2 Liter 1924 Daimler Targa Florio Winner Restored

Mercedes 2-litre Targa Florio racing car from 1924. Paint analysis by restorer Dr Gundula Tutt. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives: D829648)
 

• Extensive restoration of the legendary supercharged racing car after 100 years
• Overall victory and triple class victory in the 1924 Targa Florio
• Mercedes-Benz Classic to present the original racing car at international events in 2024

100 years after Mercedes’ triumph in the legendary Targa Florio endurance race in Sicily on 27 April 1924, a Mercedes 2-litre racing car used at the time is returning to the road. Mercedes-Benz Classic has restored the vehicle from the company’s own collection to the highest standards of authenticity. It will be presented at international events in 2024. The racing car with its characteristic red paintwork is a highlight in the 130 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsport.

“Mercedes made motorsport history with this racing car in 1924. A century later, the vehicle can now be seen in action again in its original condition – meaning that Mercedes-Benz Classic is making history. That’s because something like this is only possible thanks to the combined expertise of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive and a strong network of experts. This fascinating project makes the innovative strength of our company tangible – from its beginnings in 1886 to the future.”
Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage

Mercedes-Benz Classic accompanied the restoration of the Targa Florio racing car and its return to action – with extensive photo and video recordings.

• The documentary film will be released to coincide with the 100th anniversary on 27 April 2024. It can be found in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Web Special:
  https://www.mercedes-benz.com/targaflorio/
• Press photos of the complete restoration project and video footage:
  https://mercedes-benz-archive.com/marsMuseum/de/instance/ko/Mercedes-2-l-Targa-Florio-Rennwagen.xhtml?oid=191293448
• The Mercedes-Benz press kit on the media site contains numerous details and background information on the restoration project, the vehicle and the 1924 Targa Florio.

Victory in Sicily

In the early 1920s, the Targa Florio was a top event in European motorsport. It offered German companies an important opportunity because, after the First World War, they were initially excluded from participating in the European Grand Prix Championship. Mercedes took second place overall in 1921 and a privateer won in a Mercedes in 1922. In 1924, the brand came back to compete with a new racing car. This vehicle was based on designs by Paul Daimler. Ferdinand Porsche, Technical Director and Chief Development Officer of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft from April 1923 on, developed it to the point where it was ready to race.

The racing team travelled from Stuttgart to Sicily with four 2-litre competition cars on their own power. Mercedes entered three of these racing cars in the Targa Florio and Coppa Florio. One special highlight was the red paintwork, which was actually reserved for Italian vehicles: it was intended to prevent any potential interference by Italian fans during the race. German racing cars were usually painted white back then.

Mercedes works driver Christian Werner won the Targa Florio over a distance of 432 kilometres (four laps of 108 kilometres each) in the number 10 car, clocking a time of 6:32:37.4 hours. It was the first victory in the Targa Florio for a driver from outside Italy. Werner also led the team in a triple class victory for racing cars with a displacement of up to 2 litres. In the overall standings, Christian Lautenschlager (number 32) finished in 11th place, Alfred Neubauer (number 23) in 16th place. The Mercedes team received the Coppa Termini as the best factory team. Werner then put the icing on the cake: another lap was required for the Coppa Florio classification. The works driver from Stuttgart also won this contest after a total of 8:17:1.4 hours. His teammates finished 9th (Lautenschlager) and 13th (Neubauer).

Restoration with maximum authenticity

In 2022, Mercedes-Benz Classic decided to rebuild the original 2-litre Targa Florio racing car from the company’s own collection as authentically as possible for the anniversary – in accordance with the high standards of a factory restoration. It is the vehicle in which Christian Lautenschlager completed the Targa Florio in 1924. Werner’s winning car has not survived.

The removal of the racing car from the Mercedes-Benz Museum was followed by a meticulous inventory analysis and extensive search in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive – the brand’s “memory”. Original technical drawings and historical photos are crucial sources for the authentic restoration. The Classic Centre carries this out together with a network of experts.

Project highlights

• Repair of the supercharged engine: This includes welding work on the housing, reworking the original camshafts and restoring screw connections with hybrid threads typical of the time.
• Body work: The racing car, which was converted by a private customer in the 1920s, is restored to its original condition according to historical blueprints.
• Paintwork: Detailed analysis of small remnants of the original paintwork provides information about the colour scheme and method of painting in 1924. The racing car is repainted by hand using a brush and reconstructed linseed oil paint.

