One thousand miles of pure fascination and passion: that`s the Mille Miglia. This year, the regularity rally will retrace the steps of the legendary road race from 15 to 18 May 2019. Mercedes-Benz will be taking part with numerous classic cars and is, at the same time, celebrating “125 Years of Motorsports”. This particular anniversary commemorates the first competitive motorcar race in history in 1894 from Paris to Rouen, which was won by cars fitted with Daimler engines.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198, 1954 to 1957). Photos from the 1000 Miglia 2018.

In 2019, on the occasion of the 1000 Miglia, Mercedes-Benz will also be celebrating the 125th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz motorsport. These are the highlights of this famous brand based in Stuttgart on the 1,000 miles from Brescia to Rome and back.

Record: In 2019, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S) with Hans Herrmann at the wheel will open the 1000 Miglia. This is a further historic moment packed with memories. In 1955, Hans Herrmann took part in the endurance race in an identical racing sports car, and Stirling Moss & Denis Jenkinson finally won the race in a 300 SLR in a record time of 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds.

Partnership: Mercedes-Benz is supporting the 1000 Miglia as a global partner in the car manufacturers’ category. In addition, the brand will be participating with several 300 SL “Gullwings” (W 198) from the company’s own collection. These vehicles recall in particular the racing successes of Mercedes-Benz standard-production sports cars in the 1950s and the class victory of the 300 SL “Gullwing” in the 1000 Miglia in 1955.

Anniversary: Historical highlights of Mercedes-Benz are the legendary victories at the 1000 Miglia in 1931 by Rudolf Caracciola and in 1955 by Stirling Moss. Both these successes are highlights of 125 years of motorsport for the brand from Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz celebrates its anniversary in Italy and throughout the rest of the year with numerous activities and participation in international events.

Stars: In addition to Hans Herrmann, the Mercedes-Benz brand ambassadors Ellen Lohr and Bernd Mayländer are expected to be present at the 1000 Miglia 2019. This year, Ellen Lohr will be forming a team with the young racing driver Sophia Flörsch, currently the most successful German female racing driver. In the FIA F3 European Championship racing series, she will be participating in cars with Mercedes-AMG engines and, in 2019, will contest a complete season for the first time. In the 1000 Miglia, the two ladies are driving a 300 SL “Gullwing”, just like Bernd Mayländer together with Michael Diamond, better known as Mike D of the “Beastie Boys” and an avowed aficionado of Mercedes-AMG’s character cars. Fashion designer, sports car collector and author Magnus Walker will also be at the wheel of another “Gullwing” on the drive through Italy. He knows the car well: in 2018, he competed in the Silvretta Classic Rallye Montafon and discovered the immense pleasure of driving the Mercedes “ Gullwing”.

Motorsport today: A special display in Brescia will unite current motorsport competitors. The Formula One Mercedes-AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ racing car can be seen alongside the competing Ferrari and Alfa Romeo cars. Mercedes-AMG will also be exhibiting a GT4 racing car.

Mercedes-Benz 1000 Miglia Challenge 2019: In honour of the motorsport heritage of the brand, the participants from nine countries with almost 40 cars will drive ahead of the classic cars on the same route and will compete in the same special stages. Prominent co-drivers in 2019: Esteban Ocon and Klaus Ludwig. Vehicles permitted to take part in the Challenge are Mercedes-Benz SL models of various generations and vehicles from Mercedes-AMG plus models of particular historical value from the product history.

“Gullwing” from 1954 for sale: ALL TIME STARS, the Mercedes-Benz Classic vehicle dealer, is offering a 300 SL from the first months of production in the Parc Fermé in Brescia that sports bolted wing attachments and interior ventilation as features. The rare Rudge wheels are a feature of the special configuration. The classic colour scheme is silver grey (DB 180) with blue chequered seat cover fabric. The vehicle has been owned by Daimler AG since 1990, has an FIA passport and is therefore eligible to participate in such top events as the 1000 Miglia. After extensive partial restoration, it is now a sight to behold and appears “as new”. The machinery inside has been continuously serviced. More information: http://mb4.me/W198

History of the 1000 Miglia: Between 1927 and 1957, the original road race took place every year over 1,000 miles from Brescia to Rome and back. In 1977, the first regularity rally with classic motorcars took place. Only those vehicles whose models were included for the original road race are permitted to participate. Every year, more than 400 classics, many of them with the Mercedes star, come together to take part in this brilliant “ museum on wheels” that fascinates visitors in Brescia and Rome as well as at many points along the route. This year, the route covers four stages from Brescia to Cervia-Milano Marittima (15 May) and then on to Rome (16 May). On the third day (17 May), on their way to Bologna, the participants pay tribute to the Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci, who died 500 years ago this year: the cars will visit the town of Vinci. Finally, the 1000 Miglia returns to Brescia (18 May).

Mercedes-Benz classic cars at the 1000 Miglia in 2019

Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR racing sports car (W 196 S, 1955)

Mercedes-Benz developed the 300 SLR (W 196 S) for the 1955 World Sports Car Championship. It was based on the successful W 196 R Formula One racing car. The main difference besides the body was the engine: not being bound by the Formula One regulations limiting the engine’s displacement, it is powered by a three-litre version of the eight-cylinder in-line engine. This engine does not require special racing fuel, but runs on premium petrol. Its high performance potential and unrivalled durability as well as reliability made the 300 SLR far superior to its competitors in 1955. This was impressively demonstrated by one-two finishes in the Mille Miglia, the Eifel Race, the Swedish Grand Prix and the Targa Florio (Sicily), a one-two-three finish in the Tourist Trophy in Ireland and, last but not least, victory in the World Sports Car Championship.

Technical data of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR racing sports car (W 196 S)
Period of use: 1955
Cylinders: 8/inline
Displacement: 2,982 cc
Output: 222 kW (302 hp)
Top speed: Up to 300 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198, 1954 to 1957)

In February 1954, the 300 SL standard-production sports car (W 198) celebrated its world première at the International Motor Sports Show in New York. The coupé was called the “Gullwing” or the “Papillon” (butterfly) owing to its distinctive roof-mounted doors, which resembled a gull’s wings. The high-performance racing sports car was based on the legendary 300 SL racing car (W 194) from the 1952 season. It was the first standard-production car with a four-stroke petrol injection engine. With an engine output of 158 kW (215 hp) – a good 25 per cent more than the carburettor motor racing version of 1952 – and a top speed of up to 250 km/h, the W 198 was in the top echelon of production sports cars in its day, which also predestined it for racing. One legendary triumph was the triple class victory of the 300 SL “Gullwing” in the 1955 Mille Miglia. John Cooper Fitch and his co-driver Kurt Gessl won fifth place in the overall classification in the car bearing race number 417, which represented their starting time at 4:17 am, and led the class of production sports cars over 1.3 litres of displacement ahead of two more “Gullwings”. Between 1954 and 1957, a total of 1,400 vehicles of the 300 SL “Gullwing” were built, no fewer than 867 of them in the year of its Mille Miglia class victory in 1955 alone.

Technical data Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “ Gullwing” Production period: 1954 to 1957
Cylinders: 6/inline
Displacement: 2,996 cc
Output: 158 kW (215 hp)
Top speed: Up to 250 km/h

Mercedes-Benz Classic brand ambassadors at the 1000 Miglia in 2019

Hans Herrmann
Born on 23 February 1928 in Stuttgart, Germany

The 1955 season might have been a triumphant year for young racing driver Hans Herrmann from the Mercedes-Benz racing department. He certainly had the necessary talent. When the new Mercedes-Benz W 196 made its debut at the French Grand Prix in Rheims on 4 July 1954, the young driver immediately made his mark by setting the fastest lap time. Yet, in 1955, the man from Stuttgart suffered bad luck in the cockpit. In an accident during practice for the Monte Carlo Grand Prix in Monaco, Herrmann was injured so seriously that he was unable to compete for the rest of the season. A trained confectioner, he began his motor racing career in 1952, driving a private Porsche 356 in the Hesse Winter Rally. In the same year, he won a class victory in the Germany Rally. In 1953 and 1954, driving a Porsche, Herrmann won class victories in the Mille Miglia. This brought him to the attention of Mercedes-Benz racing manager Alfred Neubauer, who signed him as a young driver for the new Formula One team in 1954. In the course of his career, Hans Herrmann proved to be an extremely versatile driver in Formula One and Formula 2 Grand Prix races, sports car races and rallies. Apart from Mercedes-Benz, he competed particularly in Porsche racing and sports cars. He also raced at the wheel of B.R.M., Cooper, Maserati and Veritas racing cars. Herrmann achieved his greatest successes in endurance races. These included overall victories in the Targa Florio (1960), the 24-hour race in Daytona (1968) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1970). His second place at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE (W 111) in the 1961 Argentine Road Grand Prix was also a major achievement. In 2012, Herrmann was honoured by the town of Collesano, which was situated on the circuit, for taking part in the Targa Florio eight times. The former works driver arrived for the ceremony at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. Hans Herrmann crowned his career with victory at Le Mans in 1970 and retired from active motor racing in the same year. As a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz Classic, he remains closely associated with the company – and motor sport – to this day. Hans Herrmann celebrated his 90th birthday in 2018 at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre in Fellbach. Among the laudators was Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Daimler Board of Management.

