A ‘Fintail’ based on the Mercedes-Benz 220 SE model (W 111 series) will compete in the season final of the long-distance cup organised by Fahrergemeinschaft Historischer Rennsport e.V. (FHR) on 22 and 23 October 2011 at the Nürburgring. Its participation in this race reflects the commitment of Mercedes-Benz Classic to upholding the traditions of the brand, which itself has a remarkable history in motor racing, and encouraging private drivers to take part in historical motorsport events. Mercedes-Benz Classic is a partner of the FHR race series. The ‘Fintail’ will be driven by British journalist Andrew Frankel and former touring car driver Klaus Ludwig. The vehicle has been built by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in accordance with the regulations laid down in Appendix K of the international sports regulations of the FIA (Féderation Internationale de l’Automobile).
Founded in 1983, the FHR has been promoting historical motor racing for almost 30 years and has made a significant contribution to boosting the popularity of the current race series with historical competition cars. The FHR, which has been under the auspices of ADAC Nordrhein since 2000, currently has around 600 active members.
Events taking place during the 2011 season include the ‘FHR HTGT for the Dunlop Trophy’ held as a series of sprint races for pre-1971 GT and touring cars, and the ‘Dunlop FHR Long Distance Cup’, a series of long-distance races for pre-1971 GT vehicles and touring cars built before 1976. In addition, there will be two series for formula vehicles.
Through its involvement in this fascinating sport, Mercedes-Benz is not only demonstrating its commitment to the active historical motorsport scene, but is also paying tribute to an exciting chapter in its own history. When the era of Mercedes victories in Formula One World Championships and racing cars ended in 1955, Mercedes-Benz enjoyed great success for a number of years in international long-distance races and rallies. This period was characterised in particular in the early 1960s by the ”Fintail’ saloons with six-cylinder engines (220 SE and 300 SE models), which also served as a model for the new Mercedes-Benz 220 SE.
Typically, there was not much difference technically between competition cars and production models in the 1960s. The usual modifications included reinforcement of chassis elements and body components, a bigger fuel tank and adjustment of the engine characteristics to suit the specific purpose.
The principle of designing a powerful competition car that is closely based on stock technology is one that Mercedes-Benz Classic followed closely when building the 220 SE for the FHR Long Distance Cup. The modifications made to the production vehicle by the specialists at the Classic Center included equipping the interior with a safety cage with a safety quick-release lock for side impact protection elements such as cross door bars and protective side moulding (Fix Opening and Closure Security System, or FO-CS for short). In addition, the tail fin has been fitted with a fire extinguishing system and a 100-litre FT3 safety tank. In future, the car will also boast 5.5 x 15 wheels fitted with 6 x 15 tyres. Naturally, the W 111 also features the same classic light grey paint finish (shade DB 140) as used on vehicles between 1961 and 1964.
Mercedes-Benz 220 SE vehicle data
No other brand dominated the golden age of classic grand-prix racing in the mid-20th century in the same way as the Silver Arrows from Mercedes-Benz. Juan Manuel Fangio was the driver who best embodied the racing outfit’s strength after the Second World War. The Goodwood Revival 2011, near Chichester/West Sussex, in September will be reliving this heyday as it marks the centenary of Fangio’s birth.
The prestigious British festival, held over three days every autumn (September 16-18, 2011), recreates an epoch that stretched from the 1940s to the 1960s. It offers an exclusive, atmospheric setting for Mercedes-Benz Classic’s tribute to Juan Manuel Fangio (born June 24, 1911, died July 17, 1995), who would have turned 100 this year.
The highlights of the Revival will include demonstration laps by famous racing drivers in the Mercedes-Benz vehicles with which Fangio wrote motor sport history in the 1954 and 1955 seasons. Besides notching up major success in various sports car races, the Argentine became Formula 1 world champion in both those years.
Mercedes-Benz Classic has put together an illustrious field of drivers and vehicles for the event. Among the drivers taking to the classic track, where races were held between 1948 and 1966, will be Juan Manuel Fangio II. The nephew of the legendary world champion will be driving the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R, a Formula 1 racing car with a streamlined body from 1954.
Sir Stirling Moss and Hans Herrmann, team mates of Fangio during the Silver Arrows’ post-war era, will also be remembering the five-time Formula 1 champion, two times on Mercedes-Benz. At the Revival, Moss will take the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S) racing car from 1955. It was in this vehicle that Fangio won the Eifelrennen and the Swedish Grand Prix in 1955 as well as achieving second place in the Mille Miglia (without a co-driver) and in the Tourist Trophy and Targa Florio (both with Karl Kling). Stirling Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia together with co-driver Denis Jenkinson also in a W 196 S, in a minimum time unbeaten until today.
Herrmann will be driving a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R with open wheels. In 1954 and 1955, Fangio raced to nine victories in both versions of the W 196 R (including the Grand Prix of Buenos Aires with a three-litre engine), came second twice and took one third place, enabling him to win the world championship in both years.
The Goodwood Revival is the ideal occasion for Mercedes-Benz Classic to commemorate the charismatic driver Fangio. Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara, has been hosting the Goodwood Revival since 1998 – as ‘A time capsule of the golden era of motor racing’. According to British racing legend Sir Stirling Moss: ‘The Revival is an event which is unique in the world.’
The Revival naturally centres on the races, such as the celebrity races featuring well-known racing drivers from various classes of motor sport who will be driving various two- and four-wheeled vehicles. This category is made up of the St Mary’s Trophy, the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration and the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy. The sports car races consist of the Whitsun Trophy, the Fordwater Trophy, the Madgwick Cup, the Freddie March Memorial Trophy and the Sussex Trophy. Classic single seaters will line up for the Goodwood Trophy, the Earl of March Trophy, the Chichester Cup, the Richmond Trophy and the Glover Trophy.
An extensive, wide-ranging programme of accompanying events enables visitors to imagine themselves in the 1940s to 1960s. These include classic car auctions and exhibitions, an air show, a supermarket selling products harking back to decades long gone plus a traditional fairground. Race participants and most of the visitors to the Revival dress in period clothing, contributing to the extraordinary atmosphere of the weekend.
Goodwood Revival 2011: Driver Portrayals
Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio was the most important Mercedes-Benz racing driver in 1954 and 1955. Born in 1911 in Balcarce, the Argentinian’s initial experience of long-distance racing was in his home country and it was not until 1951 that he first sat at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz grand prix racing car. Yet his success was not confined to Formula 1 (world champion in 1951 and from 1954 to 1957 in succession), for Fangio also helped Mercedes-Benz to win the 1955 World Sportscar Championship, in which, driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, he finished second in the 1955 Mille Miglia behind his team colleague Stirling Moss. The exceptional thing about it was that Fangio drove the 1000 miles without a co-driver. Having ended his racing career, he became president of Mercedes-Benz Argentina S.A. He died in 1995 in Buenos Aires.
Juan Manuel Fangio II
Juan Manuel Fangio II bears a famous name. The nephew of five- time Formula 1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday in 2011, he inherited his uncle’s passion for motor sports. Fangio II grew up in close contact with several world-famous motor sports legends. Unlike his uncle, Fangio II spent the majority of his active racing career in North America. His successes included two wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring and victory in the IMSA GT Championship in 1992 and 1993, in the course of which he also set the record of 19 individual victories and won two manufacturers’ titles. In addition, Fangio raced in Formula 3000, the CART Championship and the American Le Mans Series. Juan Manuel Fangio II, whose career as a professional racing driver spanned the years from 1985 to 1997, lives in Balcarce (Argentina), the birthplace of his uncle. In 2011, he drove the Mille Miglia for Mercedes-Benz Classic, in team with Mika Häkkinen and in a type 300 SLR (W 196 S) in which his uncle in 1955 came on second place in that road race.
Hans Herrmann
After his motor sport debut, Mercedes-Benz racing manager Alfred Neubauer brought 25-year-old Hans Herrmann to the works team of Daimler-Benz AG at the start of the 1954 season. Herrmann finished in third place in the Swiss Grand Prix on 22 August 1954. Driving three W 196 Streamline racing cars, the Mercedes drivers finished the Avus race in Berlin on 19 September 1954 with a triple victory in the order Karl Kling, Juan Manuel Fangio, Hans Herrmann. During the 1955 racing season, Herrmann started a total of eight sports car races and ten Formula 1 races. In the Monaco Grand Prix he sat in for Kling and suffered serious injuries in an accident. Despite a full recovery he did not race for Mercedes-Benz again because the company withdrew from motor sport in October 1955. This marked the end of Herrmann’s engagement for Mercedes-Benz. In the following years he returned to racing car and sports car competitions. After racing in Formula 2 and Formula 1 he retired from racing in 1970 with a victory in the 24-hour race of Le Mans driving a Porsche. Herrmann continues to start for Mercedes-Benz in events with historical character to the present day.
Sir Stirling Moss
His racing colleagues liked to refer to Sir Stirling Moss as an exceptional talent. Motor racing seems to have been something he was born with because motor cars accompanied him from his early childhood days through his parents, motor sport enthusiasts and themselves actively engaged in motor sport. At age 19 he won his first race, a few years later he was already racing in Formula 1. In 1955, he joined the Mercedes-Benz team and competed in all important events. Driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S) he won the Mille Miglia in May 1955 in a fabulous record time of 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, a record no one was ever able to break. He also won the Targa Florio driving the 300 SLR. In July he won the British Grand Prix in Aintree/England, just edging out Juan Manuel Fangio. It was his first Formula 1 victory and it was to remain his only one driving a Silver Arrow because Mercedes-Benz withdrew from motor sport at the end of the season. His string of successes continued in subsequent years, several times missing the world championship title by a hair’s breadth. A severe accident forced him to retire from racing in 1962. He still, however, has a connection with Mercedes-Benz because he repeatedly participates for the brand in classic events. Stirling Moss’s name at the same time stands for a move of the racing industry toward more professionalism: he was the first driver to have his own manager as far back as the early 1950s.
The vehicles from Mercedes-Benz at the Goodwood Revival 2011
Mercedes-Benz won the sports car world championship with the 300 SLR in 1955. This sports car is essentially a Formula 1 W 196 racing car provided with a two-seater racing car body – but with a three-litre eight-cylinder in-line engine in light alloy instead of the 2.5-litre Formula 1 engine with steel cylinders. Rated at 300 hp (221 kW), the 300 SLR outperformed its rivals, scooping double victories in the Mille Miglia, the Eifel Race, the Swedish Grand Prix and the Targa Florio. In winning the Mille Miglia, Stirling Moss and co-driver Denis Jenkinson clocked up an average speed of 157.65 km/h (97.96 mph) – a feat that remains unsurpassed to this day. A useful aid in this race was the ‘prayer book’ – a new type of itinerary with crucial notes which Jenkinson drew up to guide driver Moss around the course. Juan Manuel Fangio, competing without a co-driver, came in second. In Sweden and in the 24-hour Le Mans race, the 300 SLRs caused a surprise with the so-called air brake – a panel measuring 0.7 square metres in size which the driver could open up over the rear axle to boost the braking effect. In Le Mans, Mercedes-Benz withdrew the 300 SLR following an accident suffered by Belgian driver Pierre Levegh through no fault of his own while he was in the leading position.
The Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Formula 1 racing car built for the 1954 season met all the requirements of the new Grand Prix formula defined by the CSI (Commission Spor tive Inter na ti o na le): displacement 750 cc with or 2500 cc without compressor, any fuel composition, racing distance 300 kilometres but at least three hours. The streamlined version was the first to be produced, as the opening race in Reims permitted very high speeds. A variant with free-standing wheels was subsequently produced. For its second season in 1955, this classic grand prix car was also available with shorter wheelbases: in addition to the 2350 millimetre long car from 1954, there were also variants with a wheelbase of 2150 and 2210 millimetres. The shortest variant was ideal for the narrow, winding circuit through Monaco. The space frame was light and robust, the chassis with torsion bar suspension and a new single-joint swing axle at the rear plus giant turbo-cooled duplex disc brakes which were initially fitted in an inside central position was as accomplished as it was unconventional. The car was powered by an eight-cylinder in-line engine (2496 cc) with direct injection and desmodromic (positive-controlled, without valve springs) valves (1954: 256 hp/188 kW at 8260 rpm, 1955: 290 hp/213 kW at 8500 rpm). The engine unit was mounted in the latticework frame at an incline of 53 degrees to the right, in order to lower the centre of gravity and to reduce the size of the frontal area. The top speed was over 300 km/h (186.42 mph).
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in England will close out the international classic calendar. Mercedes-Benz is a primary sponsor of the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and will be entering two vehicles into the annual event that will take place on November 5 and 6, 2011. The Mercedes-Benz vehicles will include a 1902 two-seater Mercedes-Simplex racing car and a 1904 four-seater Mercedes-Simplex touring car.
“It’s an honor for Mercedes-Benz to support the event in this year of the anniversary of the automobile”, says Michael Bock, head of Mercedes-Benz Classic and director of the Mercedes-Benz Museum. “We invented the automobile, and the ‘London to Brighton Veteran Car Run’ is the oldest classic car event worldwide. That represents the basis for an ideal collaboration.”
The “London to Brighton Veteran Car Run”, held in the anniversary year of the automobile, will be symbolically opened by Jutta Benz, the great-granddaughter of Carl Benz, inventor of the automobile. She will be driving a replica of the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen. This is the 63rd year since 1948 that Mercedes-Benz will have attended the Veteran Car Run, which is an annual highlight of the Mercedes-Benz Classic calendar.
The two participating Mercedes-Simplex cars are outstanding vehicles considering the automotive technology of their time. Following the invention of the automobile in 1886, the Mercedes-Simplex model, introduced in 1901 by the former Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, is regarded by today’s experts as the first modern automobile. For the first time, it showed important features which can still be found in passenger cars today, such as the low centre of gravity, the honeycomb radiator and an inclined steering column.
The Mercedes-Benz vehicles will once again be piloted by celebrity drivers this year: one will be driven by Nigel Mansell, 1992 British Formula 1 World Champion. Doug Nye, well-known British motor journalist, and Bernd Ostman, editor-in-chief of the professional journal “Auto Motor und Sport”, will be driving the second vehicle.
Remembering the emancipation of the automobile
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is held exclusively for vehicles built before 1904. The annual event marks the “Emancipation Run” of 14 November 1896. That event was organised by Harry J. Lawson in celebration of a then new law in Britain that raised the maximum permitted speed for automobiles with an internal combustion engine, from a walking pace of 6.4 km/h (4 miles per hour) to 22.4 km/h (16 miles per hour). The new law also abolished the requirement that vehicles be preceded by a man walking ahead of the vehicle, for the safety of other road users, as previously required by the 1865 “Locomotive Act”, also known as the “Red Flag Act”. The first event was started by the symbolic tearing up of a red flag, since, up until 1878, the man walking ahead of the vehicle had to also carry a red flag as a warning.
The first official commemorative repeat of the London to Brighton Run took place in 1927, and since then it has been organised annually, with the exception of the years 1940 to 1947. The 77th event will take place this year. This makes the Run the oldest existing motoring event in the world, and, at the same time, the largest gathering of veteran cars from the early days of automotive history. In addition to four-wheeled cars with internal combustion engines, three-wheelers and also steam cars and electric cars will also take part. The British Royal Automobile Club has been organising the Run since 1930.
In the 2011 Run, 550 vehicles from 20 countries are expected to take part. They will set out on 6 November 2011, on the approximately 96-kilometre (60-mile) course, which mainly follows the A23 road. The oldest vehicle is expected to be a Benz Victoria from 1894. As many as 500,000 spectators are expected to line the route. The start is at Apsley Gate, at London’s Hyde Park, where the first vehicles will depart at the official sunrise time of 7.02 a.m. From there, the cars will head to a checkpoint at Market Square, Crawley, before the event comes to an official end in Preston Park, a suburb of the seaside resort of Brighton. The unofficial, but actual finish is subsequently also celebrated by the public on the grand promenade, Madeira Drive. Only cars that arrive in Brighton by sunset will be counted.