At every stage, the Classic Centre experts and external partners preserve the original substance as much as possible. For example, traces of past body modifications remain visible under the historically correct paintwork. Very sensitive original components are conserved. For example, a faithful reproduction of the steering wheel from 1924 will replace the original for the car’s outings in the anniversary year.

In April 2024, the racing car completed its first drive following the restoration – on the test track at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Untertürkheim. This is where the vehicle was built in the racing workshop 100 years ago. And it set off from there in 1924 on its journey to Sicily, which ended with one of the greatest successes in the 130 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsport history.

Mercedes-Benz at Retro Classics, Stuttgart, April 24-28

Home game for Mercedes-Benz Classic: at the Retro Classics trade fair in Stuttgart, the brand’s heritage division will be showcasing its unique expertise in classic vehicles with the three-pointed star with a wide range of products. This year the booth can be found in Hall 5 at Messe Stuttgart. The focus of the appearance at the largest classic car fair in southern Germany is on vehicles from 130 years of motorsport as well as an exclusive super sports car. Right next to the booth is the large exhibition area of the officially recognised Mercedes-Benz brand clubs. Their global community stands for their passionate commitment to Mercedes-Benz brand history and automobiles.

“Made in Affalterbach” since 1967 – AMG Classic commemorates the success story

Mercedes-Benz is celebrating 130 years of motorsport this year. An anniversary marked by emotional events, historical highlights and epochal successes at national and international racing events – then as now. The origin of this era is the first automobile race from Paris to Rouen on 22 July 1894. The brand is currently active with the AMG Petronas Formula One Team, as well as in customer racing in the DTM and many other racing series with the Mercedes-AMG GT racing cars. Two motorsport enthusiasts, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, founded the engineering firm AMG in 1967. Since then, the high-performance brand AMG has been able to look back on numerous successes in motor racing. AMG Classic maintains this history.

Racing cars and supercars

Mercedes-Benz Classic is presenting a rare Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren “Stirling Moss” at Retro Classics. A show car of the first Silver Arrow W 25 from 1934 invites visitors to take private souvenir pictures as a photo point. With two cars, AMG Classic commemorates the successes on the demanding Grand Prix circuit of Spa-Francorchamps: in 1971, a Mercedes-Benz AMG 300 SEL 6.8 suddenly made the young AMG company known worldwide with a second place in the overall standings and a class victory in the 24-hour race. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 also won this renowned endurance race in 2013, while the Mercedes-AMG GT3 triumphed in 2022. Both continue the success story of the AMG 300 SEL 6.8 and testify to AMG’s motorsport DNA.

Vibrant scene of brand clubs

Living history needs people who are committed to it. In the large community of lovers of classic Mercedes-Benz automobiles, around 130,000 members of 80 officially recognised brand clubs around the world are enthusiastic about the unique history of the brand. This community plays a central role in the active care of the heritage of Mercedes-Benz. At Retro Classics, numerous clubs will be presenting themselves in the immediate vicinity of Mercedes-Benz Classic and AMG Classic.

Top service for classics with the three-pointed star

At Retro Classics, Mercedes-Benz Classic will be showcasing its cutting-edge expertise in services for the brand’s classic vehicles. The ultimate goal is to offer customers the greatest possible originality. This claim is embodied by the service provided by Mercedes-Benz Classic Genuine Parts: around 160,000 different parts are available for the brand’s classic vehicles. They are manufactured according to the company’s exact standards. This guarantees the highest level of authenticity, quality and safety.

The Classic Center’s workshop maintains and restores historic vehicles that date back to the invention of the automobile by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in 1886. Mercedes-Benz Classic also recently acquired parts of the former Kienle Automobiltechnik GmbH. As a result, it was possible to significantly expand workshop capacities. Additional possibilities for factory restoration, repairs and maintenance have been created for Mercedes-Benz classics of all eras.

The Classic Center also offers a special service: the manufacturer’s expertise proves in detail the originality of particularly high-quality classics from the brand and its predecessors. The specialists use state-of-the-art testing and measurement methods for vehicle inspection and examine numerous features on the vehicle, from matching vehicle numbers to authentic part specifications and materials. The information meshes with the results of archival research to form a detailed overall picture of expertise.