Ellen Lohr
Born 12 April 1965 in Mönchengladbach, Germany

Ellen Lohr came to motorsport from karting, in which she was active from 1979 to 1983. Her greatest successes were participating in the Junior Kart World Championship and claiming a first-place title in the North-West German Kart Championship. After competing in the German Formula Ford 1600 series (German Champion in 1987) and initial races in the DTM (BMW) and the German Formula 3 Championship with Volkswagen in 1989/90, she was signed up by the AMG-Mercedes team for the German Touring Car Championship. Ellen Lohr was the first and to this day only woman to clinch a DTM victory: on 24 May 1992, she was victorious in the first run at the racing festival in Hockenheim at the wheel of an AMG-Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II. For the 1995 season, she moved to the Mercedes-Zakspeed team, and in 1996 drove for the AMG-Mercedes Persson MS team. In 1997, she competed in the European Truck Racing Championship at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz racing truck. From then on, Ellen Lohr continued to be actively involved in numerous other racing series, including the Paris–Dakar Rally (as of 2005) and once again in truck racing (as of 2012). In 2019, the racer will compete in the Nascar Whelen Euro Series.

Bernd Mayländer
Born 29 May 1971 in Waiblingen, Germany

Bernd Mayländer makes regular appearances in Formula One at the front of the field. After all, the racing driver born in Waiblingen in 1971 has been the official driver of the Mercedes-AMG Formula One safety car since 2000 – currently, a Mercedes-AMG GT R (combined fuel consumption: 12.4 l/100 km, combined CO₂ emissions: 284 g/km*). Mayländer begins racing in 1990, first taking part in the Porsche Club Sport, Porsche Carrera Cup (overall victory in 1994) and Porsche Super Cup, as well as in endurance races. Driving for the Persson Motorsport team, starting in 1995, he initially participates in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) and the International Touring Car Championship (ITC). From 1997, he drives a Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR in the FIA GT Championship. In 1997, Mayländer wins the race in Spielberg together with Klaus Ludwig and Bernd Schneider. In 2000, he takes the winning title in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring behind the wheel of a Porsche 996 GT3. Bernd Mayländer contests his final DTM season in 2004 as a member of the Rosberg team driving a Mercedes-Benz C-Class DTM.

* The stated figures were determined based on the prescribed measuring process. These are the NEDC CO₂figures based on Art. 2, No. 1 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1153. The fuel consumption figures were calculated based on these figures.

This year Mercedes-Benz will once again act as an automotive sponsor of the 1000 Miglia to celebrate the highlights of historic motorsport in the footsteps of the legendary 1000-mile race, thus continuing the excellent partnership with 1000 Miglia organisers. Mercedes-Benz will once again be attending the event taking place between 16 and 19 May 2018, starting and finishing in Brescia as well as along the around 1600 kilometre journey to Rome and back.

Mille Miglia 1955: Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson on the way to overall victory in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR racing sports car (W 196 S), with the best time ever achieved in the Mille Miglia, 1 May 1955.

Mille Miglia 1931: The eventual winner Rudolf Caracciola at the start in a Mercedes-Benz SSK, 12 April 1931.

Mille Miglia 2017: The Mercedes-Benz Classic team with a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194, left) and a 300 SL “Gullwing” Coupé (W 198), 17 May 2017.

Mille Miglia 2017: Mercedes-Benz Classic cars. Left to right: 300 SL racing sports car (W 194), 190 SL (W 121), 300 SL “Gullwing” Coupés (W 198). Stage from Brescia to Padua, 18 May 2017.

Mille Miglia 2017: Mercedes-Benz “Gullwing” Coupé (W 198) on the starting ramp, stage from Parma to Brescia, 21 May 2017.

Mille Miglia 1952: Premiere of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194). The team Rudolf Caracciola / Peter Kurrle (start number 613) finishes in 4th place, 3/4 May 1952.

The participation of Mercedes-Benz Classic with outstanding vehicles from its own collection is traditionally a highlight of the modern 1000 Miglia. In 2018 there will be plenty of type SSK (W 06), 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198), 190 SL (W 121) and 220 “Ponton” (W 180) vehicles on the starting line-up. Mercedes-Benz Classic Brand Ambassadors and automotive aficionados will be at the wheel of the vehicles. The modern version of the 1000 Miglia is a reliability run on a route which closely follows that of the original road race. Entry is restricted to vehicle types that took part in the original 1000 Miglia during the period from 1927 to 1957.

Mercedes-Benz and the 1000 Miglia are very closely linked by virtue of their shared history. The German brand has taken part in the 1000-mile race since 1930, i.e. almost since the very first event. At this debut event, works driver Rudolf Caracciola and his co-driver Christian Werner took 6th place in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (“Super Sport Short”). One year later Caracciola won the 1931 1000 Miglia as the first non-Italian driver with his co-driver Wilhelm Sebastian in an evolved Mercedes-Benz SSKL (“Super Sport Short Light”).

In 1952 the 1000 Miglia provided the arena for the premiere of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194), the brand’s first newly developed racing car following the Second World War. Karl Kling and co-driver Hans Klenk took second place in their brand-new SL at their first attempt. In 1955 Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson drove the 300 SLR racing sports car (W 196 S) to overall victory ahead of their team mate Juan Manuel Fangio. Also triumphant were the 300 SL “Gullwing” series production sports cars (W 198) in the Gran Turismo class over 1300 cc engine capacity, while the 180 D (W 120) landed a triple victory in the diesel class. In 1956 both the 220 “Ponton” (W 180) luxury class saloon and a Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W 121) successfully took part in the race.

The connection between the brand and the racing tradition is also underlined by the cooperation between Mercedes-Benz Classic and the Museo Mille Miglia in the historical monastical complex of Sant’Eufemia della Fonte just outside Brescia.

The Mille Miglia 2016 will take place from May 19 to 22, 2016. Mercedes-Benz is supporting the prestigious and famous road race across Italy as Automotive Sponsor. The brand itself is fielding numerous vehicles from its own collection in the 1,000-mile race, including the Mercedes-Benz SS, SSK and 300 SL models. A 190 SL will also be participating for the first time in the revived Mille Miglia. Original documents confirm that such a model also took part in the original event in 1956.

Mercedes-Benz and the Mille Miglia are inseparably linked. The list of historic triumphs includes the win by Rudolf Caracciola and Wilhelm Sebastian in an SSKL in 1931 – the first victory by a non-Italian driver – and the record run by Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson on board a 300 SLR in 1955.

At the Mille Miglia 2016 Mercedes-Benz will be on hand at the start and finish as well as along the route in its capacity as Automotive Sponsor. And it will be in the running itself, too – the list of vehicles is truly mouth-watering: The SS and SSK models will represent the era of the supercharged sports cars of the 1920s and 1930s. Several 300 SLs will be contending from the 1950s – plus the 180 D, 220 a and 190 SL models. The roadster is taking part in the revived Mille Miglia for the first time – it came to light in 2015 that a 190 SL also took part in the original “1,000 miles” race in 1956. The French team Michel Bianco / Jean Loup Pellecuer with starting number 347 came in 121st back then, after a driving time of 16 hours, 6 minutes and 15 seconds.

In addition to the actual Mille Miglia 2016, the Mercedes-Benz Mille Miglia Challenge is also being staged. A maximum of 60 vehicles will be competing. All Mercedes-Benz SLs, vehicles from Mercedes-AMG and AMG, special and concept vehicles of outstanding technical or historic significance and all Mercedes-Benz cars built before 1986 are eligible – with the exception of those vehicles which have been approved for the Mille Miglia.

Today’s Mille Miglia is a reliability trial.The route is based on the historical course of the race, leading as then from Brescia to Rome and back. Demanding special stages await the participants and their classic vehicles along the 1,000 miles (around 1,600 kilometres).

Sir Stirling Moss in his 300 SLR with start number 722 at the start of the 2015 Mille Miglia, 14 May 2015 in Brescia/Italy.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198) Mille Miglia 2015, Italy.

A very special way to enjoy roadsters: 190 SL in Tuscany.

Mille Miglia 2013, Mercedes-Benz 220 a (W 180, 1954 to 1959).

Mille Miglia 2013, Mercedes-Benz SSK (W 06, 1928).

The Mercedes-Benz SL will be restyled soon, but before an extensive facelift fixes its aesthetic issues, the company is launching this Mille Miglia 417 special edition, which pays homage to a legend. It is a modern-day interpretation of the 300SL that was driven at the 1955 Mille Miglia by the American John Fitch and his co-driver Kurt Gessl to an incredible fifth place overall. A series-production car, that Mercedes finished well ahead of many race cars.