Around 100 vehicles will take part in an eve-of-event concours d’elegance, on London’s Regent Street, on Saturday, 5 November 2011. Each car will be individually introduced, and spectators will have an opportunity for closer inspection. Before that event, on 4 November 2011, Bonhams on New Bond Street will host an auction of vehicles and automobilia from the early days.
Mercedes-Simplex: the modern automobile
The two Mercedes-Benz Classic cars which are to take part are from the company’s own collection. Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft produced a range of automobiles bearing the Simplex designation at Stuttgart-Untertürkheim, from 1901 to 1905, all of which had two things in common: they were designed by Wilhelm Maybach, and they were superior to all other cars at the time. The Simplex represented the pivotal transition from motorised carriage to purpose-built car.
The most striking technical features of the Mercedes-Simplex were its four-cylinder, front-mounted engine with cylinders cast in pairs, the U-section pressed steel frame, a low centre of gravity, honeycomb radiator and inclined steering column. These features are what provided the typical car-like appearance that distinguished it from contemporary carriage-type automobiles. Next to the 38/40 PS Mercedes-Simplex, the 28/32 PS was the more compact automobile.
Technical data for the 38/40 PS Mercedes-Simplex racing car
Technical data for the 28/32 PS Mercedes-Simplex touring car
Technical data for the Benz Patent-Motorwagen Model I
Nigel Mansell
Born on 8 August 1953 in Upton-on-Severn, Worcestershire, England.
The rise of Mansell’s sporting career proceeded in a straight line from karting 1968–75, the Formula Ford 1976–77 and the British Formula 3 Championship 1978–80, all the way to his Formula 1 début in 1980 in a Lotus Ford.
A long series with successful races in Formula 1 followed, crowned by three second-place titles and finally, in 1992, the World Champion title. After a brief interlude in the IndyCar Series (he won the Champion title on his first attempt in 1993), he returned to Formula 1 in 1994, and won the Grand Prix in Australia.
In 1995, he started twice in the Formula 1 for Team McLaren-Mercedes, but left the team before the end of the season.
History of the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run:
The Royal Automobile Club’s annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run takes place on the first Sunday of every November and commemorates the Emancipation Run of 14 November 1896 which celebrated the passing into law of the Locomotives on the Highway Act, which raised the speed limit for ‘light locomotives’ from 4 mph to 14 mph and abolished the requirement for these vehicles to be preceded by a man on foot.
The early law required the man on foot to carry a red flag but that requirement was actually abolished in 1878. However, the Locomotive Act was still widely known as the ‘Red Flag Act’ and a red flag was symbolically destroyed at the start of the Emancipation Run, by Lord Winchilsea as it is today just before the start in Hyde Park of each November’s celebration Run by members of The Royal Automobile Club.
33 pioneering motorists set off from the Metropole Hotel in Central London on the 1896 Run to endure the rough roads to the Sussex seaside resort and the Metropole Hotel of Brighton. But only 14 of the starters actually made the journey, and some evidence shows that one car, an electric model, was secretly taken by rail and covered with mud before crossing the finishing line!
The first formal re-enactment of the 1896 Run was staged in 1927 and organised by the motoring editor of the Daily Sketch. The Run has taken place every November thereafter, with the exception of the war years and 1947 when petrol rationing was in force.
From 1930 to the present day the Run has been owned and professionally organised by The Royal Automobile Club of Pall Mall London. In 1936 the Club moved the start of the Run to Hyde Park which has hosted the ceremonial early November Sunday morning assembly ever since and for 2011 celebrates the 75th Anniversary of the start from this Royal Parks venue.
Not a race but an endurance of man and machine the annual event today attracts over 500 automobiles with an eligibility criteria that requires the cars to be of three or four wheel design and certified that their build took place prior to the 1 January 1905. Occasionally however the organisers invite a small number of vehicles just out of period to join the celebration.
Many famous celebrities including members of the Royal Family have been seen on the Run and for many years the 60 mile route has been lined with hundreds of thousands of spectators standing in the early winter Sunday mornings to cheer the drivers of this wonderful spectacle of early motoring.
115 years later the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is today the world’s longest running and greatest motoring celebration event attracting entrants from all over the world. Over 600 entry applications are received for 550 places with over 25% represented by eligible vehicles shipped to the UK especially for the Run from across Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Australia’s making the annual Run a truly International event. Over 160 vehicle makes take part and individual values range from around £25,000 to several million!
In December 2010 the Royal Automobile Club won a prestigious Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA) Award for its dedicated promotion of the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and its related protection of early motoring vehicles.
To owners of Veteran cars worldwide the annual November Run to Brighton represents the high point of the year’s early motoring car events and a rare opportunity to take their extraordinary vehicles to a wider audience.
Mercedes-Benz Classic and Mercedes-Benz USA will be showing off some of their finest vehicles at the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 21, 2011. This year’s Concours d’Elegance is marked among other things by the 125 years of the automobile anniversary. To commemorate this anniversary, a replica of the Benz Patent Motor Car of 1886 will be on display . As in past years, this years Pebble Beach Concours includes a drive and an auction, all dedicated to the most elegant, most outstanding automobiles.
Since 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, has been the preeminent showcase for automotive elegance internationally. The enthusiasm and passion of collectors from all over the world who strive to be successful here with their cars is unparalleled anywhere else in the world. Since the event was initiated, Mercedes-Benz vehicles have had a regular spot on the lawn in front of the lodge. In addition to more than 120 class victories and special prizes, vehicles from Mercedes-Benz have won the “Best of Show” award several times.
This year, during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance a number of outstanding vehicles will be presented to the international audience. The Mercedes racing car designed by Wilhelm Maybach in 1906 was one of the most advanced vehicles of its day and features forward-looking details: for instance its six-cylinder engine has overhead camshafts, overhead valves and a dual high-voltage spark plug ignition. Because of its frame design the vehicle has a very low centre of gravity.
The 200 hp Benz of 1909 was given the byname “Blitzen Benz” – Lightning Benz – because of its outstanding performance. Among other things it was the first petrol-powered automobile in the world to post speeds over 200 km/h. The vehicle shown in Pebble Beach is a faithful reproduction using an authentic engine.
Of the supercharged six-cylinder sports cars of the Mercedes-Benz S series, the SSK (W 06 series) is the most exclusive and fascinating model. The model designation stands for “Super-Sport-Kurz” (super-sport-short) and besides emphasising the car’s special sportiness also indicates its shortened wheelbase. The SSK dominated the international motorsport scene in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Special exhibition “125 years inventor of the automobile”
In addition, Mercedes-Benz USA is organising an exhibition in its pavilion at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to mark the “125 years inventor of the automobile” anniversary. A replica of the Benz Patent Motor Car of 1886 will be on display there, a so-called American Mercedes (1905), a Silver Arrow W 154 Grand Prix racing car (1939), a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198, 1954), a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE (W 180, 1958) and a Mercedes-Benz 600 (W 100, 1969). The “Aesthetics 125!” sculpture created by Mercedes-Benz Design opens a window on the future of the brand. Concept car versions of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster and the next generation of the A-Class represent the more immediate future. And the F-Cell Roadster shows how Carl Benz perhaps would have built his Patent
In the mid-1980s, the time was right to introduce four-wheel drive in other Mercedes-Benz passenger cars; to meet the requirements for saloon cars, however, it would be necessary to redesign the system. At the 1985 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main, the engineers presented their new four-wheel-drive concept to the general public under the name 4MATIC. This used the latest technology, including electronics, to provide constant traction in any driving situation.
It was the anti-lock braking system (ABS) that had laid the foundations for this technology in 1978. It formed the basis for acceleration skid control (ASR), which not only controlled the linear forces acting between the tyres and the road surface during braking, but also during acceleration, and therefore acted on both the brakes and the engine torque. It was followed by the automatic differential lock (ASD, 1985) and – in the same year – the innovative 4MATIC four-wheel-drive system.
The common feature of these systems was that they registered and limited wheel slip with the help of the latest microelectronics and hydraulics, in order to improve the linear dynamics of an automobile. Other systems that made use of the ABS signals were Brake Assist (BAS, 1996), the revolutionary Electronic Stability Program (ESP, 1995) and the electro-hydraulic braking system Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC, 2001).
4MATIC was permanently active and distributed the drive torque between the front and rear axles during normal driving on a high-grip surface. The ratio could be set according to the vehicle configuration, e.g. to 40:60 or 48:52 per cent (front to rear axle). This maintained the dynamic advantages of rear-wheel-drive while giving the driver additional safety reserves.
4MATIC was premiered in the 124 series in 1987. The Electronic Traction System 4ETS, which performed the function of differential locks and ensured even better progress on poor road surfaces, was added from the 210-series E-Class onward, starting in 1999. 4ETS was integrated into the Electronic Stability Program ESP, whose control functions were specifically adapted for four-wheel drive. If one or more wheels lost traction on a slippery surface, 4ETS individually and automatically applied brief braking impulses to the spinning wheels while increasing torque to the wheels with good traction. This automatic braking intervention was able to simulate the effect of up to three differential locks.
4MATIC showed its strengths particularly in unfavourable weather conditions such as wet roads, ice or snow, by ensuring exemplary handling stability and perfect traction. When moving off, accelerating, cornering at speed or driving on difficult surfaces, the system provided additional reserves of traction. In this way the permanent four-wheel-drive system supported the already outstanding handling characteristics of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, also ensuring typical Mercedes safety and surefootedness when confronted with unusual dynamic requirements. Although the additional technology carried a small weight penalty and led to slightly higher fuel consumption, it proved extremely popular – especially in the mountainous regions of Europe and particularly North America.
4MATIC: debut in the 124 series
The new system was first introduced in 1987, initially in the six-cylinder petrol and diesel models of the 124 series. These were transition years, when petrol-engined cars were gradually being optionally equipped with catalytic converters. The following were the first models to feature 4MATIC:
This range remained unchanged during the model upgrade of 1989, though engine outputs were slightly increased – and all models with a petrol engine were now only available with a catalytic converter. In 1992, the smaller 4MATIC models were discontinued, leaving saloon and estate variants of the three-litre petrol and diesel models in the range. From the outset 4MATIC was available only in conjunction with automatic transmission and from 1989 also only with two-valve petrol engines.
The optional inclusion of 4MATIC was already taken into account in the basic design of the new 210-series E-Class, which was launched in 1995, but while the name of the system remained unchanged, the technology had changed considerably. The new 4MATIC consisted of a permanent four-wheel-drive system with a single-stage transfer case providing a torque distribution of 40:60 (front: rear). It was supported by the Electronic Traction System 4ETS, which could be deactivated for instance to allow more wheel slip on snow, especially with snow chains. These E-Class models were produced by the plant in Graz. The new 4MATIC system was first introduced in February 1997, in the E 280 (150 kW/204 hp), followed by the E 320 (165 kW/224 hp) in June, with an estate model also available in both cases.
In June 1999, Mercedes-Benz presented the extensively revised 210 series, which introduced the E 430 4MATIC (205 kW/270 hp) and – a little later in November 1999 – the more powerful E 55 AMG 4MATIC (260 kW/354 hp), both of which were available as saloon and estate models. The performance of the AMG-Mercedes was equal to that of a sports car: the saloon accelerated from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.8 seconds, for example, and was therefore only slightly slower than the rear-wheel-drive model. Both V8 models with 4MATIC had shorter gear ratios than the models with rear-wheel drive.
The USA was the largest market for all-wheel-drive cars. In the high-volume year 2000 Mercedes-Benz delivered around 66 per cent of its four-wheel-drive E-Class saloons and estates (210 series) to the USA. The second-largest market is Germany, accounting for eleven per cent of E-Class 4MATIC production. With six and seven per cent respectively, Switzerland and Canada were other important markets.
In January 2003, Mercedes-Benz presented the new 211-series
E-Class at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. From the autumn of 2003, the series also became available with 4MATIC four-wheel-drive system in the models E 240 (130 kW/177 hp), E 320 (165 kW/224 hp), and E 500 (225 kW/306 hp), both as saloon and estate variants. To achieve better ground clearance, the body of the 4MATIC variants in the new E-Class was raised by ten millimetres. A further distinguishing feature compared with the rear-wheel-drive versions was the exclusive availability of the five-speed automatic transmission. From the E 320 upwards, the axle ratios were also shorter than in the rear-wheel-drive versions.
The diesel models E 280 CDI (140 kW/190 hp) and E 320 CDI (165 kW/224 hp) with 4MATIC followed in July 2005. The high-torque 4MATIC diesel engines were also available with five-speed automatic transmission and longer gear ratios than the two-wheel-drive vehicles. Combining 4MATIC permanent four-wheel drive with the up-to-date CDI V6 engines enabled new standards to be achieved in terms of safety, traction, torque, and fuel economy.
The major facelift in 2006 made all the six-cylinder models in the 211 series optionally available with 4MATIC, i.e. the E 280 (170 kW/231 hp) and E 350 (200 kW/272 hp), as well as the diesel models E 280 CDI (140 kW/190 hp) and E 320 CDI (165 kW/224 hp). There was also the eight-cylinder model E 500 4MATIC (285 kW/388 hp). All of these were equipped with a five-speed automatic transmission as standard.
Traction in the luxury segment: the S-Class 4MATIC
For model year 2003 Mercedes-Benz embarked on a four-wheel-drive initiative for its passenger cars, making a total of 32 models available with 4MATIC in five model series. This was in response to market demand, for especially in the luxury segment, 10 per cent of new vehicle buyers worldwide opted for a saloon with four-wheel-drive technology in 2002; in 1999 the proportion of such vehicles in this market segment had been 7 per cent.
As part of this four-wheel-drive initiative, the S-Class (W 220 series) became available with 4MATIC for the following models during the second half of its production cycle: S 350 (180 kW/245 hp), S 430 (205 kW/279 hp), and S 500 (225 kW/306 hp). This also applied to the long-wheelbase variants.
The last W 220-series S-Class to leave the production line in Sindelfingen in July 2005 was also equipped with 4MATIC. This cubanite silver S 430 4MATIC was destined for a customer in North America.
The successor model, the S-Class of the W 221 series, celebrated its debut in September 2005. One year later it became available with four-wheel drive, the venue for the premiere being the Paris Motor Show in September 2006. How times change: one of the cars on display was the S 320 CDI 4MATIC (173 kW/235 hp), the first diesel S-Class with four-wheel drive. 4MATIC versions of the S 350 (200 kW/272 hp), S 450 (250 kW/340 hp), and S 500 (285 kW/388 hp) were also available, both with a short or long wheelbase.
From March 2008, Mercedes-Benz then also offered the CL-Class (C 216) luxury coupé with all-wheel drive in the CL 500 4MATIC model. At its heart was the 7G-TRONIC 7-speed automatic transmission, which the engineers had developed specially for all-wheel-drive models and which incorporated a transfer case with central differential lock. From here, the drive torque is split between the front and rear axle at a ratio of 45:55. Another new feature was the twin-plate clutch at the central differential. This produced a basic locking effect of around 50 newton metres between the front and rear axle, which permitted even better traction and handling stability on slippery surfaces. At the same time, the all-wheel-drive system was exceptionally efficient: the CL 500 4MATIC consumed no more fuel than the corresponding rear-wheel-drive model.
Eye to eye with the other saloons: the C-Class with 4MATIC
The 203-series C-Class also became available with 4MATIC as part of the four-wheel-drive initiative in 2003. The 4MATIC range now included the six-cylinder models C 240 (125 kW/170 hp) and C 320 (160 kW/218 hp), in both saloon and estate form. These were equipped with a newly designed front suspension with McPherson struts instead of the three-link system, and the steering gear was moved further back. Both models featured a five-speed automatic transmission as standard.