Special offer of the Mercedes-Benz Museum for trade fair visitors

Visitors to Retro Classics can receive a 20 per cent discount on the admission price for their visit to the Mercedes-Benz Museum. A large QR code at the booth shows the way to this offer.

The vehicles of Mercedes-Benz Classic and AMG Classic at Retro Classics 2024

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

Show car as a photo point 

The W 25 was the first Mercedes-Benz racing car for the new Grand Prix formula, which came into force in 1934. The vehicle’s weight is limited to 750 kilograms, not including operating fluids and tyres. In this way, the organisers want to limit the performance of the racing cars and thus the possible top speeds. The designers at Mercedes-Benz opted for a classic vehicle concept with a front-mounted engine and rear wheels driven according to the transaxle principle. The in-line eight-cylinder engine initially had a displacement of 3.4 litres and was equipped with supercharging. In June 1934, Manfred von Brauchitsch won the first race of the W 25 and thus established the success story of the Silver Arrows. In 1935, the W 25 helped Rudolf Caracciola win the European Championship title and in 1936 to two Grand Prix victories.

Technical data Mercedes-Benz 750-kilogram formula racing car (W 25)
Use: 1934 to 1936
Engine: 8/in-line
Displacement: 3,364 cc
Maximum output: 260 kW (354 hp)
Maximum speed: 280 km/h

Mercedes-Benz AMG 300 SEL 6.8 “Red Pig” (W 109), 1971

The 300 SEL 6.8 made AMG internationally famous. On 15 July 1971, Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz won the class at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in the touring car and finished second overall. It is the first major success of the engineering firm AMG, founded in 1967 by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher. Even the nationwide “Tagesschau” television news program reports the breaking news. AMG has extensively revised the Mercedes-Benz luxury saloon of the 109 model series. As a result, the weight is reduced by 195 kilograms to 1,635 kilograms. At 315 kW (428 hp), the output of the eight-cylinder engine, which has been enlarged from 6.3 to 6.8 litres, is 131 kW (178 hp) higher than that of the “6.3”. After the success in Belgium, the racing touring car later known as the “Red Pig” was greatly modified and converted to be sold to the French company Matra as a test vehicle for high-speed tyres for aircraft. The original vehicle is presumed lost. Because this legendary racing touring car has contributed so much to AMG’s popularity, the specialists in Affalterbach are faithfully recreating it on the basis of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3.

Technical data Mercedes-Benz AMG 300 SEL 6.8 (W 109)
Use: 1971
Engine: V8
Displacement: 6.635 cc
Maximum output: 315 kW (428 hp)
Maximum speed: Over 265 km/h

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren “Stirling Moss” (Z 199), 2009

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren high-performance sports car made its debut in 2004. It was created in collaboration with then Formula One partner McLaren. Its design with gullwing doors and stylistic elements of the Formula One Silver Arrows connects the two-seater with the legendary SLR racing sports cars of the 1950s and the McLaren-Mercedes racing cars of the modern era, with which Mika Häkkinen won the Formula One World Championship in 1998 and 1999. The vehicle’s racing car technology includes sophisticated aerodynamics for high downforce at speeds of more than 300 km/h, an air brake at the rear, lightweight construction with carbon fibre composite, monocoque passenger cell, aluminium chassis and ceramic brakes. Mercedes-AMG developed the 5.5-litre supercharged V8 engine, as well as the AMG Speedshift gear lever. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren “Stirling Moss” based on the roadster crowns the model family in 2009: neither roof, windscreen nor side windows separate the driver and front passenger from the elements. The special model pays tribute to the British racing driver Sir Stirling Moss (1929 to 2020), who was runner-up in the Formula 1 World Championship in 1955 with Mercedes-Benz and won the Mille Miglia in the same year with the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S). The number of units is limited to 75 vehicles. All Mercedes-Benz SLR McLarens are produced in the UK in Woking near London. By December 2009, around 2,000 SLR McLarens had been produced, significantly more than other super sports cars in this category.