2016 Mercedes-Benz SL550 “Mille Miglia 417” Edition

It’s impossible to ignore this special version of today’s SL. Offered only in matte black, it comes exclusively with black wheels measuring 19 inches up front and 20 inches at the back. Inside and out, the Mille Miglia 417 is littered with red accents. It’s not discreet, but it is well executed.

Open-top motoring is part of the SL’s appeal, and we took advantage of every opportunity to lower its retractable hardtop. But dropping the top requires planning: Whereas some competitors’ power tops can be operated while moving at speeds up to 30 mph, this one works only at creeping speeds or when at a standstill.

Top up or down, the SL550 Mille Miglia 417 looks aggressive, and it is fast: 60 mph comes up in just over four seconds, according to Mercedes, and it can reach a governed 155 mph. The soundtrack, however, could be more exciting. When you take your foot off the throttle, the popping in the exhaust doesn’t exactly sound as fiery as in an AMG—think of tin cans banging together, and you get an idea. And while the throttle mapping is overly aggressive, the seven-speed automatic in this SL550 feels lazy by comparison.

2016 Mercedes-Benz SL550 “Mille Miglia 417” Edition

We loathed the driver-assistance systems. In spirited driving and lane-hopping in the city, the SL repeatedly feared it was about to crash—and automatically applied full braking. This, naturally, made our driver look like a fool and gave those behind us the impression that we deliberately brake-checked them. Our test car managed only an indicated 14 mpg in our care, although our time with this Benz, which took place in Germany, included a lot of hard driving and triple-digit speeds. Drivers in the U.S. will surely fare much better.

On the open road, we were impressed by the SL’s directional stability and steering precision. And despite its huge wheels, this SL possesses sufficiently comfortable ride quality. Right at the limit, however, the transition between under- and oversteer is a bit more dramatic than one might hope from a car that’s otherwise quite composed. The SL63 AMG is more convincing when it comes to hard driving.

Indeed, if we were in the market for an SL, we’d try hard to come up with the extra $30K or so that separate this special edition from the more powerful and altogether better SL63 AMG (or go all-out for an AMG GT). But like all special editions, the Mille Miglia 417 has its distinct appeal. Down the road, it might well become a collector’s item, although it likely won’t ever be as sought after as the car from which it draws inspiration.

2016 Mercedes-Benz SL550 “Mille Miglia 417” Edition

Via: Car and Driver

A small photo tour about the production of the Sonderderedition “SL Mille Miglia 417”.

For more details and photos on the 60th anniversary edition, click here.

Production SL Mille Miglia 417

Mercedes-Benz celebrates the 60th anniversary of a memorable motor racing success with an extraordinary special model of the SL Roadster. Its name commemorates the unexpected victory of a 300 SL in the production sports cars class at the 1955 “Mille Miglia”, one of the world’s most challenging long-distance races. What’s more: the SL Special Edition “Mille Miglia 417” provides a special experience of the unique symbiosis of maximum comfort and motor racing spirit that traditionally characterises every SL. The Special Edition adds a distinctive note, among other things, with red exterior highlights and fine materials in the exclusively appointed interior.

Special Edition SL “Mille Miglia 417”

The Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster is more than an icon. Passion shapes its character and its charisma – in the past and today. Legendary vehicles and their stories dominate the model history. One of them is told by the SL that started the famous “Mille Miglia” in 1955 with race number 417 at 4:17 am. After 11 hours, 29 minutes and 21 seconds it had completed the race distance of 1597 kilometres on public roads from Brescia to Rome and back. Driven by the American private driver John Fitch with assistance from his co-driver Kurt Gessl, it crossed the finish line to great acclaim in fifth place of the overall standings and as the winner of the production sports cars, leaving numerous racing prototypes behind. Production 300 SL cars also took second and third place in this class.

Special Edition SL “Mille Miglia 417”

After 60 years the new SL Special Edition “Mille Miglia 417” now expresses the laudatory proclamation about this victory and the car with race number 417. For this reason Mercedes-Benz also integrated the legendary number “417” into the badge of this special model as a reminder – a symbol for the passion that helps shape the charisma of every SL Roadster.

Performance, pronounced sportiness and innovative roadster comfort are hallmark fundamental features that also distinguish the Special Edition “Mille Miglia 417”. The 6-cylinder engine in the SL 400 with 245 kW (333 hp) and the eight-cylinder in the SL 500 with 335 kW (455 hp) enable top sporting performance. As standard, ESP® Curve Dynamic Assist, an adaptive adjustable damping system, and in particular the optionally available unique Active Body Control ABC deliver sporty lateral dynamics while offering outstanding comfort at the same time.

The design of the Special Edition meets high aesthetic standards and underscores its spirit with stylish red highlights. Red is the colour of the lip on the front spoiler, and a red trim strip on the rear spoiler contrasts with the matte carbon. Red brake callipers gleam through the spokes of the black AMG Performance wheels, which sport subtle red surrounds and have diameters of 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear.

Special Edition SL “Mille Miglia 417” Wheel

The Special Edition “Mille Miglia 417” comes as standard with a magnetite black metallic paint finish. Optionally the two designo night black magno and designo cashmere white magno matte paint finishes or the designo diamond white bright shiny paintwork are also available. The designo paintwork lends the vehicle an individual and exclusive character.

Mercedes-Benz has further upgraded the luxurious yet sporty interior with fine materials and meticulous master craftsmanship. The AMG Line seats as well as the black centre console with contrasting inlays and red edging are eye-catching features. The leather headrests sport an embossed carbon structure and an embroidered “SL Mille Miglia” label. Red edging also outlines the black door centre panels with red armrests. The easy-to-grip steering wheel is wrapped in red and black nappa leather with sporty embossed carbon structure and bolsters the sporty ambience. The trim elements have a matte carbon finish. The black floor mats with red edging sport an embroidered “1000 Miglia” label.

Special Edition SL “Mille Miglia 417”

The SL Special Edition “Mille Miglia 417” is available as an SL 400 and as an SL 500 model. The price premium for the classy and extensive optional extras that lend the SL Roadster a special flair is EUR 14,800 for the SL 400, and EUR 12,800 for the SL 500 (net). The Special Edition can be ordered from 7th April.

The annual Mille Miglia vintage-car rally concluded this weekend in Italy, and as always, it was a colorful spectacle of important, rare, and classic automobiles being driven as they were intended instead of sitting on display like garage queens. Like any motorsports event, the Mille Miglia is not without risk—participants share public roads with regular traffic.

Other drivers? They’re wild cards, and accidents happen, as did to the No. 419 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing driven by Konstantin Sixt, heir to the Sixt rental-car fortune.

Bild reports that Sixt’s SL was struck head-on by a BMW 1 Series driven by a French volleyball coach. Here’s the good news: Reports indicate none of the injuries sustained by those involved were serious, and all are recovering.

The bad news? The Gullwing, valued at around $1.1 million (€800,000), really got hammered, as you can see in this video taken of the aftermath. If you’re an enthusiast, this one’s tough to look at:

Via: Road and Track

A strong contingent of exclusive classics from Mercedes-Benz Classic will be lining up in May 2014 to drive the Mille Miglia from Brescia to Rome and back. Following in the tracks of the legendary original road race held from 1927 to 1957, the modern regularity race is a captivating reminder of two pinnacles of the 120-year history of Mercedes-Benz motorsport: the victories of Rudolf Caracciola/Wilhelm Sebastian in a Mercedes-Benz SSK (1931) and Stirling Moss/Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S, 1955) are glorious moments in the racing tradition of the Stuttgart-based brand.

Mille Miglia 2013, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé (W 198, 1954 to 1957).

Mercedes-Benz Classic actively maintains this heritage through its continued participation in the regularity races. For the first time the “Mercedes-Benz Tribute to Mille Miglia” regularity rally opens the route to classic cars which are not part of the official starting field. In addition, Mercedes-Benz in cooperation with the Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia will show the “Experience Hans Liska” exhibition featuring race posters and drawings of the famous press and advertisment artist. The great involvement is an expression of the long-standing ties of the Stuttgart-based brand to the Mille Miglia: in 2013, Mercedes-Benz signed a long-term partnership agreement with 1000 Miglia S.R.L, organisers of the thousand-mile race, as the sole automotive principal sponsor of the Mille Miglia.