These two models were produced at the plant in Bremen, where the four-wheel-drive variants already went their own way at the body shell stage, as the drive system required a modified body structure, which for example affected the front side members and the integral supports for the engine, transmission, and front axle.
Shortly after the market launch of the C-Class from the 204 series in spring 2007, all-wheel drive was available from that summer in the six-cylinder C 280, C 350, and C 320 CDI models, and from the autumn in the C 320 CDI 4MATIC estate. The 4MATIC system had been thoroughly revised: now the latest-generation all-wheel-drive technology was not only more efficient, it also weighed less and was more compact than the previous 4MATIC. These benefits paid dividends in terms of improved fuel consumption and even better traction. The all-wheel-drive C-Class models were also equipped with the modified 7G-TRONIC 7-speed automatic transmission as standard.
Sport Utility Vehicle from Mercedes-Benz: the M-Class
In 1997, Mercedes-Benz entered a young market with the launch of the M-Class (W 163 series). This Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) was just as suitable for business trips as for recreational activities of all kinds, in short the whole gamut of mobility needs for active people. Accordingly the M-Class was equipped with 4MATIC four-wheel drive from the start. As another first it was built completely in the USA, with appropriate backup from the specialist departments in Germany. The company built a dedicated plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and development, planning and production came under the aegis of the newly-formed Mercedes-Benz U. S. International (MBUSI).
The project development manager Gerhard Fritz and his team had the rare opportunity to create a completely new car straight from the drawing board, and in 1997 the technical details of the M-Class were first made known to the public. The chassis was a frame composed of closed box-sections on which the body was mounted. The side members were offset and welded to three cross-members, ensuring great strength and torsional rigidity. Naturally the design also incorporated the latest findings from safety research: deformation elements in the front and rear cross-members absorbed low-speed impact energy and prevented it from acting on the side members. With independent suspension all-round, this concept ensured enormous stability combined with outstanding ride comfort.
In the case of the M-Class, belonging to the category of SUVs mainly driven on good roads and seldom used on loose or difficult terrain did not mean that off-road capabilities were compromised. The drive train was designed for permanent four-wheel drive from the start. A transfer case with an integral centre differential distributed the torque to the front and rear axles on a 50:50 basis. As in the other 4MATIC models from Mercedes-Benz, differential locks were replaced by 4ETS in the M-Class. An anti-lock braking system was standard equipment; this was specially configured for off-road use and prevented the wheels from locking at speeds of 8 km/h and above, whatever the nature of the ground. Once the low-range gearbox was activated (reduction by 2.64), a special programme for speeds up to 30 km/h shortened braking distances on loose surfaces.
The M-Class was officially launched in May 1997 – in Tuscaloosa of course. It received an enthusiastic welcome, and at first the plant was hardly able to keep up with demand. This was no doubt due to the intelligent concept, an appealing design and the high level of safety for which the company was known. The M-Class combined the comfort and handling safety of a passenger car with the robustness and all-terrain capabilities of an off-roader.
The USA and Canada were the first markets to benefit from the
M-Class, in the form of the ML 320 (160 kW/218 hp). In March 1998, the first units were delivered to Europe, where the ML 230 (110 kW/150 hp) was also introduced. In 1998, these were followed by the ML 430 with an eight-cylinder petrol engine (199 kW/270 hp), once again initially for North America. In October 1998, the torque distribution to the front and rear axles was changed to 48:52 to improve cornering agility on asphalt roads.
The 100,000th M-Class left the production line in February 1999. In May, the plant in Graz was taken into commission as the second production location – particularly for the ML 270 CDI, which was extremely important for the European market – joining the G-Class and the E-Class 4MATIC, which were also produced there. Other European variants of the M-Class were also produced, however. To quote Jürgen Hubbert, the member of the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management responsible for the Mercedes-Benz Passenger Car Division at the time: ‘Having already increased our production capacity of our American plant in Tuscaloosa by 30 per cent, we are now starting to produce the M-Class in Graz to meet the extraordinary demand for this successful model in Europe, and to reduce waiting times.’
The production figures confirmed the success of the M-Class: around 140,000 units had been produced by August 1999. For model year 2000 the interior was significantly upgraded, as the company had come in for sometimes harsh criticism concerning the overall impression of quality, and the safety features were improved even further.
Two new models were added to the range, plugging a gap in the European line-up with the ML 270 CDI (129 kW/163 hp). This model was equipped with a state-of-the-art CDI diesel engine, and excelled in its class with outstanding fuel economy. It quickly became a great success in the ‘Old World’.
The ML 55 AMG (255 kW/347 hp), on the other hand, was entirely to the taste of North American customers, with plenty of power, refined handling, and an extensive range of standard appointments. In addition to AMG body styling, the distinguishing features of this flagship model included two ‘power domes’ familiar from the Mercedes-Benz SLK on the bonnet, and two chrome exhaust tailpipes to mark its special status at the rear. An auxiliary tank increased the fuel capacity by 25 litres. At first the ML 55 AMG was only produced with left-hand drive, right-hand drive versions only becoming available from model year 2002. Owing to a modified suspension setup, the ground clearance was smaller than in other M-Class models, and the angle of approach was also reduced – but this was of secondary importance in a vehicle primarily designed for superior ride comfort on asphalt roads. And many a customer already had a G-Class in the garage for more demanding excursions anyway.
From autumn 2000 the range of exclusive designo interior features also became available for the M-Class. This enabled customers to specify a highly individualized interior with striking colour combinations for their off-roader.
At the same time the vehicle was equipped with a further development of the four-wheel-drive system for even better off-road capabilities. 4ETS was enhanced with new functions that offered particular advantages on steep uphill and downhill gradients, and an actively controlled brake servo unit was introduced, which built up pressure extremely rapidly. This enabled the system to brake spinning wheels at an even earlier stage than before. 4ETS metered these braking impulses according to the vehicle speed, wheel acceleration, and accelerator position.
When the low-range ratio was activated by pressing the Low Range key in the M-Class, any necessary 4ETS braking intervention now also remained constant at speeds below 20 km/h to provide even better traction than before. The modified 4ETS also offered another benefit when moving off on steep gradients: in low-range mode the system continued to operate when the driver depressed both the brake and accelerator pedals, preventing the M-Class from rolling backwards when moving off slowly. Previously 4ETS had not been active in these situations.
The modified traction system also improved handling safety on slippery downhill gradients and steep off-road stretches. The onboard electronics automatically detected these situations and intervened if a wheel lost ground contact, which meant that the engine torque could not be put to full use. In this case, 4ETS braked the wheels with good ground contact, thereby carrying out the function of an engine brake. The brake force exerted by the traction system precisely corresponded to the braking torque normally provided by the engine on the overrun. This metered brake pressure ensures that the M-Class travels downhill at a constant speed – without any additional driver intervention.
In April 2002, the 400,000th M-Class left the production line in Tuscaloosa – a remarkable figure considering the production period of just five years. A sophisticated package of model face-lifting measures was introduced for model year 2002, providing even more safety (e.g window airbags), dynamism and driving pleasure. The appearance, interior, technology and standard equipment of the off-roader were all significantly upgraded. The bumpers were redesigned, the headlamps were given clear lenses, and indicators now appeared in the exterior mirrors. The redesigned centre console in the interior featured exotic wood trim as standard in all model variants, and the air conditioning system was thoroughly revised.
Two more engine variants were also added. The 184 kW (250 hp) diesel engine of the ML 400 CDI was among the world’s most powerful diesel power units. It accelerated the off-roader from zero to 100 km/h in just 8.1 seconds, allowed a maximum speed of 213 km/h and was happy with only 10.9 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (NEDC). Even more performance was offered by the new ML 500 (215 kW/292 hp), which replaced the ML 430. Its V8-engine generated a torque of 440 newton metres from 2,700 rpm, and accelerated the M-Class from zero to 100 km/h in just 7.7 seconds. The top speed of the ML 500 was 221 km/h.
Following an established tradition, in 2002 the Vatican took delivery of a ‘Popemobile’ from Mercedes-Benz with its glass ‘bubble’, this time a modified ML 430. Like its G-Class predecessors the papal M-Class featured mother-of-pearl paintwork and a white interior.
In August 2002, the ML 320 was succeeded by the ML 350, whose engine was the enlarged 3.2-litre unit now generating 173 kW (235 hp). Production of the W 163 series was discontinued in December 2004, after total sales of around 650,000 units.
In 2005, the success carved out by the 163-series M-Class was continued by the succeeding 164 series, which was first presented at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. Since 2001 DaimlerChrysler had already invested a total of 600 million US Dollars in expanding the Tuscaloosa plant, doubling its production capacity from 80,000 to 160,000 units per year. This capacity increase not only benefited the M-Class, but also the R-Class launched in the same year.
With this completely new premium off-roader development, a new chapter was being written in the success story of this model series, which was of particular importance for the US market. The new M-Class was launched with the very latest technology, for example three powerful new engines, the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission as standard, the further improved 4MATIC four-wheel-drive system, AIRMATIC air suspension, and (optionally) the anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE®. Its design was decidedly sporty, with an angled windscreen, prominent wings and shoulder-lines rising towards the rear. All this was reinforced by the proportions of the body: compared to the preceding model, the new M-Class was 150 millimetres longer (now 4780), 71 millimetres wider (now 1911) and five millimetres lower (now 1815 mm with roof rails). The wheelbase was increased by 95 millimetres to 2915 millimetres.
The V6 diesel engine OM 642 with two output ratings celebrated its debut in this vehicle class. It featured third-generation common-rail direct injection and the latest piezo-injection. The ML 320 CDI generated 165 kW (224 hp). Six-cylinder smoothness and dynamism were also offered by the ML 280 CDI with 140 kW (190 hp). The fuel consumption of the diesel models was 9.4-9.6 litres per 100 kilometres (NEDC combined consumption), which made the new M-Class one of the most economical off-roaders in its class. Another new unit in the M-Class was the M 272-series V6 petrol engine of the ML 350 with 200 kW (272 hp). The engine line-up was headed by the M 113-series eight-cylinder engine in the ML 500, which now had an output of 225 kW (306 hp).
Mercedes-Benz also improved the permanent four-wheel-drive and 4ETS traction systems, adding additional functions such as Downhill Speed Regulation, start-off assist and off-road ABS. There was now a choice of two four-wheel-drive variants with which off-road drivers could meet their different requirements: in addition to the basic version, a new Off-Road Pro engineering package became available, which enabled the M-Class to master even the most difficult terrain. This included a two-stage transfer case with low-range ratios, manually or automatically selectable differential locks (100 per cent) between the front and rear axles, as well as at the rear axle, and AIRMATIC air suspension modified for off-road driving, which increased ground clearance by 110 to 291 millimetres and fording depth up to 600 millimetres.
The latest support systems from the Mercedes-Benz luxury class assisted the driver, increasing comfort and safety. On request the M-Class could be equipped with the newly developed multi-zone THERMOTRONIC automatic climate control system, the parking aid PARKTRONIC, and the control and display system COMAND APS with Europe-wide DVD navigation. Bi-xenon headlamps with the active light and cornering light functions (optional) improved driving safety in the dark.
The M-Class came with ESP® trailer stabilization to eliminate dangerous oscillations when towing a trailer – movements around the vehicle’s vertical axis. Depending on driving conditions, these could increase to a critical level above which it was impossible to stabilize the combination, making a skid and the potential for a serious accident inevitable. ESP® trailer stabilization detected these oscillations early on, and cancelled them out in two stages: in many cases they could be prevented altogether with gentle intervention at the front axle if detected early enough. The system only adjusted the driving speed if additional braking to stabilize the combination was unavoidable – increasing comfort for the driver and passengers. The fundamental control characteristics of ESP® continued to have absolute priority, and its braking intervention was always able to override that of the trailer stabilization system.
In August 2005, the new ML 63 AMG flagship model celebrated its debut. It was powered by the 6.3-litre AMG V8 engine (M 156 series) developing 375 kW (510 hp). This off-roader likewise excelled with performance figures on a par with many sports cars: only 5.0 seconds were needed for the sprint from zero to 100 km/h, while the maximum speed was electronically limited to 250 km/h.
A minor anniversary was celebrated in July 2007: ten years of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. To mark the occasion, the brand brought out the ‘Edition 10” special model, specifications for which included 20-inch wheels, bi-xenon headlamps, darkened headlamp housings, special bodywork highlights in titanium-look as well as dark-tinted tail lights. Interior features included, for example, two-tone all-leather appointments, sports instruments, and stainless steel sports pedals. The second-generation M-Class proved to be highly successful: from its market launch in April 2005 until October 2007 around 250,000 vehicles were supplied to customers all over the world.
One new product from Mercedes-Benz at the IAA Frankfurt International Motor Show in 2007 was the ML 450 Hybrid. With market launch scheduled for 2009, this vehicle was hailed as the most economical petrol hybrid in the SUV class worldwide. Its two-mode hybrid system allowed for purely electric driving, but when required it could also support the internal combustion engine (205 kW/279 hp) – giving a combined system output of 250 kW (340 hp), with fuel consumption of just 7.7 litres per 100 kilometres. Carbon dioxide emissions were an exemplary 185 grams per kilometre.
A comprehensive model refinement package in March 2008 brought the M-Class several new features. In optical terms, for example, the off-roaders face was now defined by a restyled bumper, recontoured headlamps, and a larger, even more dominant radiator grille. The rear view also revealed a redesigned bumper with integrated reflector strips and tail lights with a smoked-glass look. The ML 63 AMG was also given new front and rear aprons. Standard equipment was also substantially upgraded. This now included the PRE-SAFE® accident anticipatory occupant protection system and NECK-PRO active head restraints, as well as a new telematics systems developed by Mercedes-Benz with further optimized user-friendliness, high computing speed and many new functions, including a Bluetooth hands-free system and aux-in connection for linking up external music devices.
The new generation M-Class features a range of five drive units with an output ranging from 140 kW to 285 kW (190 hp to 388 hp). Careful detail work has made it possible to reduce its consumption by up to 0.4 litres per 100 km. Since 2009, the M-Class has also been available with the BlueTEC system. Model ML 350 BlueTEC 4MATIC which – in Europe – it was possible to order from May 2009 and available since autumn 2009 belongs to the cleanest premium-class SUVs in the world.
In 2009, the M-Class also celebrated a production jubilee, as the millionth M-class rolled off the assembly line at the Tuscaloosa plant. The ML 350 BlueTEC Diesel was delivered to a West Coast distributor.
In 2010, Mercedes-Benz presented its top model of the M-Class, which had been gone over thoroughly, the ML 63 AMG. The front view reveals a new bonnet with powerdomes and darkened bi-xenon headlamps. At the rear the ML 63 AMG features darkened lamps in clear glass with LED technology.
The era of model series 164 ends in summer 2011 with the presentation of the entirely redeveloped series 166 M-Class
A new space concept on wheels: the Mercedes-Benz R-Class
New York in March 2005, where Mercedes-Benz staged the world debut of the R-Class at the International Auto Show. With its vehicle concept, this combined the advantages of familiar vehicle categories such as a sporty saloon, estate, van, and Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) into a new, distinctive character. Dimensions, design and dynamism were its outstanding attributes. The R-Class was first launched in the USA, in autumn 2005, and became available in Europe as of 2006.
The R-Class was available in two versions, with external lengths of 4922 and 5127 millimetres. This gave the new Mercedes-Benz model the dimensions of a luxury class saloon, but with a considerably more spacious interior.
Standard equipment included the 4MATIC four-wheel drive developed by Mercedes, and the range of models in this high-traction series was correspondingly wide. It comprised the R 280 CDI (140 kW/190 hp, only with short wheelbase), the R 320 CDI (165 kW/224 hp), the R 350 (200 kW/272 hp), the R 500 (225 kW/306 hp), and the flagship R 63 AMG (375 kW/510 hp).