Technical data Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren “Stirling Moss” (Z 199)
Year of construction: 2009 
Engine: V8 
Displacement: 5,439 cc 
Output: 478 kW (650 hp) at 6,500 rpm 
Maximum speed: 350 km/h

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 (C 197), 2011

The SLS AMG is the first vehicle to be developed entirely at AMG in Affalterbach. In 2009, this super sports car made its debut at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main. It stands out on the road due to its appearance and outstanding driving performance. The motorsport version SLS AMG GT3 is developed for sprint and endurance races in accordance with the FIA regulations for GT3 cars. Bernd Schneider, five-time DTM champion, is one of the test drivers in the development of the SLS AMG GT3. In 2013, Schneider drove the gullwing to victory in one of the highlights of all endurance classics, the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, together with Maximilian Buhk and Maximilian Götz. The SLS AMG GT3 thus builds on the success of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SE driven by Belgians Robert Crevits and Gustave Gosselin in the 1964 24-hour race 60 years ago and the 2nd overall place of the 300 SEL 6.8 in 1971.

Technical data Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 (C 197)
Use: 2011
Engine: V8
Displacement: 6,208 cc
Maximum output: 404 kW (550 hp)
Maximum speed: over 300 km/h

Hot Rod Sinners: A Bedside Book!

 Well, you can buy it for $275 on Ebay. When I published my The Automobile and American Life in 2009, the only fictional book I described was one by Henry Gregor Felson.  Now, thank to the internet, some 18 pulp fiction titles are listed!  Can one learn anything from reading all of this stuff? I have better things to do.

Mercedes Qualifying Results, Shanghai Grand Prize, April 20, 2024

Formula One - Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, Chinese GP 2024. Lewis Hamilton

Day of contrasts on Saturday in Shanghai

• The team suffered from mixed fortunes on Saturday at the Chinese Grand Prix.
• An entertaining Sprint earlier in the day saw Lewis claim a strong P2 finish, with George battling into the points in P8.
• Both drivers took advantage of the updated Sprint format and made several set-up changes in the search for a better car balance.
• Despite those changes, Qualifying for the Grand Prix would prove more difficult.
• With the track evolving rapidly, Lewis was unfortunate to lock-up on his final push lap at the Turn 14 hairpin. That cost him over half-a-second and he was eliminated in P18.
• George progressed through to Q3, but his last effort would only put him P8 and at the back of a tightly bunched pack of cars.
  

F1 Sprint				Qualifying
Driver	Grid	Result	Tyres	Q1		Q2		Q3
Lewis Hamilton	P2	P2	Medium	6 Laps	P18	-	-	-	-
1:35.573	Soft, Soft	-	-	-	-
George Russell	P11	P8	Soft	9 Laps	P7	5 Laps	P6	6 Laps	P8
1:35.084	Soft, Soft	1:34.609	Soft, Soft	1:34.433	Soft, Soft

Lewis Hamilton

To be sat on the front-row for the Sprint was a great feeling. Racing into turn one and taking the lead reminded me of what I love so much about this sport! It was a challenging race but to get second was great.

We knew Qualifying would be much more tough this afternoon though. I made some sizeable set-up changes after the Sprint to try and improve the car in the slow speed turns. It wasn’t too bad in some corners, but I struggled elsewhere. It was challenging to get the rear tyres to stop into turn 14 and that’s where I locked up on my final lap. If I hadn’t had that, I would have made it through to Q2. I’ll be giving it my best shot tomorrow. We can still have some fun even if we are starting from P18.

George Russell

We didn’t have our best day today. With the strong wind, it was very challenging out there. The conditions had changed from Friday too, so we had to adapt. We took the Soft tyre for the Sprint and it was definitely worth the gamble. It performed OK and it gave us some good learnings for tomorrow. Ultimately, we did well to score a point.

Qualifying was also tricky. My first lap in Q2 was looking very strong but the red flag forced us to abort. We had to use another set of new tyres to progress to Q3. Without that, we would have had two new sets for the final part of Qualifying and it could have been a different outcome but who knows. We are in that fight between P3 and P8 and, unfortunately, we’ve found ourselves at the back end of that battle in the last few races in Qualifying. Small differences can have a major impact.

It is hard to predict what will happen tomorrow. It’s all to play for with those cars around us so hopefully we have the pace to move forward.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

Second in the Sprint was a good result. Lewis made a very strong start and that opened up the potential of a strong finish for us. With George, the Soft tyre was a bit of an experiment that we wanted to try. It held on better than expected and that opens up more possibilities for Sunday. Ultimately, we knew that we had outperformed where the true pace of our car was in the Sprint.

