Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart is offering an exciting family outing during the upcoming Easter holidays from 7 April 2023 to 10 April 2023. The museum will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with 160 vehicles and 1,500 exhibits on display, tracing the history of automobiles from their invention by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in 1886 to the future. Additionally, the museum is hosting a large special exhibition, “Moving in Stereo,” featuring over 150 works of art from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection.

Easter craft activities for children on the CAMPUS of the Mercedes-Benz Museum. During the Baden-Württemberg Easter holidays from 6 to 15 April 2023, the offer is available daily.

The Legend Room 7: Silver Arrows – Racing and Records at the museum has two new additions on display for the first time: the Benz “Prinz Heinrich” special touring car, one of only two remaining original Benz & Cie. vehicles, and the Mercedes-Benz SSKL Avus racing car, which was reconstructed by Mercedes-Benz in 2019 from archival documents.

During the Baden-Württemberg Easter holidays from 6 April to 15 April, the CAMPUS children’s area will be open on weekdays in addition to weekends. The area offers Easter craft activities for children accompanied by adults, and no prior registration is required. Overall, the Mercedes-Benz Museum at Easter promises to be an enjoyable and educational experience for people of all ages.

Press Release
March 27, 2023
Stuttgart, Germany

A visit to the Mercedes-Benz Museum at Easter is an experience for all generations. There is an opportunity for a family outing, for example, on all public holidays: the Museum will be open daily from Good Friday (7 April 2023) to Easter Monday (10 April 2023) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The permanent exhibition with 160 vehicles and a total of 1,500 exhibits tells the story of the automobile from its invention by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in 1886 to the future.

The tour of the Museum is currently complemented by the large special exhibition “Moving in Stereo”. On display are more than 150 works of art from 1910 to the present day from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection. From Southwest German classics such as Willi Baumeister, Adolf Hölzel and Oskar Schlemmer to young international artists such as Clément Cogitore, Alia Farid, Cao Fei and Haris Epaminonda, works from a broad spectrum of media are presented: from painting, drawing, sculpture and light objects to photography, installations and video. The exhibition “Moving in Stereo” has been extended and will run until 17 September 2023.

New additions to Legend Room 7: Silver Arrows – Racing and Records include two special streamlined racing cars on display at the Museum for the first time.

• Benz “Prinz Heinrich” special touring car, 1910: One of only two remaining original Benz & Cie. vehicles in the world for the Prinz-Heinrich-Fahrt contest of 1910. The high-tech of the time featured dual ignition and four-valve technology.
• Mercedes-Benz SSKL Avus racing car, 1932: The aerodynamically optimised bodywork gave this car the edge in the International Avus Race in Berlin, which was won by Manfred von Brauchitsch. Since then, racing cars have been consistently built this way. Because the original no longer exists, Mercedes-Benz reconstructed the vehicle true to the original in 2019 using archival documents.

During the Baden-Württemberg Easter holidays from 6 to 15 April, the CAMPUS children’s area will be open on weekdays in addition to weekends. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., interested children accompanied by adults can take part in Easter craft activities. Prior registration is not required.

The new special exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum entitled “G-Schichten” (G stories) celebrates 40 years of the G-Class and will be recounting the history of the G with eleven vehicles and further exhibits between 18 October 2019 and 19 April 2020. Throughout the opening weekend on both 19 and 20 October further special G-Class vehicles will be on show inside and outside the museum, including a G from Porsche Museum’s collection. Also, there will be an art project for children involving an actual G-Class.

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Sonderausstellung „G-Schichten“ zur G-Klasse 18. Oktober 2019 bis 19. April 2020. Computerrendering der Ausstellungskonzeption.
Mercedes-Benz Museum, “G-Schichten” (G stories) special exhibition on the G-Class, 18 October 2019 to 19 April 2020. Computer rendering of the exhibition design.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class has been an unparalleled success story since its première 40 years ago: from the outset, the vehicle has been inspiring with outstanding off-road properties as well as its confident on-road appearance.

The new Mercedes-Benz Museum special exhibition is entitled “G-Schichten” (G stories). It recounts the diverse history of this model series by showcasing very different specimens of this vehicle model. The exhibition will be open in Collection Room 5 between October 18, 2019 and April 19, 2020.

The stars of the exhibition will be vehicles dating back to 1979. They will include the 1980 “Popemobile”, a faithful reconstruction of the vehicle that won the 1983 Paris–Dakar rally and the very last G-Class Cabriolet from 2013.

Program of the opening weekend, 19 and 20 of October, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

• Seeing and being seen: In addition to the exhibition, five special G-Class vehicles will be on show on the museum hill. Three Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG “Crazy Color” special editions will be making their colourful mark. A G 63 AMG 6×6 will be demonstrating how the unique properties of the G-Class are pushed even further with three instead of two axles, and the Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet merges the off-road capabilities of the G with luxury at the highest level. Further converted G-Class exhibits will be on show in the Large Hall. They will be showcased by LeTech, a company based in Welzheim which specialises in off-road vehicles. Plenty more variants of the off-road icon are also expected to flock to the museum hill as visitors travelling to the exhibition in their G-Class can park in front of the museum and visit the exhibition free of charge.
• Be creative: As part of a project headed up by the art school Kunstschule Unteres Remstal children will be able to apply colourful foils to an actual G-Class. Young artists will be designing the motifs themselves using stencils. Drawing templates and modelling sheets will also be available to create paper models of the cross-country vehicle.
• Win: Spin a wheel of fortune at the exhibition on both days.

Porsche Museum is providing a very special exhibit during the weekend: A G-Class that was used as the service vehicle during the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally. It is driven by a 4.7-litre V8 engine from a Porsche 928.

In the second episode Uke invites Etienne Gardé from Rocket Beans TV to play Forza Motorsport 6 on Microsoft Xbox One. For a genuine racing experience they’re sitting inside the cars they’re playing in the game. And the winner is…

Visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Suttgart this summer will have the special privilege of attending a temporary exhibition focused on the engineering and design of the new generation of C-Class. If you haven’t yet planned your visit, there’s still time: it runs until November 2nd.

Mercedes-Benz Museum

Photos Via: MB Passion

The very first comic book, titled “Carl Benz – A life dedicated to cars”, covers how the car was invented in colorful images how the car was invented as well as providing an insight into the fascinating life of car creator, Carl Benz. The comic book, by Belgian artist Willy Harold Williamson and author Martin Grünewald, is published by Sadifa Media and will be available from February 9, 2013 in the Mercedes-Benz Museum shop.

“There can be few more entertaining ways of conveying the stories both of the automobile and of the origins of our company”, commented Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. “The historical accuracy of these wonderful drawings is impressive, while the speech bubbles really get to the heart of the story. Every little technical detail on the Benz Patent Motor Car is precisely drawn; and Carl and Bertha are immediately recognisable”.

Carl Benz - a life dedicated to cars

On over 52 beautifully laid out pages, the comic book illustrates the most important milestones in the life of Carl Benz, beginning with his birth on November 25, 1844. Its memorable images tell of the many hurdles and vicissitudes faced over the course of his life by Carl Benz, the man who would determine the birthday of the automobile when he registered the patent for his three-wheeler motor car on January 29, 1886. At his side: his wife Bertha Benz. Her legendary first long-distance drive from Mannheim to Pforzheim with her sons Eugen and Richard, 125 years ago, is very persuasively shown in comic-strip form. The inventions and developments being undertaken at around the same time by those other automotive pioneers, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, in Cannstatt, are also covered.