The concept of the 4+2 seater met the needs of modern drivers for a versatile automobile that suited a family and meets business, pleasure, and travel requirements equally well. The new R-Class not only offered generous spaciousness, exemplary safety, and first-class comfort for up to six occupants, but also shone by virtue of its visual design, prestigious presence, and dynamic driving pleasure.
The R-Class was upgraded in summer 2007. Along with the familiar configuration of up to six individual seats, the range was complemented by a five-seater and a seven-seater version. From the outside, the R-Class for the new model year was identified by a restyled front and rear, circular fog lamps, and 18-inch light-alloy rims for all V6 versions. The top-of-the-range R 500 4MATIC sported 19-inch wheels. There were also new entry-level models – the R 280 CDI, R 280, and R 350 with rear-wheel drive. New features could also be found in the interior, including for example an aux-in connection for linking up external music devices.
Spacious automobile with traction and safety reserves: the Viano
Reaching one’s destination safely and confidently even under adverse conditions was made possible by the Viano 4MATIC with four-wheel drive, which celebrated its world debut at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main in September 2005. Whether for day-to-day journeys or recreation, the Viano 4MATIC could carry up to eight people in safety under difficult road and weather conditions.
Under normal driving conditions on a good road surface, the 4MATIC system of the Viano distributed the torque to the front and rear axles with a 35:65 per cent ratio. This meant that the dynamic advantages of rear-wheel drive are not only retained in the Viano 4MATIC, but even enhanced. The transfer case was directly flanged to the main transmission. The developers made the drive system to the front axle very compact and gave it a lifetime oil filling. The axle drive and additional front axle drive shafts were maintenance-free.
Instead of differential locks the Viano 4MATIC was equipped with the Electronic Traction System 4ETS, which had already proved highly successful in other 4MATIC models. 4ETS was integrated into the Electronic Stability Program ESP®, which was standard for all Viano models, and whose control functions had been specially adapted to the four-wheel-drive system.
The Viano 4MATIC was available in two engine variants, a CDI 2.0 (80 kW/109 hp) and a CDI 2.2 (110 kW/150 hp) with five-speed automatic transmission, whose powerful torque and corresponding performance ensured good progress even on difficult surfaces. The Viano 4MATIC was equipped with a diesel particulate filter and complied with the Euro 4/III exhaust emission standard.
The performance and fuel consumption of the Viano 4MATIC differed only slightly from those of the Viano with rear-wheel drive. The Viano 2.2 CDI accelerated to 100 km/h in 14.7 seconds and reached a top speed of 177 km/h, for example. Considering this performance, traction, and vehicle size, fuel consumption of just 9.6 litres per 100 kilometres (NEDC) was extremely low.
While the Viano 4MATIC did not claim to be a fully-fledged off-road vehicle, it was by no means afraid to tackle moderate off-road stretches. In the variant with a short wheelbase and a short overhang, the ramp angle was 19 degrees, the angle of approach 20 degrees, and the angle of departure 28 degrees, while ground clearance was around 150 millimetres at the front and 210 millimetres at the rear. The Viano 4MATIC was also a surprisingly good climber: depending on the engine and variant, its climbing ability was improved by up to 20 per cent. As the weight penalty of the four-wheel-drive system was only 80 kilograms, the Viano 4MATIC still retained its gross vehicle weights of 2.77 and 2.94 tonnes. It was available in two wheelbases and three lengths, and also as the Viano MARCO POLO camper van.
A powerful off-roader: the GL-Class
The GL-Class celebrated its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2006, and its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show in February. As the first full-size SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) from Mercedes-Benz, it was the highlight of the show. As a unique feature in the GL segment, this powerful and comfortable seven-seater had a self-supporting body, an extremely robust and spacious yet lightweight construction which gave the GL-Class competitive advantages in terms of ride comfort, dynamism, and safety.
Standard specification included 4MATIC permanent four-wheel drive. Together with the standard AIRMATIC air suspension, precise speed-dependent steering, and likewise standard Adaptive Damping System ADS, this meant that the majestic GL exhibited impressive handling.
A range of state-of-the-art engines ensured that all GL-Class models offered a high level of ride comfort and powerful performance, accompanied by favourable fuel consumption for this vehicle class. In addition to the 165 kW (224 hp) V6 engine (OM 642) in the GL 320 CDI, the diesel units included an improved version of the muscular V8 diesel engine (OM 629) in the GL 420 CDI, which developed an output of 225 kW (306 hp) and a maximum torque of 700 newton metres. Both diesels fell within the limits of the Euro 4 exhaust emission standard and were equipped with a maintenance-free diesel particulate filter.
The GL-Class was also available with a choice of two ultra-modern V8 petrol engines, including the 5.5-litre power unit M 273 first introduced for the new S-Class, which also developed 285 kW (388 hp) in the GL 500. The second and youngest member of this
up-to-date V8 family was premiered in the GL: like its bigger brother, the 250 kW (340 hp) 4.6-litre engine in the GL 450 met the stringent Euro 4 standard, as well as the LEV-II standard in the USA. All engine variants of the GL were equipped with the
7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission as standard. Partly by virtue of its wide spread of ratios, 7G-TRONIC combined with the lightweight construction and good aerodynamics for a vehicle of these dimensions (cd = 0.37) in contributing to a low fuel consumption.
BlueTEC and all-wheel drive
Three Mercedes-Benz vehicles achieved the distinction not only of becoming the world’s first diesel SUVs to comply with the particularly stringent American Bin 5 emission standard, but also to have the potential to meet the strict Euro 6 emission standard, thereby fulfilling all currently valid emissions legislation. These models were the R 320 BlueTEC, ML 320 BlueTEC, and GL 320 BlueTEC. They made their debut in June 2008, initially on the American market. Their BlueTEC technology, originally conceived for heavier vehicle weights, involved the injection of AdBlue®, a harmless, dilute solution of urea, into the exhaust flow. This released ammonia, which in turn reduced up to 80 per cent of the nitrous oxides into harmless nitrogen and water in the SCR catalytic converter positioned downstream.
Compact model with genuine character: the GLK-Class
The GLK-Class celebrated its world premiere at Auto China in April 2008. Boasting a body that was as practical as it was arrestingly succinct, the distinctive all-rounder was set to give the market segment of compact SUVs new direction. It also harmonised what were previously seen as entirely contradictory attributes, supreme driving dynamics, and outstanding driving safety going hand in hand with exceptional ride comfort courtesy of the AGILITY CONTROL suspension. Meanwhile the variable 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system joined forces with the latest electronic control systems to deliver consummate on-road performance and superb off-road proficiency. ‘The GLK rounds off our tremendously successful SUV family and in the process transfers such characteristic Mercedes qualities as refinement, dynamism, and safety to a compact format. This has now significantly raised the bar in this market segment,’ said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG.
Four engine variants were available at the market launch. These were the diesel variants GLK 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY (125 kW/170 hp) and GLK 320 CDI (165 kW/224 hp) as well as the V6 petrol-engined versions GLK 280 (170 kW/231 hp) and GLK 350 (200 kW/272 hp). All variants were equipped as standard with 7G-TRONIC 7-speed automatic transmission.
In winter 2010, Mercedes-Benz made a publicity campaign centred on the topic of 4MATIC; this included television spots, outside publicity and advertisements in the print media. The core message of the campaign was: ‘It is cold, it is wet. It doesn’t matter. What makes winter dangerous? The way to the car.’
It is a good moment to point out the strong points of 4MATIC with self-assurance, since in the meantime Mercedes-Benz now offers ten model series with all-wheel drive: the most recent addition to the group is the CLS. The four-door coupé offers all-wheel drive in models CLS 350 CDI 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY and CLS 500 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY. The 4MATIC system with its power distribution of 45 to 55 per cent to front and rear axles, respectively and the multi-plate differential lock with a basic blocking effect of 50 Nm, offers the CLS 4MATIC optimum conditions : it enables high traction levels because more drive torque is transmitted and the multi-plate lock can also modify the proportion front axle/rear axle if road conditions make this necessary. This makes it possible to delay as long as possible the intervention of electronic control systems such as ESP, 4ETS, and ASR. A great part of the drive force is thus transferred to the vehicle movement, even on slick roads.
In winter 2010, Mercedes-Benz offered a total of 49 car models, in 10 model series. Apart from the new 4MATIC of the CLS Class, the saloon and estate versions of the E-Class, the compact GLK. Finally, the model in the engine line-up of the G-Class.
A typical day at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center based in Irvine, California includes a 1950s Gullwing vehicle restoration, researching the owner history of a 1937 540K and finding a spare part among the 50,000 available for classic Mercedes-Benz cars. With the backing of 125 years of history, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center has wisdom beyond its years considering it was started just five years ago.
By offering customers hard to find parts or meticulous repair and restorations to the prime condition of factory standards of originality and preservation, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center has grown to service over 6,200 customers in the past 60 months. The success behind the Classic Center is driven by qualified Mercedes-Benz brand technicians and a dedicated approach to providing unique services in the marketplace.
“The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center is in a unique position because of the knowledge and resources that we have onsite and can tap as a result of being part of the oldest car company in the world,” said Mike Kunz, Manager of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center USA. “Our customers trust us with special cars that are valuable either monetarily, historically or sentimentally, and know that their vehicles are being reviewed or worked on by experts in their field that are backed by 125 years of history.”
The only one of its kind in the United States, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine maintains its close partnership with the Classic Center in Fellbach, Germany, which provides a direct link to access the parts, tools, service manuals and production records needed to work on vintage Mercedes-Benz automobiles. The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center sustains the lifetime service of these vehicles by helping customers locate and purchase even the rarest parts needed for certain models and by maintaining an exhaustive archive of materials that document the vehicles history dating back to the original owner. Technical and historic brand experts from the Classic Center can even access a vehicle’s original build sheet and other archived data – often free of charge for a Classic Center customer. These services embody the authenticity of the brand promise and values as Mercedes-Benz vehicles are built to endure many lifetimes.
The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center has gone to great lengths in restoring customer vehicles. In fact, its latest endeavor includes a full mechanical restoration of a 1910 Mercedes-Benz Simplex originally owned by one of the founders of R. H. Macy & Co. The vehicle sat for many years without running and technicians at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center are in the process of bringing it back to life, which includes the fabrication of a water pump and radiator.
Beyond classic car owners, Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts continue to visit the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center throughout the year to browse vintage vehicles on display, take advantage of retail car services or shop the boutique, which contains a range of auto memorabilia, accessories and literature. The Classic Center also hosts numerous special events and parties. While many brands claim a strong following for their classic models, Mercedes-Benz can point to world-renowned durability and owner dedication as foundation stones for the Classic Center business success. In many markets, decades-old Mercedes-Benz models are a common sight on the roads, and the 60 authorized Mercedes-Benz clubs around the world include some 130,000 members that look to the Classic Center as a sanctuary and “garage majal” for the three pointed star.
The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center staff provides support to these enthusiasts outside its garage doors participating in numerous classic car events throughout the year ranging from the Colorado Grand to the Amelia Island and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Over the past several years, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center has taken a leadership role in support of education for proper restoration technique through a scholarship program with McPherson College, located in McPherson, Kansas. The scholarship program supports three students each semester and provides an internship at The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center where real world experience is learned first hand to develop the future leaders pursuing a career in automobile restoration business.
What are the strengths of the Mercedes-Benz brand? Speed, power and style, visionary technology and an awareness of history and last but not least, least elegance and luxury.These are the qualities that are drawing thousands of visitors to the Festival of Speed 2011 and have been year after year. Mercedes-Benz Classic is a regular at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and will also be participating at this year’s event, which is scheduled to be held from July 1st to the 3rd, 2011 under the theme “Racing Revolutions – Quantum leaps that shaped motor sport”. Its line-up of landmark racing cars is set to negotiate the 1.86 kilometer (1.15 mile) long hillclimb circuit. And in 2011 Mercedes-Benz Classic will also be presenting the exhibition “125! years inventor of the automobile” which celebrates milestones of the brand’s history, right back to its origins with Carl Benz’s Patent Motor Car from 1886.
Motorsport revolutions
The concerted will to innovate embraced by Mercedes-Benz and the predecessor brands is thus reflected on the racetrack as well as in the exhibition. After all, Mercedes-Benz “Racing Revolutions” are the brand’s racing cars with a string of victories to their name. And these successes were not just down to the drivers’ skill but essentially also fruit of the engineers’ tireless determination to come up with new solutions for the racing cars. Such developments have consistently been those “quantum leaps that shaped motor sport”, as echoed in the 2011 festival theme.
This year Goodwood will be host to legendary racing cars that are all set to tackle the hillclimb circuit. The line-up includes the W 165 Silver Arrow designed specifically for the Tripoli Grand Prix in 1939, the 300 SL (W 194) racing sports car from 1952 (claimed victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours) and the 190 2.5 16V EVO II touring car used in the DTM from 1990. The current Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, which will line up on the starting grid in the FIA GT3 Championship, will represent contemporary high-performance cars.
In keeping with the Festival’s tradition, high-profile racing drivers such as Sir John Surtees, Paul Stewart, Klaus Ludwig and Bernd Schneider will take the cars around the hillclimb circuit.
The “125! years inventor of the automobile” exhibition starts with the foundation of automotive history – the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886. Among the exhilarating engineering and style icons also on show in the exhibition will be the Mercedes Simplex 40 hp from 1902, a Mercedes-Benz 500 K Cabriolet B (W 29) from 1936, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupé (W 198), a Mercedes-Benz 250 SE Cabriolet (W 111), a Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Roadster (W 113) from the 1960s, a Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 (W 116) launched in 1975 and the very latest Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé (C 197).
From art to the top flight of motorsport
The Festival of Speed, which was inaugurated in1993, was the brainchild of Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara. The dedicated motorsport fan and Goodwood host bears the title Lord March. His grandfather, the former Earl of March and 9th Duke of Richmond, laid the foundation for the Festival. He was well-known in England as the car designer, engineer and racing driver Freddie March. In 1936 he organised the very first private hillclimb circuit in Goodwood Park. His grandson would rekindle this tradition more than 50 years later.
The Festival has developed from the inaugural event in 1993 into one of the unmissable highlights in the international cultural calendar for automotive fans. Racing and sports cars from across the ages play the symphonies of speed on the circuits for three whole days. Even the top flight of motorsport is represented: at least nine of this season’s Formula One teams are scheduled to participate in Goodwood in 2011, including Mercedes GP and McLaren-Mercedes. A 2.5-kilometre-long rally course was added in 2007 to supplement the hillclimb course.
Leisurely afternoon stroll and automotive fascination
The Festival of Speed is just as much an exhilarating motorsport event as it is an opportunity to stroll along in style and lap up some automotive culture: from the pits, open to all visitors, through vehicle exhibitions in the park grounds, to the automotive works of art created every year by British sculptor Gerry Judah. His temporary sculptures, which are located right in front of Goodwood House, always centre around a single brand and its particular vehicles. In 2001 the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was the subject of the work of art at the then Festival of Speed.
The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the Portland Art Museum is showcasing 16 of the world’s most luxurious, rare, and brilliantly conceived automobiles designed between 1930 and the mid-1960s. From the avant garde 1937 Hispano-Suiza owned by French apéritif baron André Dubonnet to the ultra-cool convertible 1957 Jaguar XK-SS Roadster once owned by Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, to one of our personal favorites, the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. The exhibition traces the evolution of the motorcar, showcasing developments in automotive design and engineering. The exhibit will run from June 11 through September 11 of 2011.