A thousand stories, a thousand miles: the Mille Miglia is a true legend in motorsport history. For historic automobile enthusiasts all over the world, the regularity race counts as one of the main events on the annual race calendar. This year, the thousand-mile journey from Brescia to Rome and back will take place from 15 to 18 May 2014. Mercedes-Benz Classic is lining up at the start with numerous original vehicles from the era of powerful, supercharged racing sports cars as well as with racing and production sports cars from the 1950s. Brand ambassadors Roland Asch and Bernd Schneider will be piloting this year. Private collectors will also be participating in the Mille Miglia in their own exclusive Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

“Our involvement is a reminder of how closely the Mercedes-Benz brand is connected with the history of the Mille Miglia, which was perhaps the toughest street race in the world in its day,” explains Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. “This year there is special significance to our active role in maintaining this unique bond, which combines motorsport success with innovative strength, passion with rivalry. That’s because we are devoting 2014 to the celebration of magic moments from 120 years of Mercedes-Benz motor racing history.”

In addition to the rally for vehicles that competed in the original race between 1927 and 1957, the organisers of the Mille Miglia will for the first time stage the Mercedes-Benz Tribute to Mille Miglia in 2014. This sporting competition will take place governed by the same rules as the actual Mille Miglia on the identical route from Brescia to Rome and back. The vehicles will start one hour before the competitors of the main field. Selected Mercedes-Benz vehicles not qualified to participate in the Mille Miglia are invited to take part in the tribute event. For example, this applies to the 300 SL Roadster (W 198 II) for classic vehicles built between 1958 and 1981 as well as for selected sports cars built after 1981. This exclusive addition to the Mille Miglia is supported by Mercedes-Benz Italy.

Mercedes-Benz will also bring the fascination of the legendary 1000-mile race to life with the “Experience Hans Liska” exhibition. The show features race posters, drawings and other works from famous graphic artist Liska and will be hosted at the Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia from the beginning of June. In particular in the 1950s Hans Liska put his stamp on the public perception of the Mercedes-Benz racing triumphs with his images. He also immortalised the 1955 Mille Miglia in impressive pictures.

Outstanding Mercedes-Benz victories in 1931 and 1955

Mercedes-Benz and the Mille Miglia belong together, in fact they are inseparable. Of particular significance are the overall victories of 1931 and 1955, both of which are defining moments in the motorsport heritage of the Stuttgart manufacturer. These were not the only glorious chapters of the racing history books written at the Mille Miglia, with further contributions coming from a class win by Rudolf Caracciola and Christian Werner in 1930 in a Mercedes-Benz SSK and second place overall in 1952 by Karl Kling in a 300 SL racer (W 194).

Car enthusiasts have been staging the Mille Miglia out of the Tuscan town of Brescia since 1927. In the fourth edition of the road race leading over a distance of 1000 miles to Rome and back Mercedes-Benz scored a class victory for the first time in May 1930. The powerful Mercedes-Benz SSK racing sports car driven by Caracciola and Werner made quite an impression: “Forging his path through the dust, Caracciola, the German champion, appeared in his squat white Mercedes”, wrote the reporter from British “Motor” magazine in his race report published on 15 April 1930. At one point on the home leg, in the high country of Bologna, Caracciola lay in fourth place, but eventually fell back to sixth place. This was enough to take a class win for cars with engines greater than 5 litres.

In 1931, Caracciola became the first non-Italian driver to take overall victory in the Mille Miglia. He was joined in the Mercedes-Benz SSK by co-driver Wilhelm Sebastian. From 12 to 13 April, Caracciola delivered a superlative performance throughout the 1635 kilometre race at the wheel of the SSK. His average speed in the marathon from Brescia to Rome and back was 101.1 km/h – the first time that the 100 km/h barrier had been broken at the Mille Miglia. In the mid 1930s, Caracciola reflected on this achievement in his first autobiography “Rennen – Sieg – Rekorde” (“Races – Victory – Records”): “1600 km on dusty country roads, passing gorges and ravines… around fearsome corkscrew bends and snake-like passages; through cities, towns and villages and again along dead-straight roads at an average of 150, 160, 170 km … one night and then another day.” He received a gold medal from the King of Italy and a cup from the Automobile Club of Germany in recognition of his victory.

Mille Miglia opens the door to a return to motor racing

Following the end of World War II, Mercedes-Benz returned to motorsport in 1952 with the newly developed 300 SL racing sports car (W 194). The first race appearance for the 300 SL, with its distinctive gullwing doors, was at the Mille Miglia. On 3 May 1952, there were three 300 SLs on the starting line in Brescia. On 4 May, Karl Kling and Hans Klenk finished in second place, with Rudolf Caracciola and co-driver Paul Kurrle following in fourth. Mercedes-Benz thus was the only manufacturer to finish with two vehicles in the top five in 1952. For racing manager Alfred Neubauer a dream was coming true. “That day, I started to feel young again,” the racing director later recalled.

This success was followed in 1955 by the second overall victory in the Mille Miglia by Mercedes-Benz with the 300 SLR racing sports car (W 196 S). Stirling Moss and his co-driver, Denis Jenkinson, won the thousand-mile race with an average speed of 157.65 km/h and the fastest time ever recorded of 10:07:48 hours. An all-time record. Second place belonged to Juan Manuel Fangio, who had entered as a solo driver, making for the perfect one-two. Mille Miglia success was not just the realm of the 300 SLR racers in 1955, with 300 SL (W 198) production sports cars also enjoying outstanding results that year: The team of John Fitch/Kurt Gesell were victorious in the Gran Turismo class for over 1600 cc, followed by their teammates Olivier Gendebien/Jacques Washer and Salvatore Casella (Places 5, 7 and 10 overall).

A legend is reborn

Although the original street race took place for the 24th and last time in 1957, the legend of Mille Miglia has never been more alive. Today, the Mille Miglia runs from the northern Italian town of Brescia to Rome and back as a regularity race. Challenging special stages await competitors along the thousand-mile course.

The exclusive event is only open to vehicle models that took part in the original race series. As well as racing sports cars and production sports cars from Mercedes-Benz, other vehicles are eligible, such as the Mercedes-Benz 180 D Ponton saloon (W 120), as driven to victory in the Diesel class by Helmut Retter and Wolfgang Larcher at Mille Miglia 1955. A year later, Erwin Bauer and Erwin Grupp steered their Mercedes-Benz 220 a (W 180) to a win in the Special Series Touring Cars class, which allowed extensive modifications to the engine and chassis.

Mille Miglia 2014 begins with scrutineering and issuing of documentation from 13 May to midday on 15 May (Tuesday to Thursday). On the evening of 15 May, competitors will leave Brescia at 18:00 for the first stage (228 kilometres), which runs to Thermae Abano via Padua. 16 May (Friday) sees the second stage (710 kilometres) start at 07:00, with the first cars scheduled to arrive in Rome around 22:30. The field of historic vehicles sets off from Rome on 17 May (Saturday) at 06:30 for the third stage (552 kilometres) to Bologna; the fourth and final stage (218 kilometres) then heads back to Brescia on 18 May (Sunday). In total, the 2014 Mille Miglia covers a distance of 1708 kilometres.

Mercedes-Benz Classic cars at Mille Miglia 2014

Mercedes-Benz SS 27/170/225 hp (W 06), 1930 – road-going version

With a displacement of 7.1 litres, the Model SS (Super Sport) six-cylinder in-line engine delivers up to 125 kW (170 hp) without supercharger, and up to 166 kW (225 hp) with the supercharger. Despite its powerful engine, the Mercedes-Benz SS is considered to be a Gran Turismo model, which is indicative of the wide range of bodies available. The Model SS had a baptism of fire as a racing car with up to 184 kW (250 hp) when it entered and won the Bühler Höhe Hill Climb. This was just the first of many racing triumphs. A total of 111 Mercedes-Benz SS cars were built, starting in November 1928, with the model staying on the price lists until July 1935.

Technical data – Mercedes-Benz SS 27/170/225 hp, road-going version

• Production period: 1928-1933
• Cylinders: in-line 6
• Displacement: 7065 cubic centimetres
• Power: 125 kW (170 hp), with supercharger 165 kW (225 hp)
• Top speed: 190 km/h

Mercedes-Benz SSK 27/170/225 hp (W 06), 1928 – road-going version

The SSK (model series W 06) is the most exclusive and alluring of the six-cylinder supercharged sports cars belonging to the Mercedes-Benz S-Series. The model designation stands for Super Sport Short (“Super-Sport-Kurz” in German), alluding to both the car’s particularly sporty character and its shortened wheelbase. In the summer of 1928, works driver Rudolf Caracciola won the Gabelbach, Schauinsland and Mont Ventoux races in the brand-new SSK at the first attempt. In 1930 and 1931 he won the European Hill Climb Championship at the wheel of the SSK. The lighter and yet more powerful version from 1931, which was also known as the SSKL (German abbreviation for “Super Sport Short Light”), also scored some spectacular victories. One of the most significant was its 1931 win in the legendary thousand-mile Mille Miglia race in Italy.