The comic-book story is based on proven facts. The Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive helped the internationally renowned comic-strip artist Willy Harold Williamson and author Martin Grünewald with their detailed research work. As far as possible, all the historical scenes illustrated are derived from documented facts. The dialogue in the comic aims for the same level of verisimilitude, even if no record of actual details remains.

Carl Benz - a life dedicated to cars

In order to achieve an impression of depth with three-dimensional effect, the colour in each individual drawing was applied by an experienced colourist in three separate layers. This very complex form of illustration allows the reader much more intensive enjoyment of the storyline. The high-quality hardback volume is published by Sadifa Media, specialists in historical comics for over 25 years.

The comic book “Carl Benz – A life dedicated to the car” will be available from February 9, 2013 as a Mercedes-Benz Classic special edition in a specific cover, exclusively from the Mercedes-Benz Museum shop. The inside of the dust jacket is printed with a drawing from the comic, making it suitable for use as a poster.

The special edition is available at a price of 19.80 euros in four languages: German, English, French and Chinese. The comic may also be ordered online from the Classic Store at www.mercedes-benz-classic-store.com. Over the course of the coming year, the comic will then become available with a different cover from booksellers throughout Germany.

On the 127th birthday of the automobile, the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) has introduced important guidelines for owners of historical vehicles. The Turin Charter, presented at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, provides guidance on questions of authenticity.

“As the inventor of the automobile, our company is in an excellent position”, said Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. “We are the only people with access to the full range of sources to allow us to prove the authenticity of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle”.

FIVA’s Turin Charter underlines the significance of the automobile in terms of cultural heritage and addresses questions of authenticity – an important issue for all owners of classic automobiles. It sets out the case for a responsible approach to dealing with classic vehicles and provides guidance about their use, upkeep, repair and restoration.

The Charter was presented yesterday in the Mercedes-Benz Museum, exactly 127 years after Carl Benz registered his patent at the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin. The corresponding policy paper had previously been approved by delegates at the General Assembly of the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens in October 2012.

FIVA was established in 1966 and today encompasses 85 member organisations in 62 countries. The organisation describes itself as an international association of historic vehicle clubs, representing altogether more than 1,500,000 classic vehicle enthusiasts.

On January 28, 1938, the Mercedes-Benz W 125 car set a world speed record on a public road, a record which still stands to this day. With a speed of 268.8 mph (432.7 km/h) and Rudolf Caracciola as pilot, the W125 went down in history books. The original vehicle can now be seen showcased at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Suttgart.

“Time and again our visitors talk about the spectacular presentation of the Mercedes-Benz W 125 record-breaking car, which is hanging on a vertical wall. Together with six other record-breaking vehicles, the streamlined car adds the impressive finishing touch to the high-bank curve in Legend Room 7‚ ‘Silver Arrows – Races and Records’. Acoustically, there is even an atmosphere similar to that found on the race track”, explains Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic.

Rudolf Caracciola, who at that time was the lead driver for the Mercedes-Benz racing department, achieved the record – which is still valid to this day – on 28 January 1938 on the road between Frankfurt am Main and Darmstadt, by hitting a speed of precisely 432.692 km/h over one kilometre with a flying start. In addition, the existing record over the flying mile was also set at 432.36 km/h. These figures represent the averages from two runs made in opposite directions.

For this top speed run, the Mercedes-Benz W 125 record-breaking car made use of an aerodynamically optimised body. Streamlined racing cars were not unusual at the time: Mercedes-Benz also successfully made use of them in circuit races.

For the record runs in January 1938, the record-breaking car – which was based on the W 125 Silver Arrow – was not only equipped with a specially optimised twelve-cylinder engine with two superchargers, but also featured a flat, completely covered body with wedge-shaped, tapered tail end. Using wind tunnel measurements, the engineers reduced the aerodynamic drag to a sensational Cd value of 0.157. This included using a radically scaled-down air intake on the front end. As a result, the record-breaking car only “breathed in” – through two small openings – the amount of air required for the 5.6-litre V12 MD 25 DAB/3-type engine to work. Engine cooling, on the other hand, was achieved without using fresh air: instead the radiator was embedded in a 500-litre chest filled with ice and water.

• Year of construction: 1938
• Cylinders: V12
• Displacement: 5577 cc
• Power output: 736 hp (541 kW)
• Top speed: 432.7 km/h

As part of their two-day visit to Germany, H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco and H.S.H. Princess Charlène today toured the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. During an exclusive guided tour of the exhibition the princely couple was able to experience a unique journey through time, from the very beginnings of automotive industry and on into the future. H.S.H Prince Albert II, himself the owner of a superb collection of classic and young classic cars, was clearly delighted to see the Museum’s unique and comprehensive display of more than 125 years of automotive history. As well as admiring the fascinating collection of classic cars bearing the three-pointed star, the Prince showed a particular interest in the research and development work undertaken by Mercedes-Benz in the field of sustainable mobility.

“We are very honoured that Prince Albert II and his wife visited the Mercedes-Benz Museum during their first official visit to Germany and have taken the opportunity to find out more about our road to emission-free mobility”, commented Dr Joachim Schmidt, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Sales and Marketing.

The Prince and the Princess have a keen interest in issues around environmental protection, sustainability and renewable forms of energy. The exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, as a place of innovation, not only demonstrates the fascinating history of the Mercedes-Benz brand, but also offers some revealing glimpses into future mobility. The newly designed exhibition room Legend 6 “New Start – The Road to Emission-free Mobility” presents the different drive-system variants – from the optimised internal combustion engine through electric and hybrid drive systems to the fuel cell.

In late 2009 Prince Albert II was able to test the fuel cell-powered Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL and the smart fortwo electric drive for himself on the streets of Monaco.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany is the only museum in the world that can document, in a single continuous timeline, over 125 years of automobile history from its very beginnings to the present day. On nine levels and covering a floor space of 16,500 square metres, the museum presents 160 vehicles and over 1,500 exhibits. As a place of innovation, it also demonstrates that history can point the way ahead.

The exhibition not only presents the fascinating history of the Mercedes-Benz brand, it also affords illuminating insights into the future. This dual function is also reflected in the architecture of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, designed by the UNStudio of Dutch architects van Berkel and Bos, Amsterdam, also responsible for Tribeca’s Five Franklin Place.  The museum’s interior is inspired by the double helix structure of the DNA spiral that carries the human genome. This in turn illustrates the Mercedes-Benz brand’s philosophy – to continuously create radically new products to advance the cause of human mobility.

During a two-hour tour of the exhibit, visitors experience a unique journey through automotive history. Transported by lift to the uppermost level of the museum, the visitor arrives back in the year 1886, where two museum tours gradually spiral their way down through the extensive collection and back to the museum exit.