The Portland Art Museum Allure of the Automobile exhibit is has on display one of the three 300 SLR sports racing cars ever built. Chosen to represent and examine the golden age of automotive design and the world’s finest cars, the 300 SLR is one of 15 other significantly recognized automobiles including a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster. The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR is acknowledged as one of the most beautiful and well-known sports racing cars. Stirling Moss demonstrated the astonishing abilities of the 300 SLR, after winning the 1955 Mille Miglia in Italy. The eight-cylinder Grand Prix engine, combined with a body construction of sheet magnesium, formed the lightweight, high-speed race car.
The arrival of the 300 SLR is courtesy of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. The classic car collection consists of around 856 vehicles and archived material that collectively preserve 125 years of Mercedes-Benz history and automotive design. The Mercedes-Benz Classic Museum displays 160 of the vehicles in the collection, storing the remaining vehicles in various buildings across Stuttgart. Since 2006, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, California closely partners with
Germany’s Classic Center and Museum to provide US owners, enthusiasts, and collectors access to retail sales, restoration, appraisal and vehicle-search assistance on models at least twenty years old.
In addition to The Allure of the Automobile, local Mercedes-Benz car clubs and enthusiasts will show off their own vehicles on Park Avenue for a free display Saturday July 23, 2011 from 10:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M.
While being responsible for the production of historical vehicles like the 300 SLR, Mercedes-Benz continues its legacy for over a century. This year marks the brand’s 125 year anniversary for its 1886 patent of the three-wheel, Benz Patent-Motorwagen and Mercedes-Benz ongoing commitment to future innovation and fascinating design.
Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster
The Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster is recognized for its presence, panache, and power on the road. The twenty-six 540 K Special Roadsters, among the total of 419 540 K’s produced from 1936-1939, were designed to be the most dominant on the road and built to the highest standards at Mercedes-Benz in-house coachworks Mercedes-Benz Karosserie in Sindelfingen.
Advanced for its era, the 540 K’s front suspension consists of independent, unequal-length wishbones and coil springs; the rear end features an independent, coil-sprung swing axle. The transmission includes a semi-automatic four-speed (functioning automatically on the top two gears). The 5.4 liter engine producing 180 hp includes a crankshaft driven Roots-type supercharger adding 65 hp when the throttle is fully depressed. The lighter Special Roadster was built to reach a top speed 105 mph despite a considerable 5,500 lb. curb weight and seventeen-foot length. The 540 K was engineered by Gustav Rohr, who also worked on Mercedes-Benz’s Grand Prix racecars.
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR
The Mercedes-Benz 300SLR resembles the iconic 300SL in terms of its looks, but underneath its racing sports car bodywork, it boasts state of the art FormulaOne engineering known from the legendary W 196 R Grand Prix race car from the 1950s.
Developed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, Chief Engineer and Technical Director of the Daimler-
Benz Motorsport Department, the 300 SLR racing sports car features a three liter, eight cylinder engine canted at a 53 degree angle to make a particularly low engine hood possible. The 300SLR lightweight space frame, similar in concept to that of the 300SL, carried an aerodynamically optimized bodywork made of a light magnesium alloy.
While the configuration of the 300 SLR’s racing sports car engine – two engine blocks, each with four cylinders, a shared crankcase and centrally arranged output shaft – was reminiscent of the Grand Prix race car’s engine, the new engine had been cast out of aluminum alloy for the first time. The engine also featured desmodromic valve actuation and fuel injection, which was still very much a novelty at the time.
The front suspension of the racing sports car consisted of double wishbones connected to horizontally mounted torsion bar springs and telescopic shock absorbers. The negative-camber rear wheels were mounted to a single-joint swing axle. Inboard drum brakes were used to decelerate. The racing sports car had a top speed of well over 300km/h, engine output up to 310 hp and a weight of roughly 830kilograms.
In the year of the 125th anniversary of the automobile, an important gap has now been closed in the life story of Carl Benz, and therefore also in the corporate history of Daimler AG. The latest historical research suggests that the inventor of the automobile was born in a guesthouse at Rheinstrasse 22 in the Mühlburg district of Karlsruhe. The place of his birth had remained previously unknown. However, the house no longer exists, having been knocked down in the 1950s to allow for the widening of Rheinstrasse. The site is today occupied by a department store with adjoining car park. It is planned to erect a small memorial to the inventor in the direct vicinity of the site.
Carl Benz was born on 25 November 1844. His birth was recorded in the church register under the Germanised surname of his mother, Josephine Vaillant: Carl Friedrich Michael Wailand. It was not until one year later, on 16 November 1845, that Carl’s mother married his presumed father, Johann Georg Benz, in the Catholic parish church of St. Stephan. His mother worked as a maid in Karlsruhe from 1833 up until two months before the birth of her son.
This latest evidence is the result of exhaustive new research conducted by the municipality of Karlsruhe, which involved a search of the relevant church registers by the historian Dr Peter Pretsch , director of the local municipal museum at the Municipal Archive and Historical Museums section. Piece by piece, the names of the godfathers revealed a chain of clues: Karl Axtmann, a master shoemaker, and Michael Kramer, a “burgher, innkeeper and brewer”. Axtmann was a relative, because Carl Benz’s paternal great-grandmother was called Axtmann. It is assumed that Axtmann was instrumental in obtaining accommodation for the heavily pregnant Josephine Vaillant at the guesthouse owned by Michael Kramer at Rheinstrasse 22. As home births were the norm in those days, it is reasonable to conclude that this was the place where Carl Benz was born. Kramer’s guesthouse was later given the name “Stadt Karlsruhe”.
After their wedding, Josephine and Johann Georg Benz moved with their child to Erbprinzenstrasse 13 in Karlsruhe – another finding to emerge from the latest research, discovered in this case with reference to the 1846 street register. Benz was an engine driver with Baden Railways. Being required to perform his work in the open cabs of the steam locomotives of those days, he contracted pneumonia, from which he died in the summer of 1846 – not quite two years after the birth of his son. Thereafter, his widow provided board and lodging in Karlsruhe to students from the polytechnic school in order to finance her son’s studies.
Carl Benz first attended the scientific grammar school in Karlsruhe. Aged 15, he passed the entrance examination for the polytechnic school on 30 September 1860. Four years later, on 9 July 1864, he successfully completed his studies, after which he began work as a mechanic. Having moved to Mannheim in connection with his work, he married Bertha Ringer on 20 July 1872. In 1885 h e built his first petrol-engined automobile, a three‑wheeler, for which he filed a patent application on 29 January 1886 (German Imperial Patent No. 37.435). The patent specification may be considered the birth certificate of the automobile. Carl Benz died on 4 April 1929 in Ladenburg. Consequently, he lived long enough to witness the triumph of his invention – in contrast to Gottlieb Daimler, who died as early as 1900.
Steering, changing gear, pushing buttons – Nico and Michael had to make over 200 inputs per lap during the Monaco Grand Prix while negotiating their way through the narrow streets of the principality. But what did a Silver Arrow cockpit look like in the early years of the Formula One World Championship?
Back in 1955, as many as four Mercedes-Benz drivers took the wheel of the Mercedes W 196 for the Monaco Grand Prix. Alongside Juan Manuel Fangio were André Simon, Hans Herrmann and Stirling Moss. Fangio was the fastest man on the street circuit, taking pole position and setting the fastest lap of the race.
While today’s Formula One driver sits virtually horizontal in his Silver Arrow, his 1950s counterpart would have sat upright behind the wheel, pretty much as if on the living room sofa. His legs were spread wide to reach the pedals positioned on the far left (clutch) and far right (accelerator, brake) of the substantial transmission tunnel. The seat consisted of various upholstered elements which could be individually tailored to each driver – not quite the moulded carbon bucket they get now!
Initially, the fabric came in a blue, yellow and orange check pattern, but over the years, this gave way to green and red checks. Incidentally, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS revived the traditional check pattern for the 2010 team presentation in Stuttgart. Likewise the name – the ‘W’ in MGP W01 and MGP W02 stands for ‘Wagen’ (the German word for ‘car’) just as with previous Silver Arrows.
The W 196 had a compact steering gear with a Daimler-Benz worm-and-wheel unit. This was mounted on top of the frame. The lack of a push rod meant that the steering axis was relatively long. Steering motion was transferred in the ratio 12.65 to 1. The steering wheel had four spokes (only Stirling Moss used a three-spoke steering wheel, purpose built by Mercedes) and a wood-clad aluminium core.
The focal point of the dashboard (somewhat Spartan by modern standards) was the rev counter, where the red zone began at 8,750 revs. Apart from that, there were only two or three analogue displays to update the driver on the temperatures of the main systems – that was basically it. The W 196 had none of the 32 individual functions incorporated into the steering wheel of a modern MGP W02.
You would also look in vain for KERS, DRS and an adjustable differential in the W 196, but there were still some very clever systems: in those days, the driver could manually adjust his suspension halfway through the race to improve ride and handling. To do this, he would reduce oil pressure in the shock absorbers, thereby reducing the harshness of the ride as well as readjusting the wheel camber. This helped to keep the handling consistent as the fuel load became lighter.
Source: MERCEDES GP PETRONAS
Mercedes-Benz Classic will have three of the legendary compressor cars lined up on the starting grid at the 2011 Mille Miglia. Two Mercedes-Benz cars – an SS model and an SSK model – will commemorate Rudolf Caracciola’s fabled victory in April 1931 at this year’s exclusive event, which takes place from 11 to 15 May 2011. Back in 1931, with an average speed of 101.1 km/h, the Mercedes-Benz driver along with his co-driver Wilhelm Sebastian was the first non-Italian driver to win the Mille Miglia.
In the year which would have seen the 100th birthday of Juan Manuel Fangio, who died in 1995, his nephew – who bears the same name – will participate along with Mika Häkkinen in the Mille Miglia for the Mercedes-Benz works team in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. Driving an identical car with the starting number 658, Juan Manuel Fangio took second place in the 1955 Mille Miglia.
Juan Manuel Fangio II, as he is usually known, was born in 1956 and was a professional racing driver like his famous uncle. He achieved his main successes in the 1980s and 1990s, when he won two championship and two manufacturer titles in the North American IMSA GT series. He is also a two-times winner of the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring race.
And to mark the 125th anniversary of the motor car, we will also be exhibiting two vehicles that span that period from 1886 to 2011 in the centre of Brescia: a replica of the motor car patented by Carl Benz as well as the Mercedes-Benz F 800 research vehicle.
Once again, Mercedes-Benz is sponsoring the revival of this distinguished Italian road race. In the Mille Miglia 2011, the works team will be fielding the SS and SSK as well as a 300 SLR racing car (W 196 S), recalling Mercedes-Benz’s second great triumph in this, the most famous 1,000-mile race. Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson won the 1955 Mille Miglia in a 300 SLR, setting the fastest ever time.
Racing drivers and eminent guests will be in the cars of the Mercedes-Benz team. In 2011, the 300 SLR racing car from 1955 will be driven by two-times Formula 1 world champion Mika Häkkinen and Juan Manuel Fangio II, who is involved in motor sports just like his famous racing-driver uncle, who won the world championship for Mercedes-Benz in 1954 and 1955. Former Formula 1 driver Jochen Mass and 15-times motorcycling world champion Giacomo Agostini will be behind the wheel of an SS. Racing drivers Bernd Mayländer and Roland Asch will take part in an SLS AMG. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has close ties with motor sport, for example it is the official F1™ safety car and ensures maximum safety in dangerous race situations. Five-times German Touring Car (DTM) champion Bernd Schneider will be driving a 300 SL (W 198), as is the racing driver Klaus Ludwig.
Another racing car lining up at the start will be a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194 model series) from 1952 – the car in which Rudolf Caracciola took fourth place in the 1952 Mille Miglia, the last time that he competed in the event. Finally, the brand team will also be represented by eleven Mercedes-Benz 300 SL cars (W 198 model series) with their famous gullwing doors, as well as a 220 model (W 180) and a 180 D model (W 120). A total of 18 cars will be starting for Mercedes-Benz. Cars of all the model types mentioned took part in the Mille Miglia between 1927 and 1957 – the prerequisite for all cars participating in the revival, which was first held in 1977.
Motor Klassik magazine is offering a remarkable opportunity in 2011: it is holding a draw to select one lucky reader to be the co-driver of a black Mercedes-Benz 300 SL with starting number 417 in the 2011 Mille Miglia. John Fitch and his co-driver Kurt Gessl drove this sports car model to victory in the GT category in 1955, coming fifth in the overall standings.
The opening and preparation day will take place on 11 May 2011 in Brescia. This year’s Mille Miglia race, for which 375 cars have registered, will start at 7 p.m. on 12 May 2011 in Viale Venezia, with the cars setting off at intervals. From Brescia, the route heads through Sirmione and Ferrara to Bologna, where the first leg ends. The cars will arrive there from 0:30 a.m. On 13 May 2011, the cars will leave Bologna from 8 a.m., travelling via Gambettola, San Marino, Sansepolcro, Spoleto, Terminillo and Rieti to Rome. The high-speed cavalcade will arrive in the Italian capital from 8:30 p.m., heading for the Castel Sant’Angelo near the Vatican.
The third and final leg begins at 6:30 a.m. on 14 May 2011 in Rome, with the route leading through Vallelunga, Viterbo, Radicofani and Pienza before reaching Sienna and Florence. A highlight en route will be the two passes, Passo della Futa and Passo della Raticosa, from where the cars will head to Bologna, Modena, Maranello, Reggio Emilia, Parma and Cremona before crossing the finish line back in Brescia. At 10:55 p.m. the first participants are expected to return to Viale Venezia, where all the vehicles will again be presented to the public. The awards ceremony on 15 May will mark the end of the 2011 Mille Miglia.
Rudolf Caracciola Bio:
Rudolf Caracciola was born in Remagen, Germany, on 30 January 1901. Both his parents were enthusiastic about motor sports and, at the age of 15, he obtained special permission to take his driving test. He started his over 30-year racing career as a motorcyclist. Aged 21, he won the ‘Round Cologne’ race in 1922, as a result of which car manufacturer Fafnir entered him in the Avus Race in Berlin. Having finished a respectable fourth and quickly going on to win at Berlin’s Grunewald stadium in an Ego compact car, Caracciola applied to Daimler-Benz AG – starting his racing driver career in the era of compressor cars. In 1923, he raced for the first time as a works driver in a Mercedes 1.5-litre racing car in Baden-Baden and went on to take eleven more first places that year. He achieved an impressive level of success over the years, notching up victory after victory. There was hardly a race that he didn’t win. His ability to drive quickly and safely even in bad weather resulted in admiration among his fellow racing drivers and earned him the nickname ‘rain master’.
The course of history meant that Caracciola drove during three different racing eras during his more than 30-year career. Before the Second World War, he first dominated the era of compressor cars with their sheer power and then took a succession of victories in cars with a much more sophisticated construction. These ‘Silver Arrows’ increasingly evolved into finely integrated single systems. Caracciola put on a virtuoso performance in both types: He secured countless victories in the K, S, SS, SSK and SSKL racing cars, including taking the title in the European Hill Climb Championship in 1930 and 1931. Between 1934 and 1939, in the Mercedes-Benz racing cars known as ‘Silver Arrows’, he came first in 16 Grand Prix races and, in 1935, 1937 and 1938, won the European championship – the equivalent of the Formula 1 world championship today. Caracciola also set numerous records. Particularly spectacular was his record-breaking drive in January 1938, when he reached 432.7 km/h on the motorway between Frankfurt am Main and Darmstadt – the fastest speed ever achieved on a public road to the present day.
After the war, it appeared that he would emulate his past successes, for example when he came fourth in the 1952 Mille Miglia. But an accident ended his racing career permanently. At the Berne Grand Prix in 1952, the left rear wheel of his Mercedes-Benz 300 SL locked up on the 13th lap and he skidded into a tree. He shattered his left leg and was reliant on a wheelchair and crutches for a long time. From 1956 he worked in a representative capacity for Daimler-Benz and was in charge of Mercedes-Benz vehicle sales to the families of US and British troops stationed in Europe. On 28 September 1959, Rudolf Caracciola died in Kassel at the age of 58.