Technical data – Mercedes-Benz SSK 27/170/225 hp, road-going version

• Production period: 1928-1930
• Cylinders: in-line 6
• Displacement: 7065 cubic centimetres
• Output: 125 kW (170 hp), with supercharger 165 kW (225 hp)
• Top speed: 192 km/h

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

Mercedes-Benz re-entered the international motorsport scene after World War II in 1952 with the 300 SL racer (W 194). The car is based on an extremely light space frame that provides excellent torsional stiffness. Arching over this is are the elegant curves of the streamlined light-alloy body formed from aluminium-magnesium sheet. Because the space frame extends relatively high up the sides, the W 194 could not be equipped with conventional doors – this is how the racing sports car got its characteristic wing-like doors, hinged at the roof. This feature, which from 1954 onwards was also adopted for the production 300 SL (W 198) sports car is the reason for the nickname given the car in the English-speaking world: the “Gullwing”. The car is powered by an M 194 125 kW (170 hp) in-line six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2996 cc. The 300 SL was unveiled in March 1952 and was first raced at the Mille Miglia in May 1952. Many major successes were enjoyed by the W 194, including a clean sweep of the top-three at the Bern Grand Prix, spectacular one-twos at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the third Carrera Panamericana in Mexico and first place at the Nürburgring Jubilee Grand Prix.

Technical data – Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194)

• Period of use: 1952
• Cylinders: in-line 6
• Displacement: 2996 cubic centimetres
• Power: 125 kW (170 hp)
• Top speed: 240 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198), 1954-1957

The 300 SL “Gullwing” had its world première at the International Motor Sport Show in New York in February 1954. This new high-performance sports car was based on the legendary 300 SL racing car (W 194) from the 1952 season. A light weight space frame with high torsional stiffness carried the engine, gearbox and axles. As with the racing version, there was nowhere to install conventional doors, meaning the gullwing doors became an unmistakeable feature on the production sports car too. The W 198 also boasted a four-stroke fuel injection petrol engine, a world-first for a production car. This not only improved efficiency, but also increased engine power to 158 kW (215 hp) – around 20 percent more than the racing car version, which relied on a carburettor. Depending on the final drive ratio used, the 300 SL could reach a top speed of 260 km/h. This made it the fastest series production car of its time and the dream sports car of the 1950s. At the Mille Miglia, John Fitch and Kurt Gesell won the Gran Turismo class for engines greater than 1600 cc. In 1956, 300 SL Coupés also joined the pack at the Mille Miglia, where the team of Fürst Metternich and Graf Einsiedel took sixth place in the large GT class.

Technical data – Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198)

• Production period: 1954-1957
• Cylinders: in-line 6
• Displacement: 2996 cubic centimetres
• Power: 158 kW (215 hp)
• Top speed: up to 250 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 220 a (W 180), 1954-1956

Spring of 1954 saw the launch of Model 220, also designated 220 a (W 180) internally, the first Mercedes-Benz six-cylinder model with a unibody design. Its modern, roomy Ponton body, debuted by Mercedes-Benz half a year earlier in the form of the medium-sized Model 180, offered unheard of spaciousness and comfort. In a first for series production vehicles, the Model 220 enjoyed safer handling characteristics thanks to a single-joint swing axle. Under the leadership of Karl Kling, the Sports department specially prepared three vehicles for use at the Mille Miglia 1956. These featured a version of the twin carburettor that would be fitted to the 220’s successor, the 220 S, taking engine power to around 85 kW (115 hp). To ensure a sporty drive, shorter, harder springs and modified shock absorbers were fitted. In addition to this, drivers changed gear via a floor shift of the type found in the 190 SL (W 121), instead of the steering wheel gearshift provided as standard.

Technical data – Mercedes-Benz 220 a (W 180) – series production version

• Production period: 1954-1956
• Cylinders: in-line 6
• Displacement: 2195 cubic centimetres
• Power: 63 kW (85 hp)
• Top speed: 150 km/h

Brand ambassadors for Mercedes-Benz Classic at Mille Miglia 2014

Roland Asch

• Born on 12 October 1950 in Altingen

Trained as a master automotive mechanic, Roland Asch began his motor racing career as a hobby, but achieved victories like a professional: after winning the German Hill-Racing Championship in 1981 and the German Motor Racing Trophy in 1983, he had his debut in the German Touring Car Championships (DTM) in 1985. In 1988, he became DTM vice-champion with the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 of the BMK team. In the late 1980s, he won the overall rating in the Porsche 944 Turbo Cup three times, and in 1991 the championship title in the Porsche Carrera Cup. In the early 1990s, he achieved a total of five wins and various good placings in the DTM for Mercedes-Benz. In 1993, he became DTM vice-champion for the second time, and in 1995 moved to Ford in the Super Touring Car Cup. Roland Asch remains very closely associated with Mercedes-Benz as a brand ambassador.

Bernd Schneider

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The five-times DTM Champion Bernd Schneider achieved his first motor sport successes in kart racing and in Formula 3, also competing in Formula 1, in the Le Mans 24-Hour Race and in the FIA GT Championship, which he won in 1997. The DTM was to become the stage where he would celebrate his most spectacular victories: Schneider joined the AMG-Mercedes team in 1992, winning the DTM championship title for the team in 1995 after having come third in the overall rating in 1992 and 1993. Following the revival of the DTM as the German Touring Car Masters in 2000, Schneider was Champion in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2006. He was also vice-champion in 2002. Bernd Schneider is still closely associated with the Mercedes-Benz, and is active for the company as a test driver and brand ambassador.

When it comes to classic car events, there is no question that the Mille Miglia is one of the highlights of the year. Car enthusiasts from around the world make the trek to Italy to watch or take part in the 1,000 mile endurance race that kicks off on May 16. Taking part in the 2013 Mille Miglia will be Mercedes-Benz Classic with the legendary 300 SLR, numerous other vintage models and Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Steve Cannon.

Watch the video below of last year’s Mille Miglia for an idea of what Steve Cannon and other racers and fans will experience at this year’s race.

Thanks to a long illustrious history, Mercedes-Benz and Mille Miglia will be forever linked. For example Karl Kling drove a 300 SL racing car (W 194) to finish second place in 1952, symbolising the successful return of the Mercedes-Benz brand to the international racing stage. And of course no one can forget the legendary victory of Rudolf Caracciola in 1931. Along with his co-driver Wilhelm Sebastian, the Mercedes-Benz driver became the first non-Italian to win the Mille Miglia in his SSKL model.

Mille Miglia 2012, Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S, 1955) with Jochen Mass at the wheel. Original car of Juan Manuel Fangio at the Mille Miglia 1955

And perhaps the most famous moment for Mercedes-Benz at the Mille Miglia was in 1955 when Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson won the 1,000 mile race with the number 722 300 SLR (W 196 S). Sterling Moss won the race by maintaining an average speed of 97.95 mph.  The team completed the course in the fastest ever time of ten hours, seven minutes and 48 seconds.

There will be four famous faces representing Mercedes-Benz Classic at this year’s event: former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard will drive a 300 SLR (W 196 S) while Karl Wendlinger and Jochen Mass will team up in a 300 SL (W 198). Bernd Mayländer, the current driver of the Official F1 Safety Car, will also start at this year’s Mille Miglia in a 300 SL (W 198).

Juan Manuel Fangio (start number 658) in a Mercedes-Benz Model 300 SLR racing sports car just before the start of the 1955 Mille Miglia.

In addition to several Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198) models, this superb line-up will include an SSK, the legendary six-cylinder supercharged vehicle from the pre-war era. Also taking part is the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing model (W 194) with the original chassis number 5. It is the same vehicle that saw Rudolf Caracciola secure fourth place at the Mille Miglia in 1952. What’s more, the 300 SLR with starting number 658, behind whose wheel David Coulthard will be starting the race, is an original participant vehicle: in 1955, the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio drove this very vehicle solo across the finish line to take second place in the overall rankings, coming in just behind the winning team of Moss and Jenkinson, thus making 1955 doubly successful for the Mercedes-Benz brand.

The vehicles from Mercedes-Benz Classic at Mille Miglia 2013

Mercedes-Benz SSK 27/170/225 hp (W 06), 1928

Of all the six-cylinder supercharged vehicles from the Mercedes-Benz S-series, the SSK (W 06) is the most exclusive and most impressive model. SSK stands for “Super-Sport-Kurz” (Super Sport Short) and its particularly sporty design is emphasised by the shortened wheelbase. Rudolf Caracciola got off to a flying start in the summer of 1928 in the brand-new SSK, winning the Gabelbachrennen race, as well as both the Schauinsland and Mont Ventoux races. In 1930 and 1931, the SSK helped him secure victory at the European Hill Climb Championship. Spectacular success was also achieved with the lighter, even more powerful version from 1931, known as the SSKL (“Super-Sport-Kurz-Leicht”; Super Sport Short Light). One particularly significant victory was recorded at Mille Miglia in April 1931 when Rudolf Caracciola drove the SSKL over the finishing line in first place, making him the first ever non-Italian to win the race. He even set a new record by travelling at an average speed of 101.1 km/h.

