first entry in the DMG order book in 1892: as the company’s first customer, Mulai al-Hassan I received a Daimler Motor Car. The ruler of Morocco from the Alawid dynasty reigned from 1873 to 1894. Before he received the innovative vehicle from Cannstatt, he appeared before his subjects on noble horses. 

Point of interest: The fact that the ruler became one of Daimler’s very early customers with the purchase of the Motor Car fits in with the brand’s history. The Cannstatt-based company offered a product to meet the most exacting of demands in 1892. Thus, this automobile also laid the foundation for the history of Mercedes-Benz as the world’s oldest luxury car manufacturer. Just one year later, the competing Benz & Cie. in Mannheim also entered the race for customers with the Victoria. 

The automobile delivered to the Sultan on 31 August 1892 looked somewhat different to the vehicle on display in the Mercedes-Benz Museum, as documented by the photo next to the exhibit description. The climate in Morocco required a sun canopy, and so it was given an ornate canopy of velvet as well as gold thread tassels and ebony trim as further special refinements. Clearly, more choice in terms of automotive features was not possible 130 years ago. 

 Both the front and the rear of the vehicle in the Museum bear clearly visible manufacturer’s badges from Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft in Cannstatt. The engine is inconspicuously built into the body, which was made by Stuttgart coachbuilder Otto Nägele. Visible identifying features of the Motor Car include the steering rack in front of the seat, a large gearwheel with a solid chain drive between the rear wheels and other mechanical elements. Resourceful: the coolant circulated through the steel pipes of the vehicle frame. An external block brake provided deceleration, acting on the wheels with solid rubber tyres from “Hamburger Gummiwerk”. 

 Chief designer Max Schroedter developed the Motor Car from Gottlieb Daimler’s and Wilhelm Maybach’s steel-wheeled car of 1889 – hence the common nickname “Schroedter car”. The new product had a two-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1,060 cubic centimetres, which produced 1.47 kW (2 hp) at 700 rpm. Power was transmitted courtesy of a three-speed gearbox and a rear-axle differential. The top speed was 18 km/h. 

The top speed may not have been much from today’s perspective. But 130 years ago it was not only a speed as such, but also proof of the combustion engine’s efficiency. Mulai al-Hassan I was apparently so enthusiastic about this that he did not stop at the Motor Car: he also received a boat with the new motor drive from DMG on 31 August 1892. Topping this impressive level of innovation was scarcely imaginable at that time.

Mercedes-Benz Cars on Display at “Classic Days," Dusseldorf

With hectares of space and more than 1,500 trees as a stage for the whole range of automotive classics as well as more than 1,200 free parking spaces for classic cars and young classics: the “Green Park” on the Rhine near Messe Düsseldorf is the new venue for the Classic Days, which will take place this year from 5 to 7 August 2022. Since 2006, the Classic Days around Schloss Dyck have established themselves as one of the most renowned events in classic car culture.

As a cooperation partner of the Classic Days, Mercedes-Benz Classic will present outstanding vehicles of the sporty brand tradition from 120 years at this “Festival of Culture & Motoring Lifestyle”: in the Paddock, which is dedicated to the brand’s sporting tradition, vehicles from 1902 to the present day can be experienced. One of the highlights will be the Mercedes-Benz SSKL Avus racing car with streamlined trim, which can be experienced during demonstration drives on the 1.8-kilometre track in the middle of the Classic Days grounds. 90 years ago, Manfred von Brauchitsch won the 1932 International Avus Race with the prototype of this unique vehicle reconstructed with a high degree of authenticity by Mercedes-Benz Classic in 2019. The race victory on 22 May 1932 helped von Brauchitsch achieve a major breakthrough in motor racing – and also in aerodynamics in automobile construction.

The Mercedes-Benz Classic vehicles at the Classic Days 2022

Benz Patent Motor Car, 1886

Year of use: dynamic

On 29 January 1886, Carl Benz’s dream comes true: the Mannheim designer applies for a patent for his “vehicle with gas engine operation”. Patent number DRP 37435 is regarded as the birth certificate of the automobile, and gave its name to the Patent Motor Car. The world’s first car was a distinctive design in which the engine and chassis formed an organic unit. Benz designed it as a three-wheeler as he was not convinced by the drawbar steering used for coaches. Carl Benz’s decisive achievement is the consistency with which he makes his vision of the “car without horses” a reality: he has the idea of a motor car, patents it, designs, builds and tests it. He launched the vehicle on the market, he mass-produced it, developed it further and therefore made his invention usable. The Benz Patent Motor Car ushered in a new era of personal mobility. Mercedes-Benz Classic presents a faithful replica of the vehicle at the Classic Days in the “Green Park”. An actor playing Bertha Benz accompanies the Patent Motor Car. Carl Benz’s wife significantly supports her husband’s development and undertakes the first long-distance journey in a car in 1888.