Mercedes-Benz is introducing an exceptional range of products to mark the 125th birthday of the motor car. Highlights include specially created, top-class models of legendary vehicles produced by the Stuttgart-based premium brand. Other unusual, high-quality accessories are also designed to reflect the 125 year history of the inventor of the motor car.
Join Mercedes-Benz in exploring the fascinating story of the motor vehicle. To mark the anniversary Mercedes-Benz is introducing a selection of miniature models commemorating milestones in the company’s history. Scale 1:43 – the scale preferred by collectors – allows precise replication of the fine details which shape the look and character of the vehicles.
These remarkable models include the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886. This finely wrought three-wheeler can proudly claim to be the first motor car in history and to have paved the way for individual mobility. No less famous is the Mercedes Simplex 40 hp from 1902, a vehicle which already featured the essential components of a modern car and, thanks to simple controls, did not require any specialist knowledge on the part of its driver. Naturally the 125! years of innovation selection also includes design icons such as the Mercedes-Benz 500 K Special Roadster from 1936, with its boldly curved wings, and the 300 SL Gullwing Coupé from 1955, a model which is still admired around the world today. Other stylistic milestones include the elegant 1972 S-Class and the contemporary Mercedes-Benz CLS.
The exceptional models are all available in a limited edition of 1,250, making them set to become sought-after rarities. The miniatures are supplied in special box packaging, along with a booklet on the history of the vehicle and a metal badge featuring a serial number. The price: EUR 49.90*.
Alongside the fascinating car models, the Mercedes-Benz 125! years of innovation selection includes other products which stylishly mark the 125 year anniversary. These include a polo shirt, a cap, a silver-plated key ring and a mug in exclusive Ritzenhoff design. Recurring features include a black, white and silver colour scheme and the “125! years of innovation” lettering. The vehicle silhouettes depicted on the products – the Patent Motor Car, the 300 SL and the CLS – tell the history of the motor car and represent a combination of tradition and innovation.
“The ultimate driving experience”, proclaimed the brochure on the first automatic transmission developed in-house by Mercedes-Benz back in 1961. Several years of intensive development work went into the four-speed automatic clutch which was premiered in April 1961 as an optional extra for the 220 SEb model of the 111 series. The automatic transmission even featured as standard in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SE which was presented in August 1961. This opened a special chapter in the brand’s success story running throug 125 years of the automobile.
Mercedes-Benz decided to build its own automatic transmission in keeping with the company’s commitment to maintaining its innovative strength – a constant factor throughout the brand’s history: as the automatically shifting transmission has a decisive influence on the character of an automobile, the development engineer striving for the best can only be content with a solution tailored precisely to the brand’s own vehicles.
Instead of a torque converter the new transmission had a hydraulic start-up clutch, which offered the advantage of reduced power loss. The secondary four-speed planetary gear system comprised two planetary sets, three multi-disc clutches and three band brakes.
Automatic gear-shifting in the history of Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz had already produced vehicles with partially automated gear shifting prior to this development. The model 770 (model series W 07), which went down in automotive history as the “Grand Mercedes”, featured semi-automatic vacuum-power shifting for the overdrive gear, for example. This function of the Maybach overdrive transmission was controlled via a lever on the steering wheel.
And while the Mercedes-Benz engineers were already at work on the company’s first automatic transmission, the “Hydrak” hydraulic automatic clutch was presented in the summer of 1957. The new automatic clutch was initially available as an optional extra for the 220 S and 219 models. The system comprised a hydraulic start-up clutch, a conventional single-plate dry clutch for engagement and disengagement during gear-shifting and a freewheel to bypass the hydraulic clutch.
Genuine automatic transmissions also emerged at this time, initially produced by external suppliers. From the autumn of 1955, Mercedes-Benz offered the model 300 c with a three-speed converter transmission from Borg-Warner, for example.
1961: the first automatic transmission from the inventor of the automobile
Mercedes-Benz introduced its first automatic transmission to be developed in-house on the model 220 SEb in April 1961. The automatic transmission came as an optional extra for this model, while featuring as standard on the model 300 SE of model series 112 which was presented in August 1961.
Further Mercedes-Benz models subsequently benefited from this refined, convenient and efficient transmission of the available engine power. From August 1962 the four-speed automatic transmission was available for the 220 and 220 S models subject to an additional charge of DM 1400, for example.
The four-speed automatic transmission was also optionally available for the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL Roadster (W 113) as of 1963 – a first among the sports cars from Mercedes-Benz. Finally, the prestigious Mercedes-Benz 600 limousine was available exclusively with the automatic transmission as of 1964.
75 years after Carl Benz invented the automobile, the launch of the automatic transmission marked a further milestone in the brand’s history and the starting point for an outstanding series of innovations. The engineering and technology relating to automatic gear-changing has been subject to ongoing development at Mercedes-Benz since 1961.
The automatic transmissions have been built at the Hedelfingen factory since November 1961. The 100,000th automatic transmission for passenger cars from Mercedes-Benz was produced here in 1966, the output subsequently topping 500,000 by 1971 and one million in 1975. This development provides a clear illustration of the automatic transmission’s success. The registration figures reveal a similar picture: by 1964, just three years after the automatic transmission from Mercedes-Benz was unveiled, 14.5 percent of all passenger cars delivered by the brand were fitted with this type of transmission, the figure even rising to over 20 percent when the petrol engines are considered on their own. This share rose continually, until automatic and transmissions each accounted for around 50 percent of delivered cars in the mid-1980s.
The future of the automatic transmission
A new automatic transmission from Mercedes-Benz was premiered in the S-Class saloons of the 116 model series in August 1972. It was designed as a converter transmission, rather than an automatic clutch. The transmission with hydraulic torque converter was initially offered as an optional extra. The 450 SE and 450 SEL models which were available as of 1973 featured this automatic transmission as standard.
The Roadster and Coupé models of the 107 SL series and mid-range models of the 114 and 115 model series (“Stroke/8”) were also available with the converter transmission. The high-powered models with V8 engines were initially fitted with a three-speed transmission, while other engine variants were combined with a four-speed automatic transmission. As of 1980, four-speed transmissions were standard for all passenger cars from
Mercedes-Benz which were delivered with automatic transmissions.
The automatic transmission was always a key focus of engineers’ and developers’ efforts to make automobiles from Mercedes-Benz yet more comfortable, sporty and economical. An important step in this process was the development of five-speed automatic transmissions, for example, which were premiered in October 1990 as optional extras for the 300 E-24 model, the 300 E-24 Estate, the 300 CE-24 Coupé (all belonging to model series 124) and the 300 SL-24 (R 129).
The NAG automatic transmission set new standards when it was presented in 1995. This five-speed automatic transmission from Mercedes-Benz with electronic control and torque converter lock-up clutch offered unprecedentedly smooth and easy gear shifting. The light and comparatively compact transmission was initially introduced for the models fitted with V8 and V12 engines. From the summer of 1996 it became available for numerous classes of vehicle from the comprehensive passenger car programme.
Among the exceptions was the A-Class: the compact rear end and the special arrangement of the drive unit necessitated the development of special transmissions for the A-Class. The front automatic transmission was duly introduced as an optional extra for the A-Class (W 168) as of the summer of 1998. This transmission offered five speeds, had an electronic control system and was the shortest and lightest five-speed automatic transmission in the world, measuring 315 millimetres in length and weighing in at 68 kilogrammes.
As an alternative for the A-Class, Mercedes-Benz offered the ACS automatic clutch system, which operated along the same lines as the Hydrak from 1957: when the driver took his foot off the accelerator and moved the shift lever, the system identified the wish for a gear change and opened the clutch by means of an electric motor.
In the next generation of the A-Class (model series 169) and in the B-Class (T 245) the front automatic transmission was replaced by a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) which performed gear shifting unnoticeably.
In 2003 Mercedes-Benz presented the world’s first standard production seven-speed automatic transmission for passenger cars, the 7G-TRONIC. It was initially introduced as a standard feature for the E 500 (W 211), S 430 and S 500 (W 220), CL 500 (C 215) und SL 500 (R 230) models, replacing the previous five-speed automatic transmission.
In addition to reducing fuel consumption substantially, this transmission also performed faster, smoother and easier gear-shifting than previous automatic transmissions. This innovation highlighted the Stuttgart-based automobile brand’s technology leadership once again.
The 7G-TRONIC, designed for high continuous torque of 700 Newton metres, represents the fifth generation of automatic transmissions from the Mercedes-Benz brand. The popularity of the automatic transmission developed in tandem with its technical evolution. By 2004, the automatic transmission was standard for the S-Class, while around 88 percent of E-Class customers ordered their vehicles with an automatic transmission and the corresponding share for the C-Class stood at around 65 percent – with the underlying trend remaining upward.
Another seven-speed option was the innovative AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission which was jointly developed by engineers of the high-performance AMG brand and Mercedes-Benz. It was premiered in the SL 63 AMG (R 230), which was launched in April 2008. This transmission employed a compact, wet start-up clutch instead of the conventional torque converter. In conjunction with the double-declutching and RACE START functions, the resultant direct connection to the powertrain gave rise to an extremely emotional and highly dynamic driving experience. The abbreviation “MCT” stands for multi-clutch technology and alludes to the fact that gear-shifting is performed exclusively by clutch elements. This high-tech transmission was designed for high torque values and maximum engine speeds of up to 7200 rpm. Its extremely light weight of 80 kilogrammes was made possible by the use of the lightweight material magnesium, among other measures.
In 2010 Mercedes-Benz presented the 7G-TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic transmission in the new generation of the CL-Class (model series 216). This transmission operates even more smoothly, quickly and economically than the first generation of the 7G-TRONIC. Its efficiency has been optimised by measures such as an engine connection offering a further reduction in converter slip and markedly diminished gear friction losses. The various innovations enable engine speeds to be lowered when the vehicle is in ECO mode, making a crucial contribution to reduced fuel consumption.
A particularly innovative development is the automatic transmission in the F 800 Style research vehicle which was presented in 2010: in the hybrid version of the technology flagship, the Mercedes-Benz engineers have integrated the entire high-torque hybrid module rated at around 80 kW (109 hp) into the housing of the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission. With solutions of this ilk, Mercedes-Benz is boldly moving forward the brand’s long traditions of technical expertise in the field of automatic gear-shifting.
Following the Mercedes-Benz works team’s retirement from Formula 1 and the sports car world championship at the end of the 1955 season, the rallies claimed fans’ full attention as of 1956. The Mercedes vehicles competing on race courses all over the world were fielded for the most part by private teams. While the racing and racing sports cars of previous years had performed superlatively as elite fine-tuned high-end vehicles, the near-series passenger cars now demonstrated their solid credentials in the nitty-gritty of rally racing. Karl Kling was responsible for rally activities as sports director at Mercedes-Benz. In the wake of Alfred Neubauer’s retirement, the ex-racing driver thus assumed a degree of responsibility for upholding the race manager’s legend.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s it was first and foremost the 300 SL sports car and the six-cylinder 220 SE and 300 SE saloons that caught people’s imagination on the roads and gravel tracks all over the world. The team comprising Walter Schock and Rolf Moll was among the contenders who made their mark in these years. The duo, who raced for the Motorsportclub Stuttgart, received comprehensive support from Mercedes-Benz in the form of vehicles and service. Walter Schock competed in the Monte Carlo Rally in the Mercedes-Benz 220 “Pontoon” on 15 January 1956, crossing the finishing line on 23 January just 1.1 seconds behind the winner.
A month later, the Stuttgart duo took part in the Rally del Sestrière in Italy at the wheel of the “gull-winged” 300 SL. In the mountains, the high-performance sports car left the other vehicles in its wake. Schock recalled the Coupé’s outstanding capabilities in the winter rally conditions: “Really fine snow chains on all four wheels allowed us to reach uphill speeds of up to 180 km/h.” The team finished the race as winners on 28 February. Further triumphs ensued in the shape of an overall win in the Acropolis Rally (26 to 29 April 1956) and class victories in the Wiesbaden Rally (21 to 24 June 1956) and the Rally Adriatique (26 to 30 September). Schock also won his class in the Eifel Race and took 2nd place in the fringe race at the Nurburgring Grand Prix meeting. On the back of this performance he became the European touring car champion in 1956 and German champion in the GT class above 2000 cc.
1959: sports director Kling’s sporadic stints at the wheel
The sports director was also wont to take to the wheel once in a while, putting in sporadic stints as a Mercedes-Benz works driver. Karl Kling achieved an unusual victory in 1959 with Rainer Günzler in the 14,000 kilometre Rally Mediterranée-Le Cap running from the Mediterranean to South Africa: the Stuttgart team embarked on this rally in a Mercedes-Benz 190D, cruising to victory on its diesel power. 1961 saw Kling speeding through Africa at the wheel of a saloon once again. This time he opted for a “fin-tail” Mercedes-Benz 220 SE, winning the Algiers-Lagos-Algiers Rally with Rainer Günzler as co-driver once again. Kling was also on the scene as race manager when works teams competed in selected major races at the wheels of Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Schock and Moll claimed the European rally championship once again in 1960, in their 220 SE. Their winning ways got off to a bright start at the legendary Monte Carlo Rally. The first final win by a German team in this competition was part of a triple success for Mercedes-Benz, with driver teams Eugen Böhringer/Hermann Socher and Eberhard Mahle/Roland Ott taking 2nd and 3rd places. Following this triumph in 1960, the sports press called on Mercedes-Benz to return to the world’s racing circuits with works vehicles on a permanent basis. But sports director Kling was clear in his words, saying “This success will encourage us to carry on putting great effort into rallies. But Mercedes does not intend to return to motor racing.”
In the 1960s, Mercedes-Benz teams took part in the “Gran Premio Argentina” road race on several occasions. On 26 October 1961, Walter Schock competed in this very special rally, which was contested by a total of 207 drivers. A tough race was in store for the participants on a route covering 4600 kilometres and taking in a difference in altitude of around 3000 metres. The hard slog ended on 5 November with a double victory for Mercedes-Benz. Walter Schock and Rolf Moll were the first to pass the finishing line, followed by Hans Herrmann and Rainer Günzler. “That must be the toughest race I’ve ever competed in,” said rally champion Schock on his return from South Africa. The Mercedes-backed teams received personal support from Juan Manuel Fangio together with race manager Karl Kling. As this competition was very important for the American market, Mercedes-Benz continued its involvement in the coming years, too: 1962 saw a sensational win by the ladies’ team comprising Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth, while Eugen Böhringer sped to victory in 1963 and 1964, crossing the finishing line with two other Mercedes-Benz cars directly behind him in each case.
Böhringer, who drove Mercedes-Benz cars in rallies as of 1957, won the European rally championship in 1962 at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE. With his co-drivers Peter Lang and Hermann Eger, Böhringer notched up points in various races throughout this season, including the Monte Carlo Rally (2nd place), the Tulip Rally (7th place) the Acropolis Rally (1st place), the Midnight Sun Rally (5th Place), the Polish Rally (1st place), the Liège-Sophia-Liège Rally (1st place) and the German Rally (2nd place).
A highlight of the year was the victory in the legendary Liège-Sophia-Liège road race in the Mercedes-Benz 220 SE. The Stuttgart-based driver was also victorious when this marathon across Europe came around again in 1963. This time, the destination was Bulgaria rather than Rome, and the winning vehicle was a Mercedes-Benz 230 SL “Pagoda”. This was the first time ever that a driver had achieved two successive victories in this gruelling rally.