The 'Mille Miglia', the 1,000-mile race starting and finishing in Brescia, 12 and 13 April 1931. Rudolf Caracciola and his co-driver Wilhelm Sebastian in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL racing car (W 06 RS model series) at the finish line in Brescia. It is the first time that a foreigner is the overall winner of this famous Italian race.

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

Mercedes-Benz returned to the world of international motorsport after the Second World War in 1952 with the 300 SL racing car (W 194). This vehicle was based on an extremely light, yet torsionally stiff space frame, covered by an elegantly curved, aerodynamic light-alloy body shell made from aluminium magnesium sheet metal. The space frame, with its increased torsional stiffness, was quite high at the sides of the vehicle in comparison to other vehicles. In turn, this meant that conventional doors were not suitable. Instead, the W 194 featured the characteristic gullwing doors attached to the roof. This design was also used for the 300 SL (W 198) series-production sports car from 1954, referred to in the English-speaking world as the “Gullwing”.

Powering the W 194 was the 170 hp (125 kW) M 194 inline six-cylinder engine with 2996 cubic centimetres of displacement. The 300 SL launched its racing career at the Mille Miglia in May 1952, after being unveiled in March of the same year. There were major successes recorded in the first and only racing season of the W 194, which included 1st. 2nd and 3rd place at the Bern Prize for Sports Cars, the spectacular 1st and 2nd place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and at the 3rd Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, as well as winning the Jubilee Grand Prix for sports cars at the Nürburgring.

Mille Miglia, 3 to 4 May 1952. Driving team Rudolf Caracciola/Paul Kurrle (No. 613) with Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194, 1952) takes fourth place

Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S), 1955

In 1955, Mercedes-Benz won the World Sportscar Championship with the 300 SLR. This vehicle is essentially a W 196 R Formula 1 racing car fitted with a two-seater sports car bodyshell albeit with a three-litre in-line eight-cylinder engine and light alloy cylinder blocks instead of the 2.5-litre Formula 1 engine and its welded steel cylinders which were required for thermal reasons.

With 310 hp (221 kW), the 300 SLR was way ahead of the competition in 1955, as proven by its 1st and 2nd place victories at the Mille Miglia, the Eifel race, the Swedish Grand Prix and Targa Florio. Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson (start number 722) won the Mille Miglia in 1955 with a record average speed of 157.65 km/h, one that remains unbeaten to this day. They were helped to victory by the “prayer book”. This was a series of notes on the course used by Jenkinson to direct Moss as they travelled across Italy. Lone driver Juan Manuel Fangio (start number 658) took second place.

Juan Manuel Fangio (start number 658) in a Mercedes-Benz Model 300 SLR racing sports car just before the start of the 1955 Mille Miglia.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198), 1954

In February 1954, the 300 SL “Gullwing” was unveiled to the world for the first time at the International Motor Sport Show in New York. The new high-performance sports car was based on the legendary 300 SL racing car (W 194) from the 1952 season. A light and torsionally rigid space frame supported the engine, gearbox and axles. Just like the racing version, it left no space for the classic door design, so the gullwing doors also became a distinctive feature of this series-production sports car. In any case, the “Gullwing” represented real innovative thinking. As the world’s first series-production passenger car, it was powered by a four-stroke engine with fuel injection. This not only increased efficiency, but also engine performance. With 215 hp (158 kW), thus 20 percent more than the carburettor racing version, top speeds of up to 260 km/h were possible, depending on the final transmission ratio. This made the 300 SL the fastest series-production vehicle of its time and the 1950s racing car that dreams were made of.

It also helped secure victory at Mille Miglia: in 1955, the team of John Fitch and Kurt Gessl won the Gran Turismo class for vehicles with a displacement of over 1600 cubic centimetres, achieving 5th place in the overall classification. Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer also secured 7th place in the same class. The 300 SL made another appearance at Mille Miglia in 1956 when the team of Prince Metternich and Count Einsiedel took 6th place in the big GT class.

Mille Miglia, Brescia in Italy, 1 May 1955. Winners in the production sports car class: John Cooper Fitch and Kurt Gesell (start number 417) in a Mercedes-Benz Type 300 SL (W 198) touring sports car

Mercedes-Benz 220 a (W 180), 1954

The 220 model introduced in the spring of 1954 – also known internally within the company as the 220 a (W 180) – was the first Mercedes-Benz six-cylinder model to feature a self-supporting structure. Presented by Mercedes-Benz just six months previously in the mid-size 180 model, the modern and spacious self-supporting “Pontoon” body offered a standard of comfort as yet unknown to drivers. The single-joint swing axle, introduced to series-production with the 220 model, ensured safe handling.

At the Mille Miglia in 1956, several Mercedes-Benz 220 models started in the class for standard special touring vehicles. In this class, modifications were permitted to both the chassis and the engine. The team of Erwin Bauer and Erwin Grupp won their class at the legendary Italian endurance race with a special 220 model. Three vehicles had been specially prepared for the Mille Miglia by Karl Kling and his team. They already had the twin-carburettor system of the successor 220 S model, with an engine capable of approximately 115 hp (85 kW). For the challenging journey, there were shorter and harder springs, as well as modified shock absorbers. Furthermore, the drivers were able to change gears using the floor shift, just like in the 190 SL, instead of the previously used steering column shift.

Mille Miglia 2012, Mercedes-Benz 220 a (W 180, 1954 bis 1959).

American racing driver John Cooper Fitch has died at the age of 95. Fitch passed away on October 31, 2012 at his home near Lime Rock Park, Connecticut/USA. Mercedes-Benz here pays its respects to his life – a life spent devoted to the automobile and to motorsport. The immediate points of contact between Fitch and Mercedes-Benz over the course of his career were comparatively brief – but highly significant.

Fitch’s first race for Mercedes-Benz was in 1952, driving the legendary 300 SL racing sports car (W 194) in the gruelling Carrera Panamericana race across Mexico. At the time, Fitch was considered one of the best in his field: “Auto” magazine of April 1952 named him as “One of the small handful of top drivers in the US”. And Fitch certainly lived up to these expectations, crossing the finishing line in his 300 SL racing sports car with roadster body among the race leaders. He was subsequently disqualified for returning to the garage after the start of the penultimate stage of the race to adjust the wheel alignment of his car.

Class victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia

Fitch achieved his great triumph for the brand in the legendary road race through Italy, the Mille Miglia, in 1955: then 37, he took the class victory as well as fifth place in the overall classification in his black Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198) with the starting number 417. With this result, the American put the seal on Mercedes-Benz’s overwhelming success in this particular Mille Miglia. For the Stuttgart team were able to celebrate two double victories at once: the overall classification was dominated by Stirling Moss (with Denis Jenkinson as co-driver) and second-placed Juan Manuel Fangio, each in a 300 SLR (W 196 S), while the GT class over 1.3 litres displacement was won by Fitch (with Kurt Gesel as co-driver) followed by Olivier Gendebien (with Jacques Washer in the co-driver’s seat, overall placement 7).

Following the Mille Miglia, the Mercedes-Benz race team manager Alfred Neubauer invited Fitch to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of a 300 SLR. He shared the car with Pierre Levegh, who died in a tragic accident at the race. Also in 1955, Moss and Fitch crossed the finishing line as the winners of the Tourist Trophy at Dundrod/Ireland. The American’s last race for Mercedes-Benz was in Sicily, in the Targa Florio of 1955, which ended with a double victory for Mercedes-Benz and the 300 SLR (Stirling Moss/Peter Collins followed by Juan Manuel Fangio/Karl Kling). Fitch and Desmond Titterington crossed the finishing line in fourth place.

A life dedicated to the automobile

John Cooper Fitch was born on 4 August 1917 in Indianapolis/USA. His stepfather George Spindler, a senior executive with the Stutz Motor Company, inspired the boy with a fascination for the automobile at an early age and even took him round the Indianapolis circuit as his co-driver. Fitch trained as an engineer, establishing initial contact with the European motor racing scene before the outbreak of the Second World War. He saw service in the war as a pilot with the US Air Force. In 1948 he opened a dealership selling sports cars in White Plains, New York. It was during this period that he also began to participate more actively in motor racing: he entered his first sports car race in an MG TC in 1949 in Bridgehampton, finishing in fifth place.

Further races and victories for a variety of marques followed, in North and South America as well as Europe. His last competitive race as a professional was at Sebring in 1966. From then on he worked in automotive engineering design, for Chevrolet amongst others. He also dedicated himself to vehicle safety, inventing the eponymous “Fitch Barrier” – an impact-absorbing element made up of plastic containers filled with sand or water, which mitigates the effect of accidents at motorway exits.

A keen automobile enthusiast all his life, the American always retained fond memories of his races for Mercedes-Benz. The series-production sports car 300 SL (W 198) was a particular favourite: “It was one of the most successful, indestructible sports cars ever built. It had […] a character, a charisma and a charm which I think will last as long as men […] respond to the magic and romance of great automobiles.”