Technical data of the Benz Patent Motor Car
Model year: 1886 (faithful reconstruction)
Cylinders: 1
Displacement: 954 cm3
Output: 0.55 kW (0.5 hp) at 400 rpm
Top speed: 16 km/h

Mercedes-Simplex 40 hp, 1902

Year of use: Static

120 years ago, no car is faster or more successful: during the motor sport event “Nice Week” from 4 to 11 April 1902, the Mercedes-Simplex 40 hp proves far superior to the competition. In the Nice-La Turbie hill climb, vehicles of this model take the first three places. Englishman E. T. Stead sets a new course record with an average of 55.2 km/h, followed by Albert “Georges” Lemaître and Wilhelm Werner in second and third place. Another triumph: in the mile race, Henri Degrais achieves 83.2 km/h for the mile with a standing start and sets a new world record. The engine of the 40 hp has a displacement of 6,785 cubic centimetres. The two bottom-mounted camshafts are fully enclosed. For efficient cooling of the engine, which is completely covered at the bottom, the flywheel is also designed as a fan wheel and, with its suction effect, amplifies the airstream flowing through the cooler. Band brakes act on the drive shafts of the sprockets and achieve the effectiveness of differential locks at the same time through targeted individual actuation for right and left. The four brakes have water cooling that drips from a supply tank onto the friction surfaces during deceleration. The total weight of the Mercedes-Simplex 40 hp is around 1,000 kilograms. The racing car is also successful in numerous other competitions. And in the Ostend kilometre race in July, Baron Pierre de Caters achieves a top speed of 120.8 km/h with it.

Technical data – Mercedes-Simplex 40 hp (serial version)
Production period: 1902 to 1905
Cylinders: 4/inline
Displacement: 6,785 cc
Output: 29 kW (40 hp) at 1,050 rpm
Top speed: 75 km/h

Mercedes-Benz SSKL Avus racing car (W 06), 1932

Year of use: Dynamic

The victory of the Mercedes-Benz SSKL with streamlined body at the International Avus race in Berlin on 22 May 1932 permanently changed the design principles for racing cars. Because this vehicle impressively illustrates the possibilities of outstanding aerodynamics to the world’s public. The unique specimen carries an aerodynamic body on an SSKL chassis that covers the entire frame including underbody. The design is by aerodynamics specialist Baron Reinhard von Koenig-Fachsenfeld and is made of light alloy. The 221 kW(300 hp) racing car reaches a top speed of 230 km/h – that’s 20 km/h more than a normal SSKL. Spectators in Berlin nickname the unusual racing car the “Gurke” (cucumber). Radio reporter Paul Laven, on the other hand, calls this SSKL at the Avus Race a “silver arrow”. The 26-year-old Manfred von Brauchitsch relegates the established star driver Rudolf Caracciola (Alfa Romeo) to second place – and enables the newcomer to turn professional. Von Brauchitsch became an acclaimed star at the wheel of Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows. In 2019, the anniversary year “125 Years of Motorsport”, Mercedes-Benz Classic reconstructs the streamlined SSKL racing car with a high degree of authenticity. Body, chassis, engine: everything is created within this elaborate project as closely as possible to the original.

Technical data Mercedes-Benz SSKL Avus racing car (W 06)
Year of use: 1932
Cylinders: 6/inline
Displacement: 7,065 cc
Output: 177 kW (240 hp), with supercharger 221 kW (300 hp)
Top speed: 235 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194), 1952

Use: Static

Mercedes-Benz re-entered motor racing in 1952 with the 300 SL (W 194). The limited resources initially spoke against the development of a racing car for Formula One in 1952, because new regulations had already been announced for the 1954 season. Axles, transmission and engine of the new racing car were developed from components stemming from the Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186) representation vehicle. A brand new feature is an extremely lightweight, yet very torsionally stiff tubular frame, which is enclosed by a streamlined light-alloy body. As a result of the elevated tubular frame around the doors, the racing car was equipped with characteristic gullwing doors which were hinged on the roof. In 1952, the 300 SL was successful from the outset: amongst its major racing victories were the one-two-three victory at the Grand Prix of Bern (Switzerland), spectacular one-two finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (France) and at the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico as well as the top four positions in the Nürburgring Jubilee Grand Prix. The original 300 SL racing sports car with chassis number 5 presented at the Classic Days was entered by the brand 70 years ago in the Carrera Panamericana (Hermann Lang/Erwin Grupp, among others): second place in the double victory behind Karl Kling/Hans Klenk) and in the Mille Miglia (Rudolf Caracciola/Peter Kurrle: they finished in 4th place behind Karl Kling/Hans Klenk in 2nd place).

Technical data – Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194)
Year of use: 1952
Cylinders: 6/inline
Displacement: 2,996 cc
Output: 125 kW (170 hp) at 5,200 rpm
Top speed: 240 km/h

The Vision Mercedes Simplex, 2019

Use: Static

The “Vision Mercedes Simplex” reinterprets the historic Mercedes Simplex as a two-seater with free-standing wheels, alternative drive, fascinating user interface and modern design. Its dominantly horizontally aligned vehicle body sits as a monocoque in the middle of the four large wheels. The consistent vertical colour separation into a white front car and a black rear car follows the historical model. Transparent wheel trims reflect lightness and efficiency, as do the aerodynamic guiding surfaces between the front wheels and the vehicle’s body. The entire sculpture lives from the interplay of clearly and powerfully drawn surfaces and precise technical details. “Only a brand that is as strong as Mercedes-Benz is capable of the physical symbiosis of history and future. The ‘Vision Mercedes Simplexʼ symbolises the transformation of Mercedes-Benz’s brand-specific luxury,” says Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener of the design in 2019.