This is what you first see of the head office of Mercedes Benz in Stuttgart. It is very tight on the road to this place. Furthermore the office is placed close and under a motorway. We couldn't see any road signs. We had to drive after our feeling and atmosphere. There were lots of old and new Mercedes cars, Smarts and ordinary ones in the overcrowded parking along the road up to this picture. It must be here. There was not any reception room. We had to take a chance. Bosse parked a little impudently in a turning place for busses. Behind a gate it was a guard. That one we can ask. We were left in the car a little worried. Some rumour about police. But we could trust in Bosse. The visitors parking place was inside the gate and the turning place was for internal busses to the museum. Well driving in for parking, to the left of the gate along more or less expensive and testing Mercedes cars in the level of dream status. At the end we parked our buss in the sunny day. Rolling out of the buss a bit stiff and went  toddling back to the buss stop. Everything was free and the transport was on it's way every 15 minutes. Together with a gang of Japanese, we went through the main factory guard, into the exciting Mercedes area. It took only 7 minutes.
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Carl Benz 1844-1929, earned his money by building gasmotoren.  These were manufactured in Mannheim factory. During this time he was intensively working to carry out his idea about the self-running wagon. For this he couldn't use gas engines. He developed for this purpose a small 4-stroke petrol engine. It gave 0.4 ps at 400 rpm. The chassis that Benz constructed had only 3 wheels. He didn't succeed to develop a mechanism good enough for steering a four wheeler. With this engine cycle Benz did the first documented drive. July the 3rd 1886 in Mannheim. This date is considered as the birth of cars. All museums that will call themselves first class have a copy of Benz car. The original is put at Deutsche Museum in Munches. Several rumours are saying that his wife Clara took the car for a ride. If true, it's not the first time because it should be documented.

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Note the lower bearing for the balance wheel built in the cross bar is made of wood.
Benz "patent dreirad motorwagen" engine 1886

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In spite of all economical stubborn, Benz engine continued to evaluate motor wagons. During this time his "gasmotoren" factory almost become bankrupt. Large efforts was made to get more money. No one believed in Benz car