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When the Hockenheimring stages the finale of the 2011 DTM season next weekend, this will also mark the end of an era in the world’s most popular touring car series: the AMG Mercedes C-Class will be retired after 158 races in DTM and ITC. With a grand total of 84 victories (win ratio: 53%), it ranks as the most successful vehicle in the 27-year history of the DTM. The C-Class accounts for almost half of the 164 Mercedes-Benz wins in the 341 races since 1988 (win ratio: 48%). A further 30 victories were achieved with the AMG Mercedes CLK (2000 to 2003) and 50 more with the AMG Mercedes 190E (1988 to 1993).
Three generations of the C-Class raced in the years 1994 to 1996 (DTM/ITC) and 2004 to 2011 (‘New DTM’). Mercedes-Benz gave the C-Class its DTM debut in the 1994 season; it scored its first victory on the second race weekend and, by the end of the season, had brought home both the drivers’ title for Klaus Ludwig and the constructors’ title. “The C-Class came along at just the right time,” recalls Ludwig. “We immediately made a big step forward. It was the key to championship success and was an instant hit with the fans. Then as now, touring cars like the C-Class were a favourite of the German crowds.”
In the second year, too, the title went to a C-Class driver as the current DTM record champion Bernd Schneider celebrated the first of his six championships in the DTM/ITC with Mercedes-Benz. Schneider is now the only driver to have won a title in both the DTM/ITC era (up to 1996) and the ‘New’ series since 2000.
“The AMG Mercedes C-Class was one of the best racing cars of my career,” says Schneider. “It was a thoroughbred racer that was spectacular to drive and made a great noise, which drivers and fans enjoy in equal measure.” With six championship victories in the DTM/ITC in the years 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006, Schneider is the most successful driver in DTM history. He also holds the record for most wins (43), most pole positions (25) and most fastest laps (59).
Between 1994 and 1996, the C-Class triumphed 34 times in 74 DTM and ITC outings. When the C-Class returned to action in 2004, it took over from the AMG Mercedes CLK which had performed sterling service for Mercedes-Benz in the 2000 to 2003 seasons. Since then, the C-Class has won 50 out of 84 races (win ratio: 60%) – more than any other car since the revival of the DTM in 2000.
“The C-Class is a great car,” says Gary Paffett. “I first drove it when I launched
my DTM career in it 2004 and I then went on to win the championship in 2005.” The Englishman, who is driving the THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class this season, is the most successful driver currently competing in DTM, with 17 wins to his name. “I also had great success with the later model from 2007 onwards and missed out on the title by only the narrowest of margins.”
Scotsman Paul Di Resta won the 2010 DTM drivers’ championship driving an AMG Mercedes C-Class. This year, he races for Force India-Mercedes in Formula One. “The first DTM car I drove was a C-Class at the 2004 McLaren BRDC Autosport Young Driver Award,” says di Resta, “and I remember the experience to this day: a car that felt like a single-seater, but with great power, fun to drive… and a roof over my head! I spent four seasons racing the car in DTM and was able to join the ranks of the drivers who became champion with the car – an achievement I am incredibly proud of. Working with the C-Class taught me a lot about setup and how to work with the technical team to get the most out of the car – the racing is so close that you need to squeeze out every last bit of performance. It was a perfect preparation for the demands of Formula One.”
Mercedes-Benz can look back with pride on a long and successful tradition in the DTM. Since the company first entered a works team in 1988, no rival manufacturer has won as many races as Mercedes-Benz. The three-pointed star has won the drivers’ title ten times, the constructors’ championship nine times and the team title on 13 occasions – no other manufacturer has enjoyed greater success in the DTM. In 2000, Mercedes-Benz was also instrumental in establishing the ‘new DTM’. The introduction of new technical regulations in the 2012 season marks the next chapter in the world’s most successful touring car series. The closing race of the 2011 season will also be the last race contested by the AMG Mercedes C‑Class, the most successful DTM car of all time. In the 2012 season, Mercedes-Benz will respond to the changed circumstances with the launch the new DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé.
Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “Our C-Class has written a success story unmatched by any other car in DTM history. To win 84 races from 158 races is a fantastic achievement, for which I would like to thank all of our teams and drivers. Foremost among them, of course, is our partner HWA AG and its executive and technical director Gerhard Ungar, as well as his team - with these successes, you have written a chapter in motorsport history. The C-Class will stand as the most successful car of the 'old' DTM up to 1996, as well as in the 'new' era from 2000 to 2011. Thank you for all your hard work and extraordinary achievements; they are unique, and that's why we are so pleased to commemorate this success story in Hockenheim, when the C-Class will race for the last time.”