We therefore decided to make some big set-up changes between the Sprint and Qualifying to try and improve the car’s low-speed performance. The drivers chose to go in pretty different directions to support our learning process, but it clearly didn’t work for us today on a single lap. Lewis would have progressed comfortably out of Q1 without a lock-up in Turn 14 that cost him more than half-a-second.

George made it through to Q3 solidly but had just one set of new tyres available. He set his fastest lap of the session, but like two weeks ago in Suzuka, was at the back of a close group where a couple of tenths equate to four or five grid positions. We now need to focus on racing and recovering strongly tomorrow and moving forwards with both cars.

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

It was great to be able to hang onto P2 with Lewis in the Sprint and for George to make enough places up to get into the points. However, neither driver was happy with the car. The wind rotated overnight and made the balance very inconsistent. In some corners we were suffering with understeer and in others the rear was very weak. To try to address that, we made extensive changes to both cars going into Qualifying. The car was quite different and ultimately that caught Lewis out in Q1 with a big lock into the hairpin on his final lap. Without that he would have gone through comfortably.

George managed a little better, but it still wasn't an easy car to drive. With only one new set of Soft tyres for Q3, P8 was ultimately the best we could do. We're at the back of a tight bunch and small steps will change the picture quite quickly, but right now we're not quick enough. We'll run the usual simulations this evening to understand how to best optimise the situation for tomorrow, but we're likely going to have to look for the opportunities to do things differently to others.

Preview: Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai

 

Returning to China is an important moment for the sport. As the world’s largest automotive market and second biggest economy, China is crucial to the sport’s global footprint. The growth of F1 in recent years has been positive and China is a key market in which to continue this progress. We are looking forward to racing in Shanghai for the first time in five years and bringing F1 back to the Chinese fans. With a sell-out crowd expected, I am sure it will be a fantastic event.

It will be an interesting weekend on track. With new cars, new tyres, and changes to the track surface since we last raced in China, there will be plenty of unknowns. We have the first Sprint weekend of the year too and that brings its own challenges. The changes to the format, including a second parc fermé, will be an improvement to the rhythm of the weekend – and the single hour of practice still puts pressure on to make correct decisions with imperfect information. We are looking forward to that test, though.

The headline results didn’t necessarily show it, but we made solid progress with our car in Japan. We are looking forward to building on that this weekend.

Fact File: Chinese Grand Prix

• The Chinese Grand Prix returns to the calendar for the first time since 2019 this year, having first appeared on the F1 calendar in 2004.
• That 2019 race was also F1000, the 1000^th race since the inception of the sport in 1950.
• The 5.451km layout features 16 turns (nine right, seven left). The racing lap record from the first race in 2004 still stands today, set by Michael Schumacher.
• Shanghai International Circuit holds special memories for our team too, having been the site of our first win since returning to the sport in 2010 when Nico Rosberg triumphed in 2012.
• In 2005, the circuit hosted the season finale for the one and only time.
• Having originally taken place towards the end of the F1 calendar, the race moved to a more permanent slot in the early stages of the season from 2009.
• The first seven events were all won by different drivers.
• Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver at the track, triumphing six times to date between 2008 and 2019.
• Shanghai will also host the first F1 Sprint weekend of 2024.
• In a change from 2023, Friday will now consist of FP1 and Sprint qualifying. The F1 Sprint race will follow on Saturday morning, before Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
• This is the first year that ground effect cars (introduced in 2022) will have raced at the Shanghai International Circuit.
• As the circuit is built on swampland, the risk of earth movement below ground is increased, so steps have been taken to grind down and reseal areas of concern on the track to make it less bumpy.

Mercedes-Benz First Quarter Sales Statistics, 2024

 

Mercedes-Benz E-Class AMG line; exterior: verde silver; interior: Nappa leather neva grey/black, light silver metallic mixed fabric centre console
 

• Mercedes-Benz Cars: Q1 sales reached 463,000 units; good start in the U.S.; solid performance in Europe; model changeover in Asia; strong sales of plug-in hybrids
• Supply chain bottlenecks constrained Q1 sales of passenger cars
• Mercedes-Benz Vans: strong first quarter sales reached 105,400 units

Mercedes-Benz Group sold 568,400 (-6%) cars and vans in the first quarter. Mercedes-Benz Cars saw sales rise in the United States (+3%), and a solid performance in Europe, particularly in the UK (+43%) and France (+35%) while sales in Asia were influenced by model changes and supply-chain constraints. Mercedes-Benz Vans delivered a strong performance thanks to rising sales in China (+27%) and United States (+15%).