On May 16, 2012, 25 SLR Club Members, set out from Stuttgart-Untertürkheim on this year’s Mille Miglia. They headed off to join the main field of classic cars at this year’s Mille Miglia. This marks the 8th time that SLR Club members are taking part in the traditional Italian race. The exclusive field is comprised five SLR Coupés, seven Roadsters, three Roadster 722 S models and ten SLR Stirling Moss models. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, was on hand to wave off the main field of vehicles.

This year’s Mille Miglia is taking place from May 17 to 20 and will cover a route that goes clockwise from Brescia to Rome and back, on the fabled Mille Miglia roads crossing six regions: Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Umbria and Lazio on the way down, adding Tuscany on the way back.

The 2012 route will pass through some of the most beautiful cities of Italy. Along with Brescia and Rome, the Mille Miglia will be going through Verona, Vicenza, Padova, Ferrara, Gambettola, Sansepolcro, Spoleto, on the way, and Viterbo, Siena, Firenze, Bologna, Reggio Emilia and Cremona on the way back.

New time trials will be scheduled for Umbria on the way, and also in Tuscany on the way back.

Each road has its history, its anecdotes, its traditions. The eighty some years since the first Mille Miglia have seen changes along the roadside, as has Italy, but something unchangeable and unchanging remains: the passion inspired by the Freccia Rossa, symbol of the Mille Miglia.

As with past years, Mercedes-Benz is again acting as a sponsor of the historical Italian race. The Stuttgart works team is taking part with a Mercedes-Benz SS, an SSK, and a 300 SLR (W 196 S) racing car, evoking memories of Mercedes-Benz’s great victory in the famous 1000-mile race: in 1955, Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson won the Mille Miglia at the wheel of a 300 SLR in the fastest time ever achieved – their record still stands to this day.

Mercedes-Benz’s association with the Mille Miglia is an enthralling story, full of great sporting moments. The high points include the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car’s (model series W 194) first entry into the 1000-mile race 60 years ago: in May 1952, Karl Kling scored second and former champion Rudolf Caracciola came fourth. This represented a promising start to Mercedes-Benz’s return to the international motorsport arena.

For this year’s Mille Miglia, Mercedes-Benz Classic is paying homage to that 1952 premiere and other successes achieved by the Stuttgart-based racing department in the legendary road race first held 85 years ago: from May 17 to 20, 2012 an original 300 SL racing sports car will be taking part in the 1000-mile rally from Brescia to Rome and back. These days, the Mille Miglia is an event for vintage vehicles which only those types of classic cars dating from the original road race between 1927 and 1957 may enter. 2012 sees this historic Mille Miglia – one of the most exciting events for classic cars at all – being held for the 30th time.

The organisers aim to fill the field with exemplars of authentic cars and as many original vehicles from the era of the Mille Miglia races of speed as possible. In addition to the 300 SL (W 194) racing sports car, therefore, Mercedes-Benz Classic will be represented by a large number of other exclusive vehicles ranging from the SSK racing touring car to the 300 SLR (W 196 S) racer and the standard 300 SL (W 198 I) sports car. The line-up includes the 300 SLR driven by Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1955 Mille Miglia (his starting number then was 658 and he placed second overall) and the 300 SL production car with which John Cooper Fitch won a class victory among the GT sports cars with a displacement above 1300 cc that same year (starting number 417, ranked fifth overall). A Mercedes-Benz 180 D will also be there – a saloon of this model won the diesel class of the 1955 Mille Miglia.

The 2012 Mille Miglia kicks off on 16 May with the technical checks and other items on the agenda in Brescia. There is also a special “Mercedes-Benz Champions at Mille Miglia” exhibition at the Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia. Daimler entered into a strategic partnership with the museum in January 2012 and, among other fascinating topics, the present exhibition covers the 1952 racing debut of the 300 SL prototypes and the legendary victories by Rudolf Caracciola in 1931 in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL and by Stirling Moss in 1955 in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR.

On 17 May, the 376 participating vehicles will be presented to the public in the old town of Brescia before the first car sets off at 6.30 p.m. All cars will then head to Ferrara, the end of the first stage, arriving by late evening and passing Lake Garda via Verona, Vicenza and Padua en route. From Ferrara, the event continues next morning (18 May) to Ravenna, through the Republic of San Marino and then on to Rome. The third and final leg goes from Rome to Viterbo, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Modena, Reggio nell’Emilia and Cremona before the participants arrive back in Brescia on 19 May. The awards ceremony takes place on 20 May. This year, the Mille Miglia’s route crosses the regions of Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Umbria, Lazio and Tuscany.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the 2012 Mille Miglia

Mercedes-Benz SSK (W 06), 1928–1932

Of the supercharged six-cylinder sports cars in the Mercedes-Benz S-series, the SSK (model series W 06) is the most exclusive and beguiling. The model designation is an abbreviation of “Super-Sport-Kurz” (German for Super-Sport-Short) because it combines a short wheelbase with extreme sportiness. On 29 July 1928, the brand-new SSK was driven straight to victory by factory racing driver Rudolf Caracciola in the Gabelbach race and other races such as the Schauinsland hill climb near Freiburg and at Mont Ventoux. In 1930 and 1931 the SSK helped Caracciola win the European Hillclimbing Championship. With its weight reduced and performance enhanced further, the 1931 version – also known as the SSKL (Super-Sport-Short-Light) – achieved equally spectacular successes. One of the most significant was victory in the legendary 1000-mile Mille Miglia: in April 1931, Rudolf Caracciola in the SSKL became the first non-Italian to win the gruelling road race from Brescia to Rome and back.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194), 1952

Mercedes-Benz returned to international motorsport in 1952 with the 300 SL racing sports car (model series W 194). A lightweight space frame forms the basis of this sports car over which a light alloy body made of aluminium/magnesium sheet metal elegantly curves. Because the space frame sits comparatively high at the sides it was not possible to fit the W 194 with conventional doors, which is how the racing sports car comes to have its distinctive, upwardly opening gullwing doors. This detail became part of the production model 300 SL sports car (W 198 I) in 1954. The W 194 is powered by the 175 hp (129 kW) M 194 six-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 2996 cc. The 300 SL made its racing debut in May 1952 at the Mille Miglia, having been unveiled for the first time that March. Some of the W 194’s greatest successes in the 1952 racing season were a threefold victory in the Prix de Berne race, double victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 3rd Carrera Panamericana and victory in the Nürburgring Anniversary Sports Car Grand Prix.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S), 1955

Mercedes-Benz won the 1955 World Sportscar Championship with the 300 SLR. This sports car is based on the chassis of the W 196 Formula One racing car but has two seats and a three-litre, eight-cylinder in-line engine made of light alloy in place of the 2.5-litre Formula One engine with its steel cylinders. Delivering 310 hp (221 kW), the 300 SLR is superior to its competitors from 1955, as documented by gaining first and second place in the Mille Miglia, the Eifel race on the Nürburgring, the Swedish Grand Prix and the Targa Florio. The 1955 Mille Miglia was won by Stirling Moss assisted by navigator Denis Jenkinson at an average speed of 157.65 km/h, a record that has never been beaten. Pacenotes proved invaluable in achieving this victory and at the time were a new technique allowing Jenkinson to direct the driver Moss very effectively. Juan Manuel Fangio came second driving solo. In Sweden and the 24 Hours of Le Mans the 300 SLRs were assisted by an “air brake” – a 0.7-square metre hood over the rear axle that could be hinged up when braking to increase braking performance. At Le Mans Mercedes-Benz withdrew the 300 SLRs, which were in the lead, after an accident involving the Belgian Pierre Levegh through no fault of his own.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198 I), 1954–1957

The 300 SL gullwing made its debut in February 1954 at the International Motor Sports Show in New York. This high-performance sports car is based on the legendary racing sports car from the 1952 season. A lightweight, torsionally stiff space frame carries the engine, transmission and axles. As with the racing version, there is no room for conventional doors and so the gullwing doors are a distinctive feature of the 300 SL (model series W 198 I). The gullwing model is also a champion of innovation in other respects: it was the world’s first production passenger car to be powered by a four-stroke engine featuring petrol injection. This boosted efficiency as well as engine output to 215 hp (158 kW), a 20 percent increase on the carburetted competition-only version and permitting a top speed of up to 260 km/h, depending on the transmission ratio installed. This makes the 300 SL the fastest production vehicle of its time and the dream sports car of the 1950s. It was also driven to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia by the team comprising John Fitch and Kurt Gesell, winning the Gran Turismo production class above 1600 cc and coming fifth overall. Also in the Gran Turismo class, the team comprising Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer ranked seventh overall. The 300 SL took part in the 1956 Mille Miglia too: in the big GT class the team of Prince Metternich and Count Einsiedel came in sixth.