Source: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The history of Daimler AG goes back to 1886 – the year Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler invented the automobile independently of one another. Benz invented the Patent Motor Car in Mannheim,, while Daimler in Stuttgart invented the Daimler Motorised Carriage. They each founded their companies, Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG), and in competition rose to become two leading automotive manufacturers. Gottlieb Daimler died in 1900, just short of his 66th birthday. Carl Benz enjoyed a longer life and lived to see the automobile flourish, dying in 1929 at the age of 84 years.
Daimler-Benz AG
The idea of combining the expertise of the two automotive manufacturers first surfaced during the First World War. However, it was not until 1924 that the two signed an agreement declaring a community of interests in which DMG and Benz & Cie. combined their expertise ‘while maintaining their legal independence’. The principal reason behind the community of interests was to establish a combined approach to sales. Finally, in June 1926 Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft formally merged to form Daimler-Benz AG (DBAG). This merger simultaneously gave rise to the Mercedes-Benz automotive brand.
The Great Depression and Second World War
Daimler-Benz was also forced to make cutbacks as a result of the Great Depression of the late 1920s. The company was forced to introduce fundamental changes to model policy during this period, and in keeping with the general trend brought a relatively small passenger car onto the market. The Mercedes-Benz 170 with 1.7-litre engine was introduced in autumn 1931 and at 4,400 Reichmarks was around one quarter the price of the brand’s next cheapest model. With production of 90,000 units in total, the four-cylinder Mercedes-Benz 170 V was the most successful Mercedes-Benz of the pre-war years.
By late 1932 the German automotive industry was already beginning to show signs of new growth and to look to the future again with newfound optimism. The following year saw the rise to power of the National Socialists. Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler recognised at an early stage the importance of ‘mobilising the people’ for the ‘technical war’ of the future, and soon after taking power he introduced relief measures on all aspects of automotive manufacturing. From 1937 onwards, Daimler-Benz AG increasingly built vehicles for military use, as well as aero-engines and large-scale engines, because that was what the Nazi leaders demanded. In the run-up to the war the proportion of armaments production increased steadily as a fraction of company turnover. The largest corporate division was truck production; on the other hand, passenger car production – which since the start of the war had been restricted to vehicles for military use – went into decline and by late 1942 had virtually ceased altogether. The company now accelerated the production and assembly of military components for the German Army, Air Force and Navy. Increased armaments production also called for new workers, since many employees were already fighting as front-line soldiers. To begin with the company employed women in order to meet the required unit numbers. But since this new workforce was insufficient, Daimler-Benz also use forced labour. These prisoners-of-war, abducted civilians and prisoners from the concentration camps were accommodated close to the plants: forced labourers from Western Europe were housed in hostels, private quarters or schools. ‘Eastern workers’ and prisoners-of-war were interned in poor conditions in barrack camps. Prisoners from the concentration camps were guarded by the SS in degrading and inhumane conditions. They were ‘loaned’ to companies for a fee. By 1944 almost half of the 63,610 Daimler-Benz employees were civilian forced labourers, prisoners-of-war or concentration camp prisoners.
After the war Daimler-Benz admitted its complicity with the Nazi regime and worked closely with the initiative ‘Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft’, a foundation of German industry, which demanded humanitarian compensation for former forced labourers.
Renewed sparkle during the ‘economic miracle’
The starting point for Daimler-Benz AG during the period from the end of the Second World War to the introduction of the Deutschmark was described by the Board of Management of the day as ‘complete breakdown, yet also the beginnings of the company’s revival,’ since with the occupation of the plants by the Allies the company had ‘practically ceased to exist’. But the Allies in the West soon had the production lines operating again, so that Daimler-Benz was in a position to help with the economic reconstruction of the country. The Untertürkheim plant was provisionally reopened on 20 May 1945, and the Sindelfingen plant restarted production in 1947. In particular, there was a pressing need for commercial vehicles to help with the reconstruction of Germany. This was anything but profitable for the manufacturer, since the vehicles were allocated to customers with coupons at fixed prices.
With its new passenger car and truck models from 1949 onwards, the Mercedes-Benz brand continued the company’s pre-war success, consolidating and putting behind it the years of reconstruction. During the German economic miracle the Mercedes-Benz brand regained its former sparkle, the company blossomed and once again could begin planning expansion. And not just in Europe: by 1949 Daimler-Benz had made initial contact with Brazil, for example, and local production started up there shortly afterwards. Daimler also invested in production facilities in Argentina and India in the early 1950s.