The first of the tours consists of seven Legend rooms which narrate the chronological history of the brand. The second group tours five separate Collection rooms filled with vehicles, which thematically document the breadth and diversity of the brand portfolio and collection. Visitors may choose to switch from one tour to the other at any time as both tours finish at the banked curve entitled Silver Arrows – Races & Records. The exhibition is finished off by the Fascination of Technology display, which offers a glimpse into day-to-day work at Mercedes-Benz and also presents topics concerning the future of the automobile.

Continue reading for a more detailed look at the collections at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, or better yet, start planning your trip to Stuttgart now.

Museum Collections

The exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum is divided into Legend rooms and Collection rooms. The Legend rooms narrate the history of the Mercedes-Benz brand, dividing it into themes and epochs. The rooms are ordered chronologically and the exhibition is fully through-designed. The Collection rooms are arranged thematically and document the breadth and diversity of the brand’s vehicles. The Fascination of Technology on Level 0 offers a glimpse into present-day Research & Development at Mercedes-Benz.

The seven Legend rooms, which take visitors on a chronological journey through the history of the automobile to the present day, are each linked by 80-metre ramps. With the exception of the first and last rooms, the Legend tour is designed in line with a consistent principle: along the outside of a curved, clover-leaf wall, a ramp sweeps down to the vehicles, which form the focal point of each display. While visitors can look down at the exhibits to the right-hand side, a chronological display on their left illustrates key events in corporate history as seen against their specific historical backdrop. The Legend rooms offer a striking illustration of the context in which epoch-making innovations in automotive engineering were made.

Each Legend room illustrates a particular era by developing a central theme. These include the invention of the independent, petrol-driven road vehicle, the origin of the Mercedes brand, the development of the supercharger and diesel engine, the Gullwing and semi-forward control trucks of the 1950s, the increasing importance of safety and environmental protection, the brand’s global presence, and in the final Legend room the complete history of racing and record-breaking cars.

• Legend 1: Pioneers – The Invention of the Automobile, 1886 – 1900
• Legend 2: Mercedes – Birth of the Brand, 1900 – 1914
• Legend 3: Times of Change – Diesel and Supercharger, 1914 – 1945
• Legend 4: Post-war Miracle – Form and Diversity, 1945 – 1960
• Legend 5: Visionaries – Safety and Environment, 1960 – 1982
• Legend 6: New Start – The Road to Emissionfree Mobility
• Legend 7: Silver Arrows – Races & Records

The Collection rooms: thematic layout

The generously designed Collection rooms accommodate a large number of exhibits providing broad coverage of the background to each themed room.

The themes range from travel by bus, taxi or passenger car, goods transportation and distribution, the Gallery of Helpers documenting firefighting, the emergency services and municipal operations, celebrity cars, the Gallery of Heroes, with exhibits from everyday situations and changing special exhibitions.

Discreet floor graphics reminiscent of road markings indicate the topic of each Collection room and the direction to be taken through the vehicle layout. The vehicles in the Gallery of Helpers, for example, are all oriented towards a focal point in the centre of the space, while the Gallery of Celebrities is displayed on high-quality wooden plinths.

Alongside the ramp linking each Legend tour to one of the Collection rooms is a glass showcase, viewable from both sides. On the outside it displays model vehicles, on the inside smaller exhibits such as vehicle parts, accessories and promotional articles. A “micro-cinema” also shows films illustrating the topic of each Collection room.

• Collection 1: Gallery of Voyagers
• Collection 2: Gallery of Carriers
• Collection 3: Gallery of Helpers
• Collection 4: Gallery of Celebrities
• Collection 5: Gallery of Heroes

Emotional finale at the banked curve

Both the Legend and Collection tours end up at the “Silver Arrows – Races & Records” display, where a steep banked curve sweeps around the entire exhibition space, gradually becoming a vertical, cylindrical wall studded with famous record-breaking cars.

Legend 7 is an emotional finale to the museum tour. On entering this area, visitors are able to take a seat on a grandstand opposite the banked curve, either to savour the impressive overall image for a while or view film footage of historic motor races shown on six different monitors. The grandstand is connected to a passageway behind the banked curve, which opens out into a “racing tunnel” leading to the Legend room devoted to “Races & Records”. Original memorabilia from famous racing drivers and two racing simulators offer visitors a further opportunity to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of motorsport.

The banked curve gradually becomes a vertical wall on which famous record-breaking cars are mounted – from the record-breaking W 125 of 1938 to the solar-powered Solarmobile, which won the Tour de Sol from Lake Constance to Lake Geneva in the mid 1980s. At the centre of this cylindrical display, five platforms rise from the lower level of the connecting building, displaying experimental vehicles past and present. These exhibits link the museum tour with the Fascination of Technology display area, which covers an area of 800 square metres and showcases the current state of development and gives a prospect of the future.

If you weren’t one of the 701,000 visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Museum last year for the 125th anniversary of the automobile, you truly missed out on a great experience. Visitors from over 175 countries around the globe made the trek to the Stuttgart museum to view the newly designed Legend 6 exhibition room and the special ‘Art & Stars & Cars’ exhibition. But, don’t worry, 2012 is gearing up to be even better. The first half of the year will focus on the new Mercedes SL and at Mercedes-Benz Classic and at the museum, the 60-year history of the legendary SL series will be highlighted with special events and a major exhibitions running throughout the year.

Michael Bock, head of Mercedes-Benz Classic had this to say about 2011: “Another successful year is drawing to a close. Since the opening in May 2006, over 4.2 million people have visited the Mercedes-Benz Museum. 125 years after its invention, the automobile retains its special fascination to this day – the figures speak for themselves. We are particularly pleased about the high proportion of international visitors. Once again this year, almost a third of our guests came from abroad. This international appeal is attributable both to the anniversary year of the automobile and to our extensive programme in 2011.”

People from all over the world flock to see the first ever automobile

The visitors from a total of 175 countries reflect the international character of the Mercedes-Benz Museum. In 2010 visitors came from 158 countries. The share of international guests has risen by almost half in recent years, to 27 percent. The majority of guests came from Germany, followed by China, USA, France and Switzerland. There has been a sharp increase in the number of Chinese guests since 2009, resulting in a steady climb for China from fourth to second place in the visitor rankings.

How did the visitors become aware of the Mercedes-Benz Museum? While almost 40 percent relied on recommendations from friends and acquaintances, 7 percent of visitors stated that they had been prompted to visit the museum by the increased media coverage in the anniversary year. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have given rise to a two-fold increase in awareness of the museum as a leisure destination.

Many of the guests visited the Mercedes-Benz Museum for the first time in the year marking the 125th anniversary of the invention of the automobile. The top rankings from regular visitor surveys in 2011 confirm the guests’ satisfaction, with over 90 percent of all visitors stating that their expectations had been surpassed and 98 percent confirming that they would recommend the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Two thirds of all visitors spent more than three hours at the automobile exhibition covering 16,000 square metres.

Group visitors and children’s programs on the increase

Almost 4,000 guided tours in 2011 marked a new record for the Mercedes-Benz Museum. The classic Automobile guided tour, carried out in a total of ten languages, remains the leading attraction. Exclusive after-hours tours in the evening, guided tours of the Untertürkheim and Bad Cannstatt engine factories and the special guided tour of the ‘Art & Stars & Cars’ exhibition also proved very popular.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum has also become a yet more attractive destination for groups: over 5,000 groups comprising a total of over 100,000 persons visited the exhibition – more than ever before. In addition, over 1900 school classes took advantage of the educational programme in the GeniusCampus area for children and young people. Another programme offered by the GeniusCampus enjoyed particular popularity, with almost 1000 children visiting over 80 children’s birthday parties held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. The new programme “Motor mechanics for adults” also became firmly established, with over 100 workshops offering almost 850 participants an opportunity to lean more about present-day engine technology.