Mercedes-Benz 180 D (W 120), 1954–1959

The first diesel-engined version of the Mercedes-Benz 180 (model series W 120) was premiered in January 1954. The Stuttgart-based brand now offered its modern “Ponton” saloon with a compression-ignition assembly outputting 40 hp (29 kW) with a displacement of 1767 cc. From 1953 (preproduction series) to 1959, a total of 114,046 model 180 D saloons were built. With a top speed of up to 110 km/h, this diesel saloon cannot compare with the racing and sports cars that were favourites to win the Mille Miglia overall in 1955. However, the 180 D is a highly contemporary car with a self-supporting body and what is known as a subframe to which the front wheels, located by double wishbones, were attached. The car proved its strength and reliability in the Italian road race: Mercedes-Benz entered several 180 D vehicles, culminating in a threefold win in the diesel class for the cars with starting numbers 04, 09 and 010A.

“Mille Miglia” stands for the fascinating history of motor racing legends. Again and again, the famous racing sports cars from Mercedes-Benz and their drivers have reached new heights in this legendary Italian thousand-mile race. This is now being marked by the “Mercedes-Benz Champions at Mille Miglia” exhibition at the Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia. This event is the first highlight of the strategic cooperation between Daimler and the Museum in Italy, which was concluded in February 2012. “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” will open its doors on 15 February, and can be seen until this year’s 2012 Mille Miglia (16 to 20 May 2012).

The stars of the exhibition are automative gems from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection which have contributed to the history of the Mille Miglia. These racing sports cars and other exhibits bring this history to life, major highlights being the overall victories by Rudolf Caracciola in 1931 and Stirling Moss in 1955. The history of this event carried out from 1927 to 1957 also includes several class victories and excellent placings for Mercedes-Benz. These successes give the Stuttgart-based brand an exceptional status in the history of the Mille Miglia. For one thing, no other non-Italian car brand has ever managed to win this road race from Brescia to Rome and back.

From the SSK to the 300 SLR

The Mille Miglia was three years old in 1930, when Rudolf Caracciola and his co-driver Christian Werner left the starting line for the “Thousand Miles” in their Mercedes-Benz SSK. On this first attempt Caracciola achieved the class victory for cars with a cubic capacity of up to 8 litres, reaching sixth place overall with an average speed of 92.8 km/h. In the following year he returned to Brescia to drive for Mercedes-Benz, this time at the wheel of a Model SSKL, a weight-reduced version of the SSK designed for road and mountain races. Caracciola duly won an overall victory in the racing sports car, whose supercharged six-cylinder engine developed 300 hp (221 kW) from a displacement of 7065 cubic centimetres. As a German national accompanied by co-pilot Wilhelm Sebastian, Caracciola was the first non-Italian to win the Mille Miglia.

Building on its success during the era of large, supercharged Mille Miglia cars, Mercedes-Benz entered a new generation of racing sports cars in the race during the 1950s: in 1952 Karl Kling took second place in the new Model 300 SL from the W 194 series, with Rudolf Caracciola in fourth place. Kling was the fastest driver to cover the route from Brescia to Rome, and received the “Sportman of the Year” award in that year. Three years later, in 1955, Mercedes-Benz almost completely dominated the Mille Miglia. Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson won an overall victory in the 300 SLR (W 196 S) racing sports car, whose 2982 cc eight-cylinder engine developed up to 310 hp (228 kW). The 157.65 km/h average speed achieved by Moss is the best ever achieved in the history of this road pace. Juan Manuel Fangio, who embarked on the “Thousand Miles” with no co-driver, was the second to cross the finishing line.

In 1955 John Cooper Fitch with co-pilot Kurt Gesell also won the class victory for GT cars above 1300 cc cubic capacity in a standard 300 SL sports car (W 198 I), and in the diesel class victory went to Helmut Retter and Wolfgang Larcher in a Mercedes-Benz 180 D (W 120). That season also saw the debut of the new Mercedes-Benz racing car transporter, which was created on the basis of the 300 SL for the purpose of rapidly transporting a racing car from the factory to the racetrack when required.

The “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” exhibition provides a particularly wide view of the motor sports world in the mid-20th Century. It repeatedly becomes clear that the champions are not just the drivers who are the first to cross the finishing line. Instead the winners are a large team using the innovative strength and performance of the entire company, a company whose origins go back to the independent invention of the automobile by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in 1886.

Tradition of the Mille Miglia viewed in a historical setting

The Museo Mille Miglia (Museo Mille Miglia) is where the fascination of this legendary road race can be experienced throughout the year. For this reason Daimler has embarked on a strategic cooperation with the Museum in Brescia. One major aim is to emphasise and strengthen the aspects held in common by the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart and the Museo Mille Miglia.

Opened in 2004, the Museo Mille Miglia is located in the historic Sant’Eufemia della Fonte monastery complex outside the gates of Brescia. The former Benedictine monastery was founded by Landolfo, Bishop of Brescia, in the year 1008. The monastery having been moved inside the city in the 15th Century, the historic buildings were first used as warehouses, then as a hospital. In 1997 the decision was taken to create the Museo Mille Miglia in this highly evocative location just under 20 kilometres from the shores of Lake Garda.

The focus of the permanent exhibition, which is divided into nine periods, is on the road race itself. However, the Museum also reflects the national, social and cultural history of Italy using the example of the regions traversed by the race in the course of time. Here the emphasis is on the period between 1927 and 1957, to which seven sections are devoted. There is also one section each covering the Mille Miglia from 1958 to 1961, and the present event for classic cars which was first held in 1977.

Special exhibitions such as “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” are devoted to individual, celebratory perspectives during which a dialogue also develops with the permanent exhibition. The exhibition opening in February provides a complete, panoramic view of the exciting motors sports history written by the racing sports cars of Mercedes-Benz at the Mille Miglia. Accordingly a visit to “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” will be one of the highlights of the programme for both the participants and spectators at this year’s race from Brescia to Rome and back.

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.

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 final stage of the 2010 Mille Miglia saw participants travel from the Italian capital of Roma back the starting city of Brescia.  The day started at 7:00 AM to rainy conditions, but as the group progressed north through Siena and Firenze, rain soon gave way to beautiful sunny weather.  Rich cultural heritage, gorgeous Tuscan landscapes and scenic mountain passes greeted drivers along their journey, and after roughly 660 miles and 15 hours, entrants began making their way across the finish line back in Brescia.  In total, drivers travelled roughly 1,400 kilometers with times of about 35 hours, and all 15 of the Mercedes team vehicles successfully completed the race.  One participant, Uschi Glas, who made the journey with her husband in a 300 SL Gullwing, said she was blown away by the atmosphere in Italy during the Mille Miglia, and the entire Mercedes team looks forward to competing again next year in the 2011 Mille Miglia.

The second stage of the Mille Miglia 2010 saw participants make their from Bologna to the Italian capital of Roma. Drivers began the day early, around 7:00 AM, and travelled through Imola and the Rebupbblica di San Marino through beautiful country roads and winding mountain passes, before making lunch stops in Urbino. Due to heavy Italian traffic in some areas, Italian motorcycle police escorts were necessary to make way for the drivers.  After lunch, the second half of the stage commenced, with participants tackling a 2000 meter high snowy mountain pass en route to Roma.  After 520 kilometers and 15 hours, drivers reached their destination – Piazza de la St. Angello in Roma.  All Mercedes have successfully completed the journey thus far, with our coverage of the longest, final stage – Roma to Brescia – coming up later tonight.

It’s Friday ladies and gentlemen, and I must preface this article with a brief disclaimer:  if you’re at work reading this, your mood is almost certainly going to get a bit more somber, because right now, as we speak, a caravan of incredibly gorgeous historic Mercedes-Benz models are traversing the beautiful Italian countryside in the 2010 Mille Miglia, and you (we) are missing it.  All is not lost, however, because despite our unfortunate placement, we’ve still got firsthand coverage for you from the event, and believe me when I tell you, the Mercedes models on hand are truly a sight to behold.

The festivities for the 2010 Mille Miglia actually kicked off yesterday in Italy, after heavy rain finally gave way to sunny conditions.  A total of 15 classic Mercedes-Benz models made the journey to Italy – nine Mercedes 300SL Gullwings, three Mercedes SSK’s, one Mercedes SS, one Mercedes 220A and one W194 prototype I – the largest factory team turnout for the event.  Also on hand for Mercedes are ex-Forumla 1 drivers Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard.

The first leg saw the drivers get underway from the norther Italian city of Brescia, with the teams traveling a total of  193 kilometers through Sirmione, Castel D’Ario and Cento before reaching Bologna, thus ending the first stage.  Next up is the longer, second stage of the journey – one that will see drivers make their way from Bologna south through Repubblica Di San Marino and Rieti before they eventually conclude at the Italian capital of Roma.

We’ll keep you updated throughout the Mille Miglia 2010 with additional photos and details; but in the meantime, check out the first wave of photos from the Mille Miglia’s first stage in the gallery below.