Growth and expansion
Domestically, the first major post-war acquisition of Daimler-Benz was the 1958 majority stake in Auto Union GmbH of Ingolstadt, founded in 1931, where from 1959 onwards the DKW Junior was built. In 1964, Daimler-Benz sold Auto Union to Volkswagen and used the profits to build the truck plant at Wörth. Following the acquisition of Hanomag-Henschel and Krupp in the late 1960s/ early 1970s, Daimler-Benz became the world’s number one truck manufacturer. 1970 was also the year in which MTU Motoren- und Turbinen-Union (engine and turbine union) was founded, which united the MAN Allach plant and the Daimler-Benz AG plant complex in Friedrichshafen.
In the mid-1980s, under the leadership of Chairman of the Board of Management Edzard Reuter the company pursued a strategy to turn the purely automotive manufacturer into an integrated technology concern. This involved acquiring expertise from the electronic and aviation industry, in order to achieve synergy effects with other business divisions. In 1985, Mercedes-Benz bought a share in the aerospace company Dornier and AEG AG, whose business operations included energy, industrial and rail technology, communications systems and household appliances. The vehicles business was integrated into the newly created Mercedes-Benz AG in 1989. Only its products, that is to say the vehicles, would from that point on bear the three-pointed star on the roads of the world. The aerospace activities of Dornier and MTU as well as Telefunken systems technology were brought under the umbrella of Deutsche Aerospace AG, DASA for short, which was renamed Daimler-Benz Aerospace in 1995. To this was added Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH (MBB). In 1989, the decision was taken to develop Daimler Benz InterServices (debis) AG, which offered a comprehensive range of services ranging from software products and computer communication to financial services, insurance, mobile telephony and marketing.
But the international boom slowed dramatically in early 1990. As a result, from 1992 onwards restructuring and cost-cutting measures were implemented. In May 1995, Reuter handed over the future of the company to his successor Jürgen E. Schrempp, who changed the company’s direction by restoring the focus to the vehicles business and giving the company a more international orientation. In the late 1990s, for example, he acquired an interest of 37 per cent in Asian carmaker Mitsubishi Motors and 10 percent in the Hyundai Motor Company. In 1998, the Group announced its merger with the American carmaker Chrysler Corp. The financial markets received the news with great optimism. Despite high yields in 1998 and 1999, however, the financial position of the American manufacturer worsened. The clean break came in 2007, when Dieter Zetsche, CEO of DaimlerChrysler since 1 January 2006, separated from Chrysler. With effect from 4 October 2007 the company resumed trading under the name Daimler AG.
A tradition of success
Today Daimler AG is one of the world’s most successful automotive companies. With the divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the automotive manufacturer is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world’s biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles. In addition, Daimler Financial Services offers a comprehensive range of automotive financial services, including financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management.
Under Dieter Zetsche the company also succeeded in gaining a foothold in the often rather difficult Chinese market. Moreover, Daimler AG agreed in April 2010 a far-reaching strategic cooperation with the Renault-Nissan alliance, to work jointly for example on an architecture for small cars, expansion of the engine portfolio and further development of the van segment. The Group also took a stake in Toll Collect GmbH through Daimler Financial Services AG, which collects truck tolls in Germany. Daimler also has an interest in the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. (EADS), the parent company of Airbus and Eurocopter.
Innovations for the future
In addition, Daimler invested in the development of alternative drive systems with a view to enabling zero-emissions mobility in the long term. At the same time, the inventor of modern mobility became the only carmaker in the world to invest in both the hybrid and electric motor and the fuel cell. Evidence of the far-sightedness of the research team at Daimler AG is to be found in the company’s smallest passenger car, the smart, as Mercedes-Benz began working on a study for the automotive future of the year 2000 as far back as the 1970s. The project for a very special compact car came about as a result of the oil crisis, which in 1973 even led to driving bans in Europe. The engineers and designers of the Mercedes-Benz project team designed a particularly fuel-efficient, environment-friendly and compact vehicle for the urban conurbations of the future – without compromising on aspects of driving comfort and safety. The first smart was launched in 1998, and since late 2009 a small series of the second-generation vehicle has been coming off the production line in the form of the smart fortwo electric drive featuring an innovative lithium-ion battery.