Mercedes-Benz was also successful in North America: the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLS was designed especially for the American sports car championship in 1957. It was based on the series-production 300 SL Roadster sports car, with a 900 kilogramme reduction in weight and engine power boosted from 215 hp (158 kW) to 235 hp (173 kW) to turn it into a highly competitive vehicle once again. The SLS provided Paul O’Shea with his third title in succession, following two wins in the “gull-winged” 300 SL in 1955 and 1956.
The powerful eight-cylinder 300 SEL 6.3 saloon only saw works team action in one race, winning the six-hour touring car race in Macao in 1969 with Erich Waxenberger at the wheel. The oil crisis at the beginning of the 1970s put an end to this saloon’s motorsport career. Automobile historian Karl Eric Ludvigsen emphasizes the importance of this break in Mercedes-Benz’s motor racing history: “The oil crisis resulted in the first interruption to Daimler-Benz’s long tradition triggered by external events. The company’s racing traditions began around the turn of the century, with the only hiatus – apart from the war years – occurring in 1955; every year, there was always one or more Benz, Mercedes or Mercedes-Benz cars in at least one key race, with either direct or indirect support from the works.”
Private drivers continued Mercedes-Benz’s racing traditions, however. Increasingly, their vehicles came to be prepared for competitive use by AMG – a company founded in Burgstall near Stuttgart by former Daimler-Benz employees Hans-Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher in 1967 as an “engineering firm pursuing the design, testing and development of racing engines”. The leading products in the company’s early years included the refined version of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL with a 6.8-litre engine, which claimed a class victory and took 2nd place overall in the 24h Spa Francorchamps race. The independent tuning firm made a name for itself preparing vehicles for racing competitions over many years, before it was taken over in its entirety by the then DaimlerChrysler AG.
On April 23, 1911 in Datona Beach Florida, Bob Burman set the world speed record in a Benz 200 hp. The record attempt occured over a mile with flying start allowing the Blitzen-Benz to reach the world record speed of 228.1 km/h (141.7 mph) and and equaly impressive 226.7 km/h (140.8 mph) with only a kilometer flying start.
The “Blitzen-Benz”, as the record-breaking car was called in the USA, finally proved in Daytona that it was the fastest car in the world: Burman drove the Benz 200 hp at a speed which was twice as fast as that of the aircraft of the time. The rail vehicle record of 210 km/h, set in 1903, was also overtaken: thanks to the Benz 200 hp, the motor car succeeded in superseding the railway as the fastest mode of transport. And the white record-breaking car – now decorated in America with a German Imperial Eagle as its logo – was so fast that no-one was able to challenge its position. Burman’s world record with the “Blitzen-Benz” was to remain unbeaten by any other vehicle for a period of eight years. It was not until 12 February 1919 that Ralph de Palma was able to set a new world record, reaching a speed of 241.2 km/h (149.875 mph) over the mile with flying start in his Packard at Daytona Beach.
The record-breaking car driven by Burman in 1911 made for highly effective publicity in North America, despite the fact that it could actually be viewed as the automotive antithesis to the stipulation put forward by company founder Carl Benz for a sensible vehicle capable of travelling at a maximum speed of 50 km/h. Indeed, it was precisely the successes of this car, initially baptised by American events manager Ernie Moross as the “Lightning Benz” – a name subsequently Germanised into the “Blitzen-Benz” – which at the start of the 20th century helped to reinforce the Mannheim-based brand even more firmly in the consciousness of a public which was now fascinated by motor sport.
The initial records of the Benz 200 hp were set in Europe: on 8 November 1909, Victor Héméry succeeded in breaking through the 200 km/h barrier not only for the first time in Europe, but also for the first time in a car with an internal combustion engine. At what was then the high-speed circuit of Brooklands in England, he achieved a speed on 202.648 km/h over the kilometre with flying start, and even attained 205.7 km/h for the half mile (804.65 metres) with flying start. However, the European race circuits were just not big enough to enable the record-breaking Benz 200 hp to demonstrate its full potential. This is why it was not until attempts were made at Daytona Beach that it came down to Bob Burman to achieve the goal of the absolute record for land vehicles of 228.1 km/h.
The car driven by Bob Burman was just one of a total of six examples of the Benz 200 hp which were actually built. Development of the vehicle started in 1909 at Benz & Cie. in Mannheim, under the guidance of Victor Héméry. Powered by an engine with a displacement of 21.5 litres, the powerful 147-kW (200-hp) car was based on the 150-hp Benz Grand Prix car. The four-cylinder in-line engine is still the engine with the largest displacement ever to be used in a racing car or record-breaking car by Mercedes-Benz and its preceding brands. The engine’s power was transferred to the rear axle by a four-speed manual transmission via an idler shaft and chain. In design terms, the car harked back to the successful Benz Grand Prix cars of 1908.
The competition car used in Daytona was sold to Stoughton Fletcher in 1913. He hired Bob Burman to rebuild the car during the course of 1914, and then sold “Blitzen-Benz” to Harry Harkness in 1915. On 2 November 1915, the significantly rebuilt vehicle re-emerged as the “Burman Special” to line up on the starting line in a race against Ralph de Palma’s Sunbeam at Sheepshead Bay, New York/USA. In 1916 Burman was killed whilst at the wheel of a Peugeot, heralding the return of the “Blitzen-Benz” to England. In Easter 1922 it appeared at Brooklands, where it sported white paintwork, a modified engine cover and a new radiator. Count Louis Vorow Zborowski had taken over the reins, but was unable to pilot the “Blitzen-Benz” to any further success, and in 1923 he tore the car apart.
Yet the legend of the “Blitzen-Benz” lives on. Witnesses to this age include several examples of the model as well as two high-quality replicas which have been preserved. One of the record-breaking Benz 200 hp cars is on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
A driver from the formative years of motor racing: Bob Burman
The racing driver Robert “Bob” Burman was born on 23 April 1884 in Imlay City, Michigan. His world record run in the “Blitzen-Benz” in 1911 took place on his 27th birthday. In 1909 Burman had already won the Prest-O-Lite Trophy Race at the newly-opened Indianapolis Speedway, driving a Buick. He also lined up on the starting grid in 1911 for the premiere of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
Ernie Moross, owner of the “Blitzen-Benz”, engaged the Buick driver for the 1911 season to take over at the wheel of the record-breaking German car in place of Barney Oldfield. In addition to the record attempts at Daytona Beach on 23 April, in the same year Burman also made record attempts in Indianapolis, on 29 May.
The man who had set the absolute speed record for land vehicles regularly took part in the Indianapolis 500 up until 1915. His best result was 6th place in 1915.
A few days prior to his 32nd birthday, on 8 April 1916, Burman was involved in an accident at the Corona Road Race in Corona, California. His Peugeot lost a wheel in the 79th lap, left the track and flipped over. Unfortunately the driver died as a result of severe head injuries. In addition to Burman and his co-driver Eric Schroeder, a track marshal also lost his life in the accident.
Mercedes-Benz Classic will be featuring several highlights at this year’s Retro Classics 2011. Being that 2011 marks the 125th birthday of the motor car, the German manufacturer will display four fascinating milestone vehicles from its collection. All four of these models are representative of automobile mobility: a Benz Patent Motor Car, the world’s first automobile dating from 1886; a Mercedes-Benz 500 K special Roadster (model series W 29) dating from 1934; a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Coupé (W 111), model year 1961; and finally the latest research vehicle, the F 800 Style, which premiered in 2010.
As a trade show for classic cars and automotive culture, Retro Classics is one of the most important events of its kind. The Retro Classic event will take place for the eleventh time in southern Germany in the city of Stuttgart. Between March 11 and 13, 2011 (the preview will take place on March 10th), 1,300 exhibitors will display more than 3,000 vehicles for the public. The heart of this historic automotive exhibition arena is the 540-square-metre exhibition area used by Mercedes-Benz Classic in Hall 1, where both collection and sale cars will rub shoulders with each other.
“For Mercedes-Benz Classic it is important here in particular – in the home of the company – to have a strong presence”, explains Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. At the same time it is all about making the fascination surrounding the brand come alive.
In addition, the latest vehicle offerings will also boast a further highlight: in spring the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé (model series C 204) is celebrating its world premiere and is all set to enhance the product portfolio comprising these elegant vehicles – as a result, when it comes to the sale cars at Retro Classics, Mercedes-Benz Classic is placing the focus squarely on coupés. Three classics will therefore be on display: the Mercedes-Benz 280 SLC (model series C 107, model year 1981), the 230 CE (C 123, 1982) and the E 220 Coupé (C 124, 1993). The Mercedes-Benz Museum Shop will also be represented with a large sales stand, this year featuring the “125! years of innovation selection”.
Yet another highlight of Retro Classics will be the stand design, for which the Mercedes-Benz design division has opened up its archives to lend the vehicles on display an additional historic touch courtesy of some bonus historical items. These will include product drawings dating from the 1930’s, as well as some interpretations from the 1950’s and also images from the present day. To highlight the various eras visually, the drawings are being displayed in contemporary frames. The different types of drawings also afford a feeling of how the developers and designers viewed the vehicles of the near future at different periods in time. A monitor showing films will also provide insights into the world of Mercedes-Benz design today, while the F 800 Style show car points the way forward towards the direction in which the brand’s future design may be heading.
As an appropriate link between the present day and the birthday of the motor car, a brochure on the Benz Patent Motor Car will also be available. Forming part of the “125! years of the motor car” anniversary campaign, it shows the Patent Motor Car in a modern context and underscores the timeless design created by Carl Benz. With its fascinating text, photos and important technical details, at the same time the brochure represents a special means of communication reflecting the leadership aspirations of Mercedes-Benz.
The exhibition displays will be rounded off in a 1740-square-metre space in Hall 7, where numerous brand clubs will be exhibiting, enabling fans to indulge in their shared passion for products from the brand’s 125-year automotive history – which stretches from the inventions of Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler through to the innovations of the present day. The same also applies in particular to the 300-square-metre stand belonging to HISTORIA Mobilis, the classic car interest group founded by employees of Daimler AG in 2005.
The members’ vehicle fleet includes six Mercedes-Benz cars, among them the 190 SL (W 121), 300 SL Roadster (W 198 II), 250 SL (W 113), 450 SEL (W 116), 190 (W 201) and 190 E 2.3-16 (W 201). The company is particularly looking forward to their attendance, given that employee involvement is one of the focal points of this 125th anniversary year of the birthday of the motor car.
Mercedes-Benz landaulets in the post-war period saw a functional transformation of the landaulet, from a versatile body design for city and country motoring to a vehicle used almost solely as a parade car. This led to the landaulet design becoming an extreme rarity: during the second half of the 20th century Mercedes-Benz built only 59 landaulets based on the Mercedes-Benz 600 model (W 100), plus a few exclusive landaulets specially manufactured in the company’s workshops. Most famous of all are the Mercedes-Benz landaulets made as papal cars.
This tradition started in 1960 with a Mercedes-Benz 300 d landaulet. In fact Mercedes-Benz had already given the Vatican an official car for the pope’s use some decades before, in 1930. But in contrast to the earlier “Rome car” – a Mercedes-Benz Nürburg 460 Pullman limousine – this time the vehicle had a folding convertible top at the rear. Pope John XXIII himself had requested a landaulet body for the new automobile from Stuttgart. The meticulously handcrafted W 189 landaulet (only two of which were ever made) was based on a chassis with a wheelbase lengthened by around 45 centimeters to a total of 3.6 meters. The car was also around ten centimeters higher than the production model.
The three-liter six-cylinder in-line engine developing 160 hp/118 kW was the same as in the production version. This gave the papal car a top speed of 160 km/h, but of course it was generally driven at a much more sedate tempo on official outings. At such times, with the roof open, the rear side windows could be completely removed and placed in specially designed brackets in the trunk. The partition between front and rear seats and the front windows were electrically operated and lowered simply by pressing a button.
The locking devices for the roof mechanism were accessible from the driver’s seat, and the convertible top itself was opened and closed in a matter of seconds. Steps automatically opened out from the car floor when the rear doors were opened, making it easier for the pope to enter and alight from the vehicle. The throne-style seat for the pontiff was placed in the middle at the rear, facing in the direction of travel, with two folding seats opposite, attached to the partition, for accompanying staff. Around the papal seat, which was electrically adjustable, were the controls for air conditioning, intercom and other functions. At the presentation of the car in 1960, the pope was clearly delighted with the vehicle equipment.
Landaulet as small-run production series: Mercedes-Benz 600
The 300 d landaulet attracted considerable attention – but the most notable development in the history of this body design in the second half of the 20th century came with the Mercedes-Benz factory-built landaulet versions of the 600 model (W 100). In the book “Mercedes-Benz 600” published in 2001, author Heribert Hofer describes the landaulet from this model series as “a genuine old-style parade car, a unique automotive treasure.” And indeed, heads of state like Queen Elizabeth Elisabeth II, Pope Paul VI and his successors and heads of government all around the world chose this model to greet onlookers as they drove through the streets. The German government also regularly called on a Mercedes-Benz 600 landaulet for ceremonial occasions, although the vehicle was not owned by the state. Instead, the car was kept in the company fleet in Stuttgart and made available on request.
Production of the 600 model, in the “Grand Mercedes” tradition, started in September 1964. The Pullman landaulet, along with a number of limousines, was a production variant of the Pullman body with the long wheelbase of the W 100. Mercedes-Benz offered its customers four different landaulet versions based on this exclusive design: the standard version had four doors, facing rear seats, and a folding top extending as far as the front edges of the rear doors. There was also a special six-door version with a seat bench in the rear and additional fold-out seats facing in the direction of travel. In this variant, as in the six-door Pullman limousine, the middle doors could also be provided without handles. Both the above landaulets – the four-door and six-door design – could also be equipped on request with a long convertible top reaching as far as the partition.
All these versions were based on a long-wheelbase W 100 chassis, but in 1967 a one-off short-wheelbase W 100 landaulet was also produced. The vehicle was commissioned by Count von Berckheim. The ex-racing driver’s Mercedes-Benz 600 combined the handling qualities of a short-wheelbase design with the traditional virtues of the landaulet. The time and effort involved in this one-off project indicates that the 59 Pullman landaulets built hardly represented a “series production” operation in the strict sense – in fact, with such a wide variety of interior equipment options and special features it would be difficult to find two identically-equipped 600 landaulets. But one thing all these vehicles had in common was their exceedingly high price. The exclusive body design with the folding convertible top did not appear on the official price list, but the Mercedes-Benz 600 was regarded as the world’s most expensive production car of its day.
Mercedes-Benz 600 landaulet for the Vatican
In 1965 Mercedes-Benz presented the Vatican with another landaulet based on the W 100 Pullman. The manufacture of the car was a cooperative project of the testing and production departments in Sindelfingen. The four-door landaulet was presented to Pope Paul VI at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo by Hermann Josef Abs, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Daimler-Benz AG, General Manager Walter Hitzinger, and Board of Management members Fritz Nallinger and Arnold Wychodil, along with Karl Wilfert and three employees from the Daimler-Benz plant in Sindelfingen.
The equipment of this landaulet differed from the production version in several details: the rear doors were 25.6 centimeters wider, and came right up to the partition. The rear doors also included new operating controls, designed to be within easy reach from the papal seat located centrally in the back of the passenger compartment. The designers at Sindelfingen made the roof seven centimeters higher to provide ample head room – a modification required because of the flat floor in the rear of the W 100, concealing the propeller shaft tunnel beneath. Special equipment included air conditioning, an intercom for communicating with the driver, and the ability to shift the single armchair-style seat at the rear in several different directions.