Outstanding exhibitions and events in 2011

For the inventor of the automobile, the anniversary marking 125 years of the automobile played a major role this year, as the Mercedes-Benz Museum is the only venue in the world where visitors can take in the entire history of the automobile – from Benz’s patented motor car dating from 1886 to futuristic vehicle studies.

The year kicked off with the opening of the new exhibition room Legend 6, ‘New start – the Road to Emission-free Mobility’, which has since won various awards. The new exhibition room grants visitors an insight into the future and outlines the drive technologies of tomorrow. The future has already arrived for visitors arriving at the Mercedes-Benz Museum by e-vehicle, with six electric charging stations offering free electric power to replenish the vehicles’ batteries during visits to the museum.

The special exhibition ‘Art & Stars & Cars’ shows the museum in a similarly pioneering and innovative vein. This first art exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum was conceived in collaboration with the Daimler Art Collection. A highlight of the exceptional exhibition comprising over 120 works was Andy Warhol’s legendary Cars series, which was produced 25 years ago on the occasion of the car’s centenary. The Mercedes-Benz Museum also celebrated its fifth birthday in the middle of the anniversary year, on 22 May 2011. This proved one of the busiest days of the year, drawing over 5000 guests. The museum’s summer season revolved around firm favourites such as the jazzopen stuttgart, the Mercedes-Benz Lounge and the Open Air Cinema programme – this year featuring the drive-in cinema event for the first time, which sold out in next to no time. Families with children were able to take part in Universal Children’s Day at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in September, while the collectors’ fair in November offered brand aficionados another opportunity to pick up some gems. This year, the Mercedes-Benz Museum once again offered events tailored to visitors with special needs – most recently on the Day of People with Disability in December.

2012 – spotlight on the Mercedes-Benz SL

“It will be a challenge to top 2011,” observes Michael Bock. “But we have ambitious plans for 2012 and some great exhibitions in store. For the Mercedes-Benz brand, the first half of the year will center on the new SL. At Mercedes-Benz Classic and at the museum we will be highlighting the 60-year history of the legendary SL series with special events and a major exhibition. All the models in one room – that will be a spectacle not to be missed. I am also looking forward to the 2012 Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film. As a partner to the festival, we will be presenting a special award – again focusing on the topic of 60 years of the SL. The special exhibition ‘Timeless – 60 years of the Mercedes-Benz SL’ will begin on 24 January 2012 and run until 2 September 2012.

The year 2012 is the year of the SL legend. Excitement mounts in expectation of the market launch of the new Mercedes-Benz SL (R231) in 2012. The 2012 Classic Calendar takes up this theme and presents the models of the Mercedes-Benz SL series from six decades in a very special way.

Renowned photographer Dietmar Henneka was contracted for the calendar shoot. Historical motifs from various decades were projected onto the vehicles and the Mercedes-Benz Museum using a high-performance projector.

The SL Legend calendar offers a surprisingly different experience with 12 original and fascinating calendar motifs that impressively highlight the vehicles and the architecture of the Mercedes-Benz Museum from different perspectives.

A continuous monthly date section makes the calendar timeless. Information about the vehicles and projections is provided on an additional page of the calendar.

125 years ago the Kaiserliche Patentamt (Imperial Patent Office) in Berlin granted Benz & Co. in Mannheim the patent No. 37,435 for a “vehicle with a gas engine drive system”. This patent is see as the birth certificate of the automobile. “Patentirt im Deutschen Reiche vom 29. Januar 1886 an” – “patented in the German Empire from 29. January 1886 on”: thus reads the document; and that very day the automobile’s triumphal march began that was to change the world to an unimaginable extent. The Federal Finance Ministry is issuing a special postage stamp and a special coin to celebrate the automobile’s 125th birthday.

The special postage stamp shows the first motor car in the world, with a drawing of the patent of 29th January 1886 as a background. The stamp has a denomination of 55 cents and will be available at all Post Offices and agencies from 5th May 2011 on.

From 9th June 2011 on a special commemorative coin “125 years of the automobile” with a denomination of 10 euros, will be issued, available in banks and savings banks. With a dynamic, modern graphic design based on the circular shape on the steering wheel, both obverse and anverse deal with the theme of individual mobility such as that which the motor car makes possible.

Official presentation of both commemorative editions by the Federal Finance Ministry is to take place in Berlin on June 7, 2011.

Transcending space and time reaches a new dimension with the Benz patent motor car. Carl Benz’s invention is the world’s first automobile, which through its autonomy and availability created the foundation for the individualisation of transport. Starting with the Benz patent motor car, the new means of transport opens up for broad segments of the population broad new horizons and countries undreamed of until then. The associated fascination remains unbroken to this day. And the transport of goods and passengers experiences a dramatic change thanks to the flexibility, performance and economy of the automobile.

The same year as Carl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler builds his first automobile. On 8. March 1886 he orders a carriage from carriage construction factory Wilhelm Wimpff & Sohn in Stuttgart. He has his compact, fast-running petrol engine installed in this carriage. Daimler’s focus is on motorising transport on land, on water and in the air, he never loses sight of the universal application possibilities of the engine he has invented.

The real invention of Carl Benz, who had already carried out his first test runs in October 1885 with his three-wheeled patent motor carriage under exclusion of the public, was the self-sufficient, closed concept of an autonomously driven motor car. It is the first comprehensively conceived automobile – engine, chassis and drive system are exactly adapted and adjusted to each other, forming a unity. The first automobile in the world has a horizontal single-cylinder engine that produces an output of 0.75 hp (0.55 kW) from its displacement volume of 954 cc at a speed of 400 rpm. It can reach a top speed of 16 km/h.

At first, Benz trusts a single front wheel, because he sensibly considers the kind of front-axle steering system used in carriage construction, the turntable steering, to be a technical dead-end alley. It is only after Benz himself invents and patents a “carriage steering mechanism with steering circles tangential to the wheels”, that he builds a four-wheeler from 1893 onwards. With his models Victoria and Vis-à-Vis he returns to typical carriage build, but with the “engine velocipede” a year later, he produces the first automobile of the world made in large-series production.

The patent motor car has its public maiden journey on 3. July 1886 on the Ringstraße in Mannheim. Newspapers report enthusiastically about the event. Benz does not remain idle, satisfied with the first version; he develops the three-wheeler further in several steps, makes it marketable and even builds it in series. And with the vehicle he enjoys international success because he sells it – in particular – abroad. With this Benz is far head of all those other inventors who never manage to go beyond the research stage.

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.

This coming Saturday, January 29, marks 125 years of automotive history, it was in 1886 that Carl Benz received the patent for the first motor car, heralding the birth of the automobile. From January 30, 2011, in addition to experiencing 125 years of automotive history, visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Museum can discover the answers to questions about the drive technologies of the future in the newly designed exhibition room Legend 6: ‘New start – The Road to Emission-free Mobility’.