‘One could say that we make exciting cars greener and green cars more exciting,’ said CEO Dieter Zetsche in the 2009 Annual Report. ‘This can only be done with pioneering technologies – and we have them. At Mercedes-Benz Cars, we were able to reduce the average CO2 emission value for our fleet by a full 13 grams to 160 g/km in 2009.’
In 2009, the Group sold 1.6 million vehicles and employed a workforce of more than 256,000 people; revenue totalled € 78.9 billion. By 30 September 2010 the Group was employing a workforce of just under 260,000 people, had already sold around 1.4 million vehicles between January and September and sales in the third quarter alone rose by 30 per cent compared with the same period the previous year to more than € 25 billion.
Read a detailed press kit about the corporate history of Daimler AG >> HERE
Source: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Concept vehicles have always been an essential piece in the modernization and progress of the Mercedes-Benz brand. Used to highlight the future models and technologies that are to be serially produced in a matter of years, this special type of show car is part of a very complex philosophy developed by the German constructor, which is used to strictly delimitate concept machines from research cars, technology demonstrators, experimental vehicles and design studies.
The modern era brought a wealthy array of spectacular vehicles that announced the next generation of Mercedes-Benz models. The Coupé concept of 1993 previewed the new design identity, dominated by the 4-eyed front fascia, to be then materialized in 1995 on the W 210 generation of the E-Class. Nonetheless, several other advances and features premiered on this model were to become reality on other series-produced cars, such as the fastback tail on the new C-Class sports coupé (CL 203) of 2000 and the panorama glass roof on the E-Class (W 211) of 2002.
The Vision A 93 and the Studie A prototypes that followed later in 1993 and 1994 heralded the first-generation of the A-Class compact MPV in 1998, whereas the MCC (Micro Compact Car), an early-satge project for the city car of the future, paved the way to the smart city coupé (today, the fortwo version).
The innovative SLK I and SLK II concepts that were equipped with an ingenious metal folding roof announced a new compact roadster model in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, placed just below the SL, that came in 1996: the Sport Leicht Kurz or SLK (R 170).
The versatile and activity-oriented AA Vision concept car unveiled in 1996 at the NAIAS Detroit became reality one year later, when the Sttutgart-based carmaker unleashed the M-Class sports utility vehicle, bound to be assembled at the Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama, USA.
Nearing the end of the 20th century, Mercedes-Benz revealed the Maybach ultraluxury limousine study and Vision SLR that led to the official unveiling of the Maybach 57/62 range in 2002 and the SLR McLaren supercar in 2003.
The Vision SLA of 2000 was more of a proposal for a new, possible small-sized open-top in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio, placed below the SLK. It never hit streets as a series model, but lately, hints are the concept is back on the decision table. If the answer is unanimously positive, chances are the future SLA could arrive in showrooms after 2013.
At the IAA Frankfurt 2003, Mercedes-Benz shocked the audience with the unveiling of an astonishing prototype, which harmoniously blended the sexy lines of a 2-door model into a 4-door limousine: the Vision CLS. The car was very well-received and the decision to send it into the market quickly came into force. And that's how the first CLS-Class was born in 2004.
The sports tourers segment began shaping up when Mercedes-Benz released the 2002 Vision GST, 2004 Vision GST II, 2004 Vision R and 2004 Vision B (CST). This family-oriented, roomy yet dynamic and appealing set of show cars teased the new R-Class and B-Class models premiered in late 2004 and 2005.
The outrageous Maybach Exelero prototype of 2005, used for high-performance Fulda tyres, and the nonconformist 4-door luxury cabriolet Ocean Drive Concept of 2007 never reached series production, but some of the new technologies systems showcased on them found their way onto various Mercedes-Benz and Maybach versions. The Vision GLK FREESIDE and TOWNSIDE concepts that bowed in January 2008 gave important hints about the new GLK-Class compact SUV that was revealed in the spring of the same year.
The three Concept BlueZERO variants presented in 2009 at Detroit signalled the advent of the environmentally-friendly, alternative powering solutions at Mercedes-Benz. The fuel-cell and electric drive technologies were used to then develop the B-Class F-CELL, the smart fortwo ed and the A-Class E-CELL.
In 2009, Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off the Vision S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID concept car, which used a V6 direct-injection petrol engine linked with an electric unit that, at need, can autonomously propell the vehicle for a range up to 30 km. One year after, the Concept Shooting Break served as an elegant design proposal that mixed the flowing, curvaceous lines of a 2-door model and roomy architecture of a wagon to create a new kind of coupe. The project has already been greenlighted for mass production and it will be officially revealed in 2012 in the form of the new CLS Shooting Break. Nevertheless, the second generation of the CLS-Class introduced at Paris in 2010 took its inspiration from the lines of the above-mentioned concept.