Mercedes-Benz Cars

“Our customers can look forward to an exciting year 2024 with a series of fantastic new product launches in 2024, particularly in the Top-End segment.

One of the highlights is just around the corner with the long-awaited world premiere of the all-new electric G at Auto China in Beijing in two weeks.”
Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Marketing & Sales

Mercedes-Benz Cars sales reached 463,000 units (-8%) in the first quarter, with solid results in all regions except Asia where model change effects and supply chain bottlenecks had a strong temporary impact on Q1 sales. The sales decline in China was mainly driven by the ongoing ramp-up of its top-selling E-Class long-wheelbase model which is expected to see sales accelerate in the upcoming quarters.

Demand for plug-in hybrid vehicles resulted in a 6% sales rise in the first three months, while global battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales of Mercedes-Benz Cars reached 47,500 units (-8%) in the first quarter, as the smart fortwo^[1] reached the end of its lifecycle (-30%). Overall, electric vehicles accounted for 10% of total Q1 Mercedes-Benz Cars sales and 19% including plug-in-hybrids.  

The availability of Top-End products was constrained during the quarter, mainly by the model changeovers of the G-Class and Mercedes-AMG derivatives of the E-Class and GLC as well as supply-chain bottlenecks. In 2024, Mercedes-Benz will present twelve Top-End vehicles, including eight Mercedes-AMG models and the world premiere of the electric G. The EQS sedan will receive an extensive update with extended range to more than 800 km, executive rear seats, and the upright star on the front hood. The S-Class remains the undisputed leader in its segment in all key regions.

Q1 sales in the Core segment increased by 8%, driven by strong growth of the GLC as parts availability for the model increased. The availability of parts is expected to further improve in the upcoming months.

In China, the ramp-up of the locally produced long-wheelbase E-Class is on track, while sales for the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class remain strong (+13%) and Mercedes-Benz continues to be first choice among customers in the segment priced over 1 million RMB.

In Germany, Mercedes-Benz remains market leader in the premium segment in Q1. However, consumer demand for BEVs slowed following the abrupt end of a tax incentive.

In the U.S. market, sales went up 3% driven by an improved availability of the GLC.

Mercedes-Benz Cars continues transforming the car buying experience for its customers. As the 11th country, Mercedes-Benz Thailand implemented the direct sales model in February 2024.

Sales overview       Q1 2024 Q1 2023 Change in %   Mercedes-Benz Group 568,400 602,400 -6%   -    thereof BEVs 50,500 55,200 -9%             Mercedes-Benz Cars  463,000 503,500 -8%   -        thereof BEVs  47,500 51,600 -8%   -        thereof xEVs 90,200 91,700 -2%             Mercedes-Benz Cars sales by segments*         Top-End  66,600 91,800 -27%   Core  267,700 248,400 +8%   Entry  128,800 163,300 -21%             Mercedes-Benz Cars sales by regions and markets         Europe**  160,200  163,900 -2%   -        thereof Germany  50,400  60,500 -17%   Asia  210,700  247,700 -15%   -        thereof China  168,900  191,000 -12%   North America***  74,000  75,100 -1%   -        thereof U.S.  66,600  64,500 +3%   Rest of World  18,000  16,800 +7%   *Top-End: Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach, G-Class, S-Class, GLS, EQS and EQS SUV *Core: All derivatives from C- and E-Class, incl. EQC, EQE and EQE SUV  *Entry: All derivatives from A- and B-Class incl. EQA, EQB and smart  ** Europe: European Union, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Norway  *** North America: USA, Canada and Mexico  All figures rounded. Preliminary figures subject to change pending final reports.

Essen Techno Classica Recap, 2024

 Over the course of the last few months, we brought to you a variety of international events and shows of interest. If your budget or time constraints limit you to just one show to go to, go visit the pinnacle of them all, the German Techno Classica. Held in Essen close to Cologne for 35 years since 1989, the Techno Classica has always been the largest and most impressive of them all. 2024's event ended just a couple days ago. Here's why you should go in 2025.