“The motor car’s landmark anniversary is on everyone’s lips”, says Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. “Not only are we kicking off the anniversary year by looking at the history of the automobile, but our new room ‘New start – The Road to Emission-free Mobility’ mainly looks ahead to the future. Day after day, our visitors ask us where we go from here. We have taken up the challenge and will be presenting different drive-system variants in the Mercedes-Benz Museum – from the optimised internal combustion engine through electric and hybrid drive systems to the fuel cell.”

On the chronological tour through the decades, Legend 6 will highlight the challenges we face now and in the future. Many visitors to the Museum want to know how driving pleasure and responsibility can be reconciled in a vehicle. Five automotive exhibits in the newly designed theme room showcase the drive-system variants of the future. One of the exhibits will be replaced regularly to reflect the latest developments at Mercedes-Benz.

The room is encircled by a timeline featuring over 60 monitors. This genealogy enables museum visitors to track drive-system developments throughout the 125‑year history of automotive engineering. As in each of the Legend rooms, a workbench invites visitors to interact and delve more deeply into the topic – be it in the form of a microcinema, a touch display or a hands-on exhibit.

Vehicle exhibits: ‘New start – The Road to Emission-free Mobility’

The Mercedes-Benz Auto 2000 was first unveiled at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in 1981. The vehicle was a response to a call from the German government for a car with the lowest possible fuel consumption – a glimpse of the future. The research vehicle offered three different drive concepts based on a single platform: the V8 petrol version, the V6 turbodiesel model shown here and the variant with gas-turbine drive each undercut the specified maximum fuel consumption limit of eleven litres per 100 kilometres – at the time an extremely low figure for a vehicle of this size.

In 1994, Mercedes-Benz presented the world’s first fuel-cell vehicle in the shape of the NECAR 1 (New Electric Car). The fuel cell converted hydrogen and oxygen into water, producing electrical energy which, in turn, powered an electric motor. The large hydrogen tanks and other energy-generation components weighed around 800 kilograms and filled the van’s entire cargo area. Although this invention was still a long way off anything approaching everyday practicality, it offered many advantages. Emission-free driving and a natural resource available in abundance were the main factors which convinced the Mercedes-Benz engineers. Subsequent vehicle generations succeeded in further miniaturising the fuel-cell technology.

In 2010, the B-Class F-CELL became the first series-production electric car with fuel cell to hit the market. At its heart is the new-generation fuel-cell drive system, which is compact, powerful and reliable as well as offering full everyday practicality. The fuel cell generates the traction current on board the vehicle, producing only pure water with no pollutant emissions. The result is a locally emission-free car with a range of 400 km, which can be fully refuelled within a matter of minutes. The B-Class F-CELL is therefore suitable for both urban and extra-urban driving.

Likewise launched in 2010, the Vito E-CELL was the first van with battery-electric drive to be produced in series. With a range of around 130 km and a top speed of 80 km/h, it is designed specifically for short-radius distribution in inner-city areas. Its emission-free drive system makes it ideal for areas with traffic bans in force because it generates no exhaust emissions and operates virtually silently. Thanks to the space-saving installation of the battery technology beneath the cargo area, there is nothing to restrict loading of the van.

Not yet on the road but already in the Museum: in January 2011, Mercedes-Benz is introducing the third-generation SLK-Class – a model series which sets new safety standards for open-top sports cars. BlueEFFICIENCY measures such as direct injection and the ECO start/stop function make the car up to 30% more efficient. Mercedes-Benz has introduced BlueTEC to make diesel cleaner and implemented BlueEFFICIENCY measures to cut the average fuel consumption of all models. The BlueDIRECT engine generation is proof that it is possible to boost output yet still remain highly efficient. These and future optimisation measures show that there is still much scope for further development of the internal combustion engine.

The first weekend of November hosts a firm fixture in the international classic car calendar: the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in England. At the 2010 event, held on 7 November, Mercedes-Benz Classic will be entering two vehicles – a 1902 Mercedes-Simplex racing car and a 1904 Mercedes-Simplex touring car.

The 2010 event will take place just a couple of months before celebrations get underway to mark the 125th anniversary of the birth of the automobile in January 2011. Not long after Carl Benz invented the first automobile in 1886, automotive design took the decisive step from what was essentially a motorised carriage to something resembling the modern vehicle – of which the Mercedes-Simplex cars are two outstanding examples.

The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is held exclusively for vehicles built before 1904. The oldest car to enter this year’s event dates from 1894. The annual event marks the Emancipation Run of 14 November 1896, which was organised in celebration of a new law that raised the maximum permitted speed for automobiles from 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 waving a red flag.

This year the annual event, held over a 96-kilometre (60-mile) course, has attracted 550 vehicle entries. As many as 500,000 spectators are expected to line the route. The start is in London’s Hyde Park, where the first of the vehicles will depart at sunrise, calculated by the Meteorological Office to be at 7.04 a.m. this year. From there, the cars will head to a checkpoint in Crawley, before setting out on the second half of the route towards the Channel coast and the finishing line on Brighton’s grand promenade, Madeira Drive.

All vehicles will take part in an eve-of-event concours from 11.00 a.m. until 3.00 p.m. on London’s Regent Street on Saturday, 6 November 2010, when each car will be individually introduced and spectators will have an opportunity for closer inspection.

Mercedes-Simplex: the modern automobile

The two Mercedes-Benz Classic cars taking part come from the company’s own collection. From 1901 to 1905, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft created a range of automobiles bearing the Simplex designation at Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. These vehicles had two things in common: they were all designed by Wilhelm Maybach, and they were superior to all other cars of the day. For they embodied the decisive design step that elevated them from motorised carriage to purpose-built car.

The most notable 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 lent the vehicle the familiar car-like appearance that distinguished it from contemporary carriage-type automobiles. Along with the 38/40 hp Mercedes-Simplex, the 28/32 hp was the more compact automobile.

Technical data for the 38/40 hp Mercedes-Simplex racing car

• Year of construction: 1902
• Cylinders: 4 (in-line)
• Displacement: 6558 cm3
• Output: 40 hp (29 kW) at 1050 rpm
• Top speed: approx. 75 km/h

Technical data for the 28/32 hp Mercedes-Simplex touring car

• Year of construction: 1904
• Cylinders: 4 (in-line)
• Displacement: 5315 cm3
• Output: 32 hp (24 kW) at 1200 rpm
• Top speed: approx. 60 km/h

On January 29, 1886, Carl Benz received the patent for the world’s very first car. It was on that day that the one of the most significant inventions to grace the earth, the automobile, was born. In 2011, the automobile will celebrate 125 years on the road and the only place to view its’ entire 125 year history is at The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. In addition to the automobiles history, the museum also shows off the latest developments of the present and future. The latter will be exhibited in a completely redesigned room from next year: Legend 6, ‘New start – the Road to Emission-free Mobility’, which will be opening its doors to Museum visitors for the first time on January 30, 2011.