Last, but not least, the Concept A-Class premiered in April 2011 at the Shanghai Motor Show points towards a new generation of compact-sized Mercedes-Benz models. The third generation A-Class hatchback will be released during spring next year and will feature a consistent part of the technical advances previewed on the concept car.
Read more consistent details about the history of modern Mercedes-Benz concept vehicles >> HERE
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The glittering motorsport history of the Mercedes-Benz brand is a big focus of Mercedes-Benz Classic. Participation in the ADAC Eifelrennen at the Nürburgring is one of the ways it is honouring this heritage: from 9 to 11 September 2011, drivers and fans will be joining together to celebrate a festival of historical motor racing, which is now in its fourth year in this format.The event will commemorate high points in the motorsport history of Mercedes-Benz: for example, when Rudolf Caracciola won the first Eifelrennen on 19 June 1927 in the category for sports cars with five-litre-plus engines, driving a Mercedes-Benz S-Type – a supercharged touring sports car. Or the birth of the Silver Arrows legend in 1934, when the Mercedes-Benz racing cars appeared at the Eifelrennen not in the usual white livery, but with their shiny aluminium bodywork exposed.
In 2008, the Eifelrennen was relaunched as a premium event for vintage vehicles. It is the perfect stage for showcasing some of the racing cars and sports cars in the Mercedes-Benz Classic stable. In 2011, the choice of classic vehicles has been guided largely by the triumphs of Juan Manuel Fangio at the Nürburgring.
The occasion for this special theme is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fangio – Argentine-born and once the number one driver for Mercedes-Benz: at the Nürburgring, Fangio won the 1954 European Grand Prix in an open-wheel W 196 R racing car and also the 1955 Eifelrennen in a 300 SLR sports car. Besides that W 196 R with open-wheels one race transporter will be representing at this year’s Eifelrennen. Former Mercedes-Benz drivers Roland Asch, Dieter Glemser and Jochen Mass have also been lined up to appear as brand ambassadors.
Brand ambassadors Mercedes-Benz Classic at the 2011 Eifelrennen
Roland Asch
Born in Ammerbuch-Altingen, Germany, on 12 October 1950
A qualified car mechanic with his own successful car dealership in Ammerbuch near Tübingen, Asch has a passion not only for motorsport, but for the technology that makes motorsport possible in the first place. But he is no die-hard driver. Motorsport has always remained a hobby for him, albeit a time-consuming one.
Roland Asch began his career in slalom racing and hillclimbs (1976-1982), securing the title of German Hillclimbing Champion in 1981 before achieving further success as the overall winner of three Porsche 944 Turbo Cups (1987/88/89) and one Carrera Cup (1989), and as runner-up after moving to the German Touring Car Championship.
After starring in the German Racing Championship, he made his debut in the 1985 German Touring Car Championship. This was followed by engagements for the MS-Mercedes team in 1989, for the Snobeck-Mercedes team in 1990, for Zakspeed-Mercedes in 1991 and 1992, and for AMG-Mercedes in 1993. In 1992 (Eifelrennen, Hockenheim) and 1993 (Diepholz and twice at the Avus race in Berlin), he recorded five victories and a string of high-placed finishes. And in 1988 (Mercedes 190 E 2.3-16 for the BMK motorsport team) and 1993 (Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16 Evo II Class 1), he finished as runner-up with Mercedes-Benz in the German Touring Car Championship.
Since 1995 – after moving to the Super Touring Car Cup – he has driven for a wide range of other racing teams.
Dieter Glemser
Born in Kirchheim/Teck on 28 June 1938
Dieter Glemser’s career in the fast lane began with the Schorndorf Hill Climb race in 1960. Many classic racing triumphs followed in various mountain and circuit races on the Nürburgring.
Glemser began racing for Daimler-Benz AG in 1963, winning overall in a Mercedes 220 SE at the Poland Rally and taking second place in both the Germany Rally (including a class victory) and the Argentine Grand Prix. In the following year, too, Glemser participated in the triple victory of the teams Böhringer/Kaiser, Glemser/Braungart and Rosqvist/Falk at the Argentine Grand Prix.
Glemser celebrated victory once again in 1971 with a European Champion title with Ford in the touring car championships and a win at the 24-hour Spa-Francorchamps event, and also held the title of German Motor Sport Champion in 1973 and 1974. However, following a severe accident caused by tyre damage at the Macau Touring Car Race, Southeast China, in November 1974, he decided to end his active motorsport career.