This year 1,100 exhibitors were showing 2,700 cars — around 2,000 of them for sale — to almost 190,000 visitors from over 40 nations. Eight halls and two outdoor areas covering close to 1.3-million sq.ft. – do you need more info? But why would this matter to Porsche fans like you? Just like with any other object of desire, the homeland, the land of its inception and creation, also has the biggest variety of cars, and the largest number of suppliers, tuners, and accessories manufacturers in the world. If you like, love, live, and breathe Porsche, TC has more variety for you than any other event in the world, promise.

By our own estimate, close to 200 cars – or about 10% of the cars for sale – appeared to be Porsches, and of course, mainly 911s. Whether it’s super early cars, current models, modified ones or one-offs, Essen did not disappoint. Dozens of dealers held unique cars for sale, with some of them being brand- or even model-specific. There were super-early 1960s short-wheelbase 911s, Carrera RSs, a variety of 1975 Turbos, air-cooled, water-cooled, and modern cars through today, but no company did more to promote and offer 911s than the aptly named EARLY911S, a German outlet based in nearby Wuppertal, just half an hour south of the show in Essen.

With almost 40 cars on display (all but two being 911s) the company did its name proud. “Our display of 39 cars is to highlight the 50th anniversary of the Porsche turbo,” explains the company’s Daniel Neumann. The cars were placed chronologically and in a circle, allowing visitors to walk the turbo timeline and see the cars from the front or the back. There were too many highlights to list them all, but some of our favorites were the 1976 930 3.0 in one-of-one color Turquoise Diamond and an interior in striking yellow-and-blue plaid; the Slate Grey 1989 slantnose 3.3-liter Turbo; the original bb “Polaroid” 911 Targa, built by Buschmann and used in the movie “Carnapping” (unfortunately not for sale); as well as two wonderful motor show cars, the 965 prototype shown at the 1990 Geneva Motor Show in Amethyst and, last but by no means least, the Paris Motor Show car from two years later, the 1992 wimbledon green Turbo 3.6 with a wonderfully quirky green interior.

This display alone would have put previous show stands by Porsche AG to shame – which is just as well as Porsche itself was no longer present with their own display in Essen. But Porsche wasn’t the outlier. Other brands from Mercedes to BMW, Opel to VW, were also absent. While experts lamented the missing manufacturers, for us this was a return to Techno Classica’s early days, where the main stands were organized by clubs and dealers. Speaking of clubs, as in previous years, Stuttgart’s club department managed a neat little display of a variety of Porsche clubs under one banner – with a bright red Porsche Diesel tractor taking center stage.

Another car that took our fancy was Swedish dealer MOTIKON’s Speed Yellow 2003 996, an ex-Porsche AG car with a later Ruf R Kompressor and 409 horsepower. Broad Arrow Private Sales had brought a wonderful 2018 935 (one of 77 ever built), a 700-hp monster in gorgeous green Jägermeister trim. Abt restorations (yes, that DTM Abt) showed off their restoration masterpiece, a 1970 Porsche 911S Coupé in Irish Green. This car was delivered new to New York in late 1969 and presented itself fully converted to EU spec with extensive photo documentation.

 

But that wasn’t everything. Techno Classica has several dozen suppliers offering any standard item and any Porsche accessory you can think of. Whether it’s the new Turkish outlet Antrim manufacturing impressive-looking interior parts like dashboards and sun visors, or veterans Classic Auto Radio Station, who had Blaupunkt and Becker radios from the 1930s to 2000 for sale, Essen is the land of milk and honey for Porsche fans. Seatbelt experts Quickfit Safety Belts from the UK appeared to do very good business supplying replacement webbing and locks for standard belts as well as four- and five-point safety harness systems.

No doubt the Porsche market is alive and thriving. Something that specialist Martin Heinze from Classic Analytics, one of Germany’s leading appraisal firms summed up nicely: “We are looking at an ever more segmented market today. Prewar cars are losing their momentum and prices are going down. High-end classics are thriving while bread-and-butter cars are having a tough time and values are sinking. The Porsche market, however, is rising on a trajectory of its own.”

Enough said.