Visitors to the museum often ask the same questions- Where do we go from here? Will we all be driving on hydrogen in future? Will the combustion engine soon be a thing of the past? “In Legend 6 visitors will find answers to questions about the drive system of tomorrow”, says Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. On the chronological tour through the decades, Legend 6 ‘New start – the Road to Emission-free Mobility’ will present the challenges of the present and future. “Our visitors mostly want to find out how driving pleasure and responsibility can be reconciled in a vehicle.” Different drive-system variants will be on display in the redesigned theme room – from the optimised combustion engine through electric and hybrid drive systems to the fuel cell.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum brings to life all aspects of automotive history over an area covering 16,500 square metres and nine levels. Seven Legend rooms describe the history of the brand, five Collection rooms important topics at Mercedes-Benz through the years. Many of the 160 vehicles exhibited stand for entire eras that they have shaped, recounting their own history. These include the gull-wing model from the 1950s or the Silver Arrows, not to mention the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL, the first sports car with a stable passenger compartment and crumple zone. “These vehicles were symbols of innovation in their day; again and again they would herald further progress. Our visitors soon realise that the history of Mercedes-Benz is brimming with innovations and that the focus was always firmly on the future – just as it is today”, adds Michael Bock.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum is open daily from Tuesday to Sunday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Current information for visitors is available from the Classic customer center online at www.mercedes-benz-classic.com

Following the success of last year’s Collector’s Fair premiere, on Saturday, November 27, 2010 the Mercedes-Benz Museum will be holding its second collectors’ fair for models, brochures, literature, pins and accessories. From 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. dealers, collectors and enthusiasts will have a chance to browse among over 100 tables.

A special pin will be available to mark the second Mercedes-Benz Collectors’ Fair. In addition, the Mercedes-Benz Museum is offering an exclusive 1:43-scale special edition model. Dealers can reserve a table, registration fee 25 euros, at http://www.mercedes-benz.com/sammlerboerse. Visitor admission to the collectors’ fair is free of charge.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum is open daily from Tuesday to Sunday from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Current information for visitors is available from the Classic Customer Centre online at www.mercedes-benz-classic.com

The impressive countryside round about the Lake of Constance will be the scene of “Mercedes-Benz & Friends” from 23 to 26 September 2010. It kicks off a series of customer-focussed events of Mercedes-Benz Classic and is aimed at the members of the official Mercedes-Benz Clubs. Under this year’s motto, “Stars and high-flyers”, a tour through three countries bordering on Lake Constance is planned, including drives through the Alps over wonderful routes that will also take in peaks.

Participants from 14 nations are expected. They will be travelling in a total of 100 vehicles from many epochs – from the supercharged Mercedes of the 1920s to the Young Classics from more recent brand history. Former racing drivers and current brand ambassadors Roland Asch in a Mercedes-Benz 190 SL racing version (W 121 series), Mika Häkkinen in a Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 (W 111) and Dieter Glemser in a Mercedes-Benz 230 SL Rally Pagoda (W 113) will be present to give the tour a sporting flair.

The participants will arrive on Thursday, 23 September 2010. For their first evening together a stylish venue has been selected: Montfort Castle in Langenargen, directly situated on Lake Constance. The guests will be brought there by boat. After dinner the schedule for the weekend will be presented to them. The next day starts right off with a tour highlight: the Silvretta High Alpine Road.

Friday, the 24th of September 2010, begins with a drive to the Austrian Alps, to Lech am Arlberg. For the lunch break it’s up and away by cable car: to the 250-year-old Rud-Alpe at an altitude of 1560 metres. In the morning the Silvretta High Alpine Road, one of the most popular and most beautiful mountain roads in the Alps with magnificent views, is on the agenda. It goes a distance of 25.4 kilometres from Montafon valley in the Vorarlberg region via Bielerhöhe and the Silvretta to the Tyrolean Paznaun, the valley of the Trisanna. The group will have covered about 300 kilometres in all by its return to Lake Constance. The evening event will again take place at, or to be more precise, on, Lake Constance: the event ship MS Sonnenkönigin will provide the setting for a wonderful party, taking the guests out into the night.

For Saturday, the 25th of September 2010, the alternatives are a drive through the Appenzeller Land or a shopping trip to Zurich. Those who choose the drive through the mountain scenery of Switzerland will have the opportunity to visit cheese dairies along the 130-kilometre route. “Sönd willkomm auf Schwägalp und Säntis!” is then the call to lunch. Schwägalp, altitude 1352 metres, can be reached by car and affords a typical Appenzell ambience; if the weather is good, the sun terrace invites guests to take a seat in the midst of nature and opens up a great view of Mt Säntis, whose 2502 metre summit with its extraordinary panoramic view can be reached from there by cable car. The evening takes the guests to the Festival Theatre in Bregenz and a very special dinner programme very appropriate to the ambience. The Mercedes-Benz Classics will contribute their share to the evening, parking directly in front of the Festival Theatre on Vienna Symphony Orchestra Square.

This will also be the place for saying goodbyes on Sunday, 26 September 2010, before the participants leave Bregenz in all directions. They will be richer for the unique impressions they have gathered in a circle of “stars and high-flyers” that has a name: “Mercedes-Benz & Friends”.

“Mercedes-Benz & Friends” is also planned for 2011. The event will then be linked with the “125 Years of the Automobile” anniversary. The programme will be announced in good time.

Rudolf Caracciola was born on 30 January 1901 in Remagen Germany. As a boy he was fascinated by cars, gathered first experience at the wheel of an “elderly 16/45 Mercedes” during the First World War and made up his mind to become a racing driver. When still a trainee at the Fafnir-Automobilwerke in Aachen, he started in the 1922 Avus race in Berlin (fourth place overall and winner in class) and the Opelbahn race in Rüsselsheim (winner). After a scuffle with an officer of the Belgian occupying forces, Caracciola left Aachen and became a Fafnir representative in Dresden. In 1923 he won the Berlin ADAC (the principal German automobile club) race driving an Ego.

In 1923 Caracciola joined Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft as a car salesman at its Dresden sales outlet. He was allowed to enter races with the current Mercedes 6/25/40 hp racing car. The successes he notched up included victory in the touring car class of the 1923 ADAC Reichsfahrt rally. In 1924 he was winner in his class on several occasions and secured overall victory in the Teutoburgerwald race. That was the year he also met his future wife, Charlotte, nicknamed Charly.

In 1925 Caracciola won eight races at the wheel of the Mercedes 24/100/140 hp. In 1926 he won the German Grand Prix in a Mercedes eight-cylinder racing car. It was in this race that he first drew attention to his brilliant driving skills in adverse weather conditions; the victory was a textbook lesson in fingertip control by the “Rainmaster”, as he later came to be known. The prize money gave Caracciola economic security. He married Charly and in January 1927 opened up a Mercedes-Benz agency in Berlin, although he continued to compete in races.

In 1927 Caracciola won the race in which the new 26/170/225 hp Mercedes-Benz S model racing touring car premiered at the Nürburgring. That year he also went on to chalk up eleven overall and class wins. In 1928 Caracciola won five races in the successor model, the Mercedes-Benz SS, and he continued his winning form in the new racing tourer, the 27/180/250 hp SSK model. With the SSK he also opened the 1929 race season for Mercedes-Benz in the Monaco Grand Prix (third place). Caracciola won the International Tourist Trophy in Ireland in a Mercedes-Benz SSK in pouring rain at an average speed of 117.2 km/h.