The pontiff was delighted with the sophisticated technology in his W 100. “The name of Mercedes has become proverbial all round the world for German diligence and skill – which makes this gift all the more precious,” said Paul VI in his words of appreciation for the automotive engineering achievements of the team in Stuttgart back in 1965. The Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman landaulet bearing the legendary license plate SCV 1 (the abbreviation for “Stato della Città del Vaticano”) is now on display in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
W 109 and V 140 landaulets built in-house
And the specialists at Mercedes-Benz built another two landaulets for the Vatican in the years after 1965, both based on standard limousines. The first of these papal cars, built as early as 1966 with a single rear seat, was a landaulet based on a
Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL limousine (W 109 series) with standard wheelbase (2.85 meters). The seat could be moved to the right if necessary to create room for a passenger on the fold-out seat fitted on the partition. This car remained in use for many years, in parallel with the W 100 landaulet. The 300 SEL was not equipped with quite the same level of luxury as the Mercedes-Benz 600 – for example there was no air conditioning in the shorter vehicle. The car was however retrofitted with armor plating in 1981.
This was followed in 1997 by a landaulet based on the Mercedes-Benz S 500 with a long wheelbase (V 140). Like its predecessors, this was a “no expense spared” one-off project that combined traditional values with contemporary technology. The car had numerous special equipment features. The electro-hydraulically operated convertible top, when closed, was five centimeters higher than in the limousine, to provide more head room above the papal seat. On taking delivery of the vehicle in person in 1997, Pope John Paul II was given a briefing on the car’s technical features and praised the design.
Heir to a great tradition
The 600 model was the only Mercedes-Benz ever built as a production landaulet over the last 60 years. However, the brand has repeatedly made good use of this type of bodywork with specially designed superstructures as for the papal cars. The sense of a unique driving culture that is epitomized in the landaulet is as strong as ever in Stuttgart. And it is this knowledge and living heritage from the past that provides the basis for the Maybach landaulet in 2007.
Technical details of Mercedes-Benz ceremonial cars
Mercedes-Benz 300 d landaulet with long wheelbase (W 189)
Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL landaulet (W 109)
Mercedes-Benz 600 landaulet with long wheelbase (W 100)
Mercedes-Benz 600 landaulet with short wheelbase (W 100)
Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman landaulet (W 100)
Mercedes-Benz S 500 long-wheelbase landaulet (V 140 E 50)
The combination of tradition and modernity embodied in the Maybach Landaulet study, makes this a truly unique vehicle of its time. The highly unusual body shape already defines the car as something quite out of the ordinary. But the unique combination of the fold-back roof at the rear and a solid roof section over the front seats also reflects the fine appreciation of tradition and values that is the hallmark of the Mercedes-Benz Cars approach.
The body of the landaulet harks back to the early days of automotive history. Just a few years after the invention of the automobile by Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz in 1886 – working independently of each other – both companies had large numbers of landaulets on the roads. The Mercedes-Benz brand created in 1926 took up the idea, and over the years landaulets based on a range of model were built, both in normal production plants and by prestigious bodybuilders. The last landaulet variant available as a production car was the 600 model (W 100 series) from 1965 until 1981. The company’s in-house special vehicle manufacturing workshops also built three different landaulets for the Vatican in the second half of the 20th century.
Distinctive folding top
The landaulet is one of the true aristocrats among special body designs, and indeed its origins go back to the days of the coachbuilder’s art. Its hallmark is a “rigid, closed passenger compartment with a folding convertible top,” according to the Mercedes-Benz definition. What this means in practice is a folding convertible top over the rear seats, adjacent to a rigid top or solid partition. Depending on the variant, the driver might be out in the open, or – as is usual in today’s bodies of this type – in his own compartment, after the style of a limousine.
In any event, the choice between closed or open-top travel is only available to the passengers in the rear. The qualities of the landaulet as the perfect car for public figures are most evident when the opulent roof is swung back, focusing every eye on the occupants in the rear, and converting the landaulet into a stylish and elegant platform for public appearances. This is why vehicles with this unique body design are used almost exclusively by dignitaries and VIPs. And of course the roof can always be closed again, as protection from the weather or prying glances.
Maybach Landaulet study
The Maybach Landaulet study was created in response to requests from Maybach customers who still feel the thrill of landaulet vehicles from the days of sumptuously equipped coaches driving through the streets. The car is based on the Maybach 62 S. The C-pillars and roof arches remain in place when the top is pushed back, retaining the luxury limousine’s distinctive silhouette, along with the generously-dimensioned doors, stylish interior compartment and seating arrangements.
When the roof is closed, the convertible top is stretched over the roof frame, providing a tight seal against wind and weather. On the instruction to open the passenger compartment, the driver merely has to press a control on the center console, and the structure, together with the rear window, folds gently down onto the parcel shelf, without any significant loss of stowage space. The opening and closing of the convertible top is an efficient but unhurried process, like a smoothly choreographed dance, taking around 20 seconds to complete. The luggage compartment remains easily accessible even with the roof open. And the driver can cover the retracted top with a stylish leather tarpaulin, concealing the mechanism and restoring the smooth and elegant contours of the vehicle.
Historical Maybach landaulets
In the 1930s there were landaulet versions of several Maybach luxury limousines. In line with normal practice at the time, the body fitted to the chassis could be designed according to the owner’s individual requirements. The most popular models with landaulet customers were the twelve-cylinder Maybach 12, Maybach Zeppelin DS7 and Maybach Zeppelin DS8. The combination of letters and numerals used for the Zeppelin models stood for the V12 engine (double-six, = DS) and the displacement. The Zeppelin DS7, built in 1930 and 1931, had a 150 hp (110 kW) engine with displacement of 6922 cubic centimeters, while its successor, produced from 1931 to 1939, generated 200 hp (147 kW) from a 7922 cubic centimeter engine.
Nor was the circle of Maybach landaulet aficionados restricted to statesmen and captains of industry. There were others for whom maintaining a high public profile was a business necessity, and an automobile that could put its occupants on show like jewels in a display case simply by folding the roof back was clearly ideal for the purpose. For example, in 1930 the Sembach-Krone family commissioned the Erdmann & Rossi bodybuilders’ firm to build a Zeppelin DS7, specifying a burgundy-colored landaulet body, as a management vehicle for the legendary Krone circus. This elegant car with its long folding top is now on show at the Sinsheim Auto and Technology Museum.
Also featured in the Sinsheim collection is a 1938 landaulet version of the Zeppelin DS8 with a top speed of 160 km/h. This body, with a short folding top, was made by Hermann Spohn in Ravensburg. Spohn was the regular bodybuilder for Maybach, located just twenty kilometers away in Friedrichshafen.
Origins in coach-building
The body form of the landaulet, or “half-landau” as it is sometimes known, owes much to the construction of horse-drawn coaches. The landau (or sometimes “Landauer” in German) was an open coach, probably named after the town of Landau in the Palatinate region of Germany. The passengers sat facing each other, and could be protected by two half-roof sections, pulled over them from either end of the vehicle when required. The coachman sat on a box seat, well away from the passenger compartment. The landaulet structure differed in that it only had the rear half-roof covering. And depending on the design, the driver’s compartment in front of the passenger seats could have a rigid roof, a glass top or a front windshield.
At the end of the 19th century the customary distinction in coach construction between the landau and landaulet was carried over into automotive design, with Daimler and Benz both initially making cars with landaulet and landau bodies.
Glory days of the landaulet
But events were to prove that only the landaulet had a viable future in the age of the automobile. One of the reasons was clearly that as speeds increased, passengers became more reluctant to sit with their backs to the direction of travel. The landaulet design emerged as the accepted form, and became increasingly popular with customers. But during the heyday of landaulet bodywork in the first half of the 20th century there was still no consistent or standard design.
One of the major points of difference was in the area of the driver’s seat. The box-seat of the Daimler belt-driven landaulet of 1896 for use as a taxi left the driver completely unprotected. In comparison, a 25/45 hp Benz landaulet from 1910 offered the driver a windshield and a rigid roof, but no doors or side windows. Side doors – but still no windows – were added in the 8/20 hp Benz of 1912.
Subsequent landaulet models reversed the principle of leaving the chauffeur out in the open – the driver was now protected by a windshield on all sides, as in a limousine, but the folding convertible top over the rear seats continued to offer flexibility for the passengers. This more contemporary form of the landaulet was used in luxury models such as the 15/70/100 hp Mercedes-Benz 400 Pullman landaulet from the late 1920s, and also in the landaulet taxicabs based on the Mercedes-Benz 260 D from 1936.
Landaulet as a taxicab
Al fresco motoring proved particularly attractive to taxicab customers – as indicated by the large numbers of taxicabs supplied with a landaulet body. In fact a landaulet became the world’s very first taxi when a Stuttgart-based haulage and taxicab operator, Friedrich August Greiner, ordered a Victoria landaulet with a taximeter from Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) under order no. 1329. The vehicle was duly delivered in May 1897, and the world’s first motorized taxi went into service in June, once the required permit had been obtained from the police. The vehicle cost its owner the small fortune of 5530 Mark. Included in that price were the landaulet half-convertible top, two dash leather coverings, reverse gear and solid rubber tires.
In the following decades both Daimler and Benz, and from 1926 Mercedes-Benz, supplied taxis based on this distinctive body design. The 12/30 hp Benz was actually marketed from 1913 to 1914 solely as a taxicab landaulet. In this period the landaulet became just as popular with taxi passengers as with VIPs. However the design was never in high demand for private automobiles for everyday use. In his reference work entitled “The modern automobile and its maintenance and repair” and published in 1921, Max Peter wrote: “The advantages of open-top and closed-top vehicles are to some extent combined in the landaulet which can be driven as either. Because of the ability to adapt the body structure according to the season, this body design is associated above all with taxi automobiles, and probably for this reason it is less popular for private cars, notwithstanding its undeniable advantages.” This quote is taken from the section dealing mainly with taxis and private cars of the traditional kind. The “elegant landaulet”, in contrast, is classified under a separate category specifically for parade cars.
Evolution of an elite body design
The folding convertible top design as a luxury variation on the automobile was discussed by authors Ernst Misol and Hermann Klaiber in 1913 in their book entitled “What do I need to know about my car, and how should I drive it to comply with the authorities’ regulations?” Misol and Klaiber emphasized the advantages of different body styles for different purposes: “A luxury car used only in city traffic should always have a fully enclosed body, i.e. the limousine design. But for shorter journeys outside city limits, preference is to be given to the landaulet with its retractable top at the rear.”
Owners of luxury landaulet cars in the pre-World War I period included Emperor Wilhelm II. The emperor’s first vehicle of this type was a 39/75 hp Mercedes chain-driven landaulet, which he used as a traveling car. This was followed in 1911 by a 38/70 hp Mercedes landaulet for the same purpose. The emperor then chose a 28/60 hp Mercedes landaulet as a city car in 1913. And during a visit by the heir to the Romanian throne in 1913, the monarch and his guest were driven through the streets in a 26/65 hp Mercedes-Knight landaulet.
Following the end of the imperial era, in 1938 Mercedes-Benz presented Paul von Hindenburg with a 12/55 hp Mercedes-Benz 300 six-seater landaulet: Hindenburg had been elected as President of the Weimar Republic in 1925, as the successor to Friedrich Ebert.
New technology always has its critics, and not surprisingly, the automobile was no different. What did Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor, think of the new technology of his day? “I believe in the horse – the automobile is a temporary appearance.” I have a feeling Wilhelm II would like to recant his prior statements.
A new video from Mercedes-Benz TV shows these kind of statements throughout 125 years of automotive history, none of which managed to deter the drive of Mercedes-Benz. That, of course, is why they’re Mercedes-Benz.
The Mercedes-Benz 260 D in the W 138 series was the world’s first series-production diesel passenger car. Seventyfive years ago in February 1936, 50 years after the invention of the petrol-powered automobile by Carl Benz, Mercedes-Benz presented this revolutionary vehicle at the International Motorcycle and Automobile Exhibition in Berlin.
Its 2.6-litre OM 138 four-cylinder engine with the Mercedes-Benz pre-chamber system and a Bosch injection pump produced 33 kW (45 hp) at 3200 rpm, and was installed in the chassis of the petrol-powered Mercedes-Benz 200 with a long wheelbase. The Bosch Four-plunger injection pump allowed engine speeds of up to 3000 rpm and ensured rapid fuel delivery.
Two years prior, in November 1934, after experimenting with various diesel engines in Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, the engineers opted for a modified version of the well-proven six-cylinder in-line engine from the commercial vehicle sector. The result was a four-cylinder unit with a displacement of 2.6 litres (bore x stroke 90 x 100 millimetres). The new engine adopted the truck engine’s smooth pre-chamber combustion process. The technical specifications included overhead valves and a five-bearing crankshaft.
Series production of the model 260 D commenced at the end of 1935, and the world’s first regular production diesel car was premiered in February 1936, at the International Motorcycle and Automobile Exhibition in Berlin. At an average diesel fuel consumption of 9.5 litres, a tank filling was initially sufficient for 400 kilometres, and this increased to no less than 500 kilometres or more after a model upgrade in 1937. This was not without significance considering the relative scarcity of filling stations at the time.
Even in 1936 the diesel engine in the model 260 D delivered impressive fuel economy: average consumption was slightly above 9 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, considerably bettering the 13 litres consumed by the petrol-powered model 200. Moreover, diesel fuel cost only 17 Pfennigs per litre for holders of a passenger transport licence in 1936: at the time that was less than half the normal cost of petrol. Taxi-drivers in particular immediately opted for this car, which was available in a spacious Pullman version with six seats right from the start.
In September 1936 Mercedes-Benz also introduced a Pullman saloon, a 4/5-seater saloon and the 4/5-seater Convertible B as further body variants of the model 260 D. Apart from taxi-drivers, more and more private customers also chose this very economical vehicle.
As early as 1937 Mercedes-Benz presented an improved version of the model 260 D: the facelifted version now had a modified radiator grille. The slightly smaller headlamps had more curved housings whose bases were inserted directly into the wings. Previously the headlamps had been mounted on a chrome-plated rail in front of the radiator, which was now omitted. The two 6/7-seater model variants were also given redesigned bodies which were both more spacious and more prestigious-looking than the first Pullman versions. New bumpers replacing the dainty versions of the first two years were introduced in 1938.
Modifications to the 260 D for the model upgrade included a wider track at the front (1370 instead of 1340 millimetres) and rear (1390 instead of 1380 millimetres) and a larger fuel tank (50 litres instead of 38 litres), which was now also moved from the engine compartment to the rear of the vehicle.
In February 1938 the previous overdrive transmission was replaced by a fully synchronised four-speed transmission with a direct-ratio fourth gear. At the same time the 260 D – like the model 230 – was given wider wheels and tyres in the interests of standardisation, as well as dual-action hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear. And from early 1938, electrically heated glow plugs made starting easier when the engine was cold.
From 1936 to 1940 Mercedes-Benz produced 1967 examples of the model 260 D. Especially as a taxi, the world’s first diesel passenger car proved to be an absolute long-distance champion: taxi cabs based on the 260 D were still on the road in large numbers well into the 1950s. Mercedes-Benz also used the OM 138 engine, which underwent only very few modifications during the four-year production period of the model 260 D, for other applications. The same engine also powered the L 1100 to L 1500-series vans built in Stuttgart and Mannheim.
Since the sensational premiere of the model 260 D, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars with diesel engines have continuously set new technical standards. After the Second World War, the model 170 D (W 136) was the first newly designed diesel car offered by Mercedes-Benz. It was powered by the OM 636 1.7-litre four-cylinder engine and presented in 1949.
Since then, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars with diesel engines have been a dynamic success story with numerous highlights. These range from the first diesel car with a five-cylinder engine (model 240 D 3.0 in the W 115 series of 1974) to the introduction of CDI technology with common-rail injection in the C 220 CDI of 1997 and BlueTEC emissions control in the E 320 BlueTEC for the American market in 2006, and right up to the development of diesel-hybrid vehicles such as the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID for model year 2011. The brand is therefore making a decisive contribution towards establishing the diesel engine as an economical, powerful and refined passenger car drive unit with great future potential.