For ten years from 1990, Dieter Glemser was a member of the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport team, and as department manager was responsible for organisation. From 2001 to 2008, he worked on a freelance basis for Mercedes-AMG and Daimler AG for sport and driver safety training and at classic events. He continues to drive at Mercedes-Benz classic events to this day.
Jochen Mass
Born in Dorfen near Wolfratshausen/Munich on 30 September 1946
Jochen Mass, originally a trained seaman, began his richly varied motorsport career in 1968 racing touring cars for Alfa-Romeo and as a works team driver for Ford between 1970 and 1975. During this time, he won the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (1972). At the same time, he drove in Formula 2 (1973) and in 105 Formula 1 Grands Prix (1973/74 for Surtees; 1975-1977 for McLaren; 1978 for ATS; 1979/80 for Arrows; 1982 for March). With the 1985 German Sportscar Championship title and a stint as works driver at Porsche until 1987 under his belt, he was recruited for the Sauber-Mercedes team, also as a works driver.
He drove in Group C for this team until 1991. In the new Silver Arrow, the Sauber-Mercedes C 9, Jochen Mass won the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens and finished runner-up in the 1989 World Championship. Three years later, Mass became involved in team management for the German Touring Car Championship.
Jochen Mass still represents Mercedes-Benz at historical racing events and at vintage super sports car events. Whether it’s a 40-horsepower Simplex from 1902 or a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR from 1955 – Jochen Mass knows them all and drives them all.
Vehicles of Mercedes-Benz Classic at the 2011 Eifelrennen
Mercedes-Benz W 196 R (version with open wheels), 1955
In 1954, the Silver Arrows returned as Mercedes-Benz entered the Formula 1 fray with the W 196. The first race for this new 2.5-litre racing car, the French Grand Prix in July 1954, ended with a double victory for Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling. The eye-catching ‘Streamliner’ proved to be the right choice for the high-speed track in Reims.
In most races in the 1954 and 1955 seasons, however, a classic open-wheel monoposto was used, which was better suited for race circuits with lots of bends. Three other victories were secured in the W 196 R in 1954; in the following season it was five; and in both years Fangio became the world champion.
Vehicle
Year of construction: 1955
Cylinder: R8
Engine size: 2496 cc
Performance: 290 hp (213 kW)
Maximum speed: approx. 300 km/h
Mercedes-Benz high-speed transporter, 1955
In 1955, Mercedes-Benz’s racing division created a high-speed transporter which incorporated the direct-injection, six-cylinder in-line engine of the 300 SL super sports car. Its job was to speedily transport broken-down racing cars to the workshop for repair, to bring in replacement cars as quickly as possible, and to transport others to test tracks with a minimum of fuss.
The 192 hp (141 kW) three-litre engine was fitted into the extended frame of a Mercedes-Benz 300 S luxury sports car. It could move the cab-over-engine truck, which weighed in at 2,100 kilograms, at an impressive 165 km/h. The range of the ‘express’ was around 600 kilometres, with fuel consumption of 25 litres per 100 kilometres – thanks to a 150-litre tank.
On the instruction of Rudolf Uhlenhaut, then head of passenger car development at Daimler-Benz AG, this one-off model was scrapped in December 1967. The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center spent several years building a replica of the transporter with its steel and aluminium body. This new edition of the express race transporter was finished in April 2001.
Vehicle
Year of construction: 1955
Cylinder: R6
Engine size: 2998 cc
Performance: 192 hp (141 kW)
Maximum speed: 170 km/h
Source: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Mercedes-Benz high luxury cars are widely and unanimously recognized as the top premium vehicles ever assembled. The German constructor based at Stuttgart started crafting superb limousines and landaulets as far back as the early days of the 20th century. Since the beginning, these magnificent machines were designed to serve as official cars for diplomats, royal personalities and state presidents and leaders. Through time, Mercedes-Benz further enriched and garnished the representative models in its lineup with new, state-of-the-art technology and equipments and thus managed to raise above all the other car manufacturers. Simply, if you talk about the 'Super Mercedes' variants of the 1930s, the 'Mercedes Adenauer' of the 1950s, the 'Grand Mercedes' Type 600 of the 1960s or the Maybach of the modern days, you will definitely recognize the true values of an original Mercedes-Benz uber-premium car: sheer motoring passion, careful attention to each and every detail, complete wellness and refined comfort.
Find more exquisite about this topic >> HERE
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