Winner in Italy

Caracciola finished the 1930 Mille Miglia first in his class. The following year he won the race, the first foreign starter ever to do so, in a 27/240/300 hp Mercedes-Benz SSKL racing sports car. After a 16-hour drive from Brescia to Rome and back he and co-driver Wilhelm Sebastian finally crossed the finish line on 13 April 1931 as winners, posting an average speed of 101.1 km/h. In 1931 Caracciola also won the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring – another rain-affected race – and again captured the title of European Sports Car Hillclimb Champion.

When Mercedes-Benz withdrew from racing, Caracciola went to Alfa Romeo. In the 2.6-litre monoposto he won the German and Monza Grand Prix and the 1932 Eifel race. He became European Racing Car Hillclimb Champion and International Alpine Champion. Then in 1933 Caracciola and Louis Chiron set up the independent “Scuderia C.C.”, but he suffered a serious accident during practice for the Grand Prix of Monaco. This forced him to pull out of his racing appearances for the entire year. That winter his wife was killed in an avalanche.

Daimler-Benz signed Caracciola again for the 1934 season. For the new 750-kilogram formula the Stuttgart company launched the W 25 racing car, the first Silver Arrow. At the Italian Grand Prix on 9 April, Caracciola was still troubled by the effects of the injuries sustained in his accident; in first place after 59 laps, he let Luigi Fagioli replace him at the wheel, and Fagioli brought the victory safely home. At the Spanish Grand Prix on

23 September, Caracciola managed a second-place finish. New competition for Mercedes-Benz arrived in the form of Auto Union. These two racing departments would dominate the championship in the coming years.

In 1935, after a long race in sweltering heat, Caracciola won the Grand Prix of Tripoli. This was followed by victories in the Eifel race (16 June) and at the Grand Prix of France (23 June), Belgium (14 July), Switzerland (25 August) and Spain (22 September). A second-place finish in the Grand Prix of Barcelona (30 June) and third place in the German Grand Prix (28 July) rounded off the year. In 1935 he was European and German racing car champion. Mercedes-Benz won nine out of 14 grand prix events that season, with Caracciola accounting for six of them.

His string of successes came to an end in 1936. Although Caracciola opened the season with a victory in Monaco (13 April) – in poor weather he once again demonstrated that his reputation as “Rainmaster” was entirely justified – the redesigned W 25 with short wheelbase increasingly caused problems. “Caratsch” posted his best results subsequent to Monaco at the Grand Prix of Tunis

(17 May, winner), Barcelona (7 June, second) and Tripoli (10 May, fourth). At the German Grand Prix Caracciola and co-pilot Luigi Fagioli could manage only fifth. The star of that season was Bernd Rosemeyer, who won the European championship for Auto Union.

In 1937 Caracciola returned to the pinnacle of European motorsport. The 750 kg formula was extended for another year, and Daimler-Benz developed the new

W 125 racing car specifically for this season. In the monoposto Caracciola secured his second European Championship title. His racing successes that season included victories at the German (25 July), Swiss (22 August) and Italian (12 September) Grand Prix and the Masaryk Grand Prix of Brno (26 September). In addition, Caracciola notched up successes in the international Eifel race (13 June, second place), the German Hillclimb Grand Prix (1 August, third place), in Monaco (8 August, second place) and the Donington Grand Prix (2 October, second place). He was European Champion and also secured the title of German Road Racing Champion.

In the open-formula Avus race in Berlin on 30 May, Mercedes-Benz competed with different vehicle concepts, including three W 25 fitted with aerodynamic fairings. Caracciola won the first race of the competition driving one of these streamlined cars. He married Alice Hoffmann that year.

Record-breaking runs into new dimensions of speed

In January 1938 record-breaking attempts were back on the agenda. Over past years, Caracciola had set several records on autobahns and oval circuits. This time on the Frankfurt-Darmstadt autobahn he attained a speed of 432.7 km/h. To this day it is the highest speed ever attained on a public road. It was a record marred by tragedy, however, since his friend and rival Bernd Rosemeyer would die in an attempt to break Caracciola’s record in an Auto Union car.

A new formula was drawn up for the 1938 races that limited displacement to 4.5 litres without supercharger and 3 litres with supercharger. Daimler-Benz designed the new W 154 racing car for this “3-litre formula”; it developed a maximum output of 453 hp from its V12 engine. In 1938 Caracciola won the Coppa Acerbo (14 August) as well as the Swiss Grand Prix (21 August). He placed second or third in the Grand Prix of Pau (10 April, with Hermann Lang, second), Tripoli (15 May, third), the French Grand Prix

(3 July, second), the German (24 July, with Hermann Lang, second) and Italian Grand Prix (11 September, with Manfred von Brauchitsch, third). Now 37, Caracciola won the title of European Champion for the third time and consolidated his reputation as the most successful racing driver of the era.

In the Grand Prix of Tripoli, for which Daimler-Benz specially developed the 1.5-litre voiturette W 165, Caracciola took second place behind Hermann Lang – a double victory for the Silver Arrows. But the premier racing car of the season was the redesigned W 154, with which Caracciola won the German Grand Prix on 23 July. In 1939 he was German road racing champion; however, the European title that year was captured by the promising young talent, Lang.

Alice and Rudolf Caracciola lived through the Second World War in their adoptive country Switzerland. Caracciola was intent on racing in America after the war ended. However, in 1946 his car crashed during practice for the Indianapolis 500. In 1952 he actively resumed racing and finished the Mille Miglia in fourth position in a

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. But a serious accident during the Grand Prix of Berne in 1952 put an end to his career for good. Caracciola was dependent on a wheelchair and crutches for a long time afterwards.

In 1956 he was given responsibility for the sale of Daimler-Benz cars to Americans and Britons stationed in continental Europe. Aged just 58, Rudolf Caracciola died in Kassel on 28 September 1959. A monument was unveiled in Remagen to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth in 2001, and the banked curve at the Nürburgring was named after him.

Rudolf Caracciola – a racing career for Mercedes-Benz

1901

30 January: born in Remagen, Germany

1922

June: Avus race, Berlin, in 6 hp Fafnir (4th and winner in class)

July: Opelbahn race, Rüsselsheim, in 6 hp Fafnir (1st place)

1923

3 April: Berlin Stadium race in 4 hp Ego (1st place)

11 June: Job with Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) as salesman at Dresden office

4 July: Baden-Baden Automobile Tournament in a 6/25/40 hp Mercedes (2nd place)

5 July: ADAC Reichsfahrt in a 6/25/40 hp Mercedes (1st place)

1924

25 May: Teutoburgerwald race in a supercharged Mercedes 1.5 litre (1st place)

10-19 August: ADAC Reichsfahrt in a supercharged Mercedes 1.5 litre (1st place)

1925

24 July: Kniebis hillclimb in a 24/100/140 hp Mercedes (1st place)

15-16 August: Freiburg hillclimb and flat race in a 24/100/140 hp Mercedes (1st place/touring cars)

1926

16 March: Teutoburgerwald race in a 24/100/140 hp Mercedes (1st place/factory drivers)

30 May: Herkules hillclimb in a 24/100/140 hp Mercedes (1st place/sports cars)

9-13 June: Baden-Baden Automobile Tournament in a 24/100/140 hp Mercedes (winner in sports car and touring car categories)

19-28 June: South German Rally in a 24/100/140 hp Mercedes (1st place/sports cars)

11 July: German Grand Prix in a Mercedes 8-cylinder racing car (1st place)

22 July: Grand Prix of Europe and Grand Prix of Guipuzcoa in a 24/100/140 hp Mercedes (2nd place)

7-8 August: International Klausen Pass race in a Mercedes K (1st place/sports cars)

1927

January: Opens Mercedes-Benz dealership in Berlin

19 June: Inaugural race at the Nürburgring in a Mercedes-Benz S (1st place)

23-30 June: Kartellfahrt race of the AvD automobile club in a

8/38 hp Mercedes-Benz (without penalty points)

5-9 July: Baden-Baden Automobile Tournament in a Mercedes-Benz S (winner in sports car category)

6-7 August: International Freiburg Speed Record Festival in a Mercedes-Benz S (3rd and 1st place)

13-14 August: Klausen Pass race in a Mercedes-Benz S (winner in sports car and touring car categories)

25 September: Teutoburgerwald race in a Mercedes-Benz S (1st place/sports cars)

1928

15 July: German Grand Prix at Nürburgring in a Mercedes-Benz SS (1st place, with Christian Werner)

29 July: Gabelbach race in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (1st place)

5 August: ADAC race at Schauinsland in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (1st place/racing cars)

26 August: Chamonix hillclimb in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (1st place)

10 September: Salzberg race (1st place/racing cars)

16 September: Semmering hillclimb (1st place/racing cars)

1929

16 April: Monaco Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (3rd place)

19-23 June: Baden-Baden Automobile Tournament in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (winner in racing car category)

7-12 August: International Alpine Rally in a Mercedes-Benz Nürburg (1st place)

17 August: International Tourist Trophy in Belfastin a Mercedes-Benz SSK (1st place)

1930

12-13 April: Mille Miglia in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (winner in class)

12 July: Shelsley-Walsh hillclimb in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (1st place/sports cars)

18-19 July: Irish Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (1st place)

9-10 August: Klausen Pass race in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (1st place/sports cars)

24. August: Mont Ventoux hillclimb in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (1st place)

8 September: Grand Prix of Monza in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (2nd place/sports cars)

European Hillclimb Champion 1930

1931

12-13 April: Mille Miglia in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL (1st place)

17 May: Hillclimb near Rabassada in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL (1st place)

31 May: Königsaal-Jilowischt hillclimb in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL (1st place)

7 June: Eifel race in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL (1st place)

19 July: German Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL (1st place)

2 August: Avus race in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL (1st place)

16 August: Tatra hillclimb race in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL (1st place)

30 August: Mont Ventoux hillclimb in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL (1st place)

20 September: Drei Hotter hillclimb in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL (1st place)

European Hillclimb Champion 1931

1932

17 April: Monaco Grand Prix in an Alfa Romeo (2nd place)

22 May: Avus race in an Alfa Romeo (2nd place)

30 May: Eifel race in an Alfa Romeo (1st place)

16 July: German Grand Prix in an Alfa Romeo (1st place)

7 August: Klausen Pass race in an Alfa Romeo (1st place)

4 September: Mont Ventoux hillclimb in an Alfa Romeo (1st place)

11. September: Grand Prix of Monza in an Alfa Romeo (1st place)

European Hillclimb Champion in racing car category 1932

International Alpine Championship 1932

1934

5 August: International Klausen Pass race in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (1st place)

19 August: German Hillclimb Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (2nd place)

9 September: Italian Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (1st place)

23 September: Spanish Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (2nd place)

28-30 October: Speed marks set in Hungary in a Mercedes-Benz record-breaking car

10 December: Speed marks set on Avus course in a Mercedes-Benz record-breaking car

1935

12 May: Grand Prix of Tripoli in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (1st place)

16 June: Eifel race in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (1st place)

23 June: French Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (1st place)

30 June: Grand Prix of Barcelona in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (2nd place)

14 July: Belgian Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (1st place)

28 July: German Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (3rd place)

25 August: Swiss Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (1st place)

22 September: Spanish Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (1st place)

European Champion 1935

German Champion 1935

1936

13 April: Monaco Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (1st place)

10 May: Grand Prix of Tripoli in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (4th place)

17 May: Grand Prix of Tunis in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (1st place)

7 June: Grand Prix of Barcelona in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (2nd place)

26 July: German Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 25 (5th place)

26 October: Record runs on Reichsautobahn Frankfurt am Main–Heidelberg

11 November: Record runs on Reichsautobahn Frankfurt am Main–Darmstadt

1937

9 May: Grand Prix of Tripoli in a Mercedes-Benz W 125 (6th place)

30 May: International Avus race in a streamlined Mercedes-Benz (1st in first run)

13 June: International Eifel race in a Mercedes-Benz W 125 (2nd place)

25 July: German Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 125 (1st place)

1 August: German Mountain Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 125 (3rd place)

8 August: Monaco Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 125 (2nd place)

22 August: Swiss Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 125 (1st place)

12 September: Italian Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 125 (1st place)

26 September: Masaryk Grand Prix of Brno in a Mercedes-Benz W 125 (1st place)

2 October: Donington Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 125 (2nd place)

European Champion 1937

German Champion 1937

1938

28 January: Record-breaking runs on Reichsautobahn Frankfurt am Main–Darmstadt

10 April: Grand Prix of Pau in a Mercedes-Benz W 154 (2nd behind Hermann Lang)

15 May: Grand Prix of Tripoli in a Mercedes-Benz W 154 (3rd place)

3 July: French Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 154 (2nd place)

24 July: German Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 154 (2nd place, with Hermann Lang)

14 August: Coppa Acerbo in a Mercedes-Benz W 154 (1st place)

21 August: Swiss Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 154 (1st place)

11 September: Italian Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 154 (3rd place)

European Champion 1938

1939

8-14 February: Record-breaking runs on Reichsautobahn at Dessau

7 May: Grand Prix of Tripoli in a Mercedes-Benz W 165 (2nd place)

21 May: International Eifel race in a Mercedes-Benz W 154 (3rd place)

23 July: German Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 154 (1st place)

20. August: Swiss Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz W 154 (2nd place)

Pan-German Champion 1939

1952

3-4 May: Mille Miglia in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL/W 194 (4th place)

18 May: Grand Prix of Berne in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL/W 194 (retired due to accident)

1956

Caracciola takes over sales of Mercedes-Benz cars to British and American soldiers stationed in Germany

1959

28 September: Died in Kassel, Germany

The Mercedes-Benz C111 Research Vehicle was first completed in 1969 and sported a fiberglass body with gullwing doors. The C111 was tested with a center mounted Wankel Engine, turbo-Diesel engine with the final C111 model hosting a 500 hp V8 Gasoline engine. Breaking several diesel and gas speed records, the most impressive records came when the Mercedes-Benz C111 set a lap speed record with Dr. Hans Leibold behind the wheel. Dr. Leibold acheived 250 mph to finish a lap in 1 minute, 56.67 seconds on May 5, 1979.

Althought Mercedes-Benz received several request for purchase of the C111, it never went into production. The Mercedes-Benz C111 instead remained a research vehicle – setting standards for the design of modern sports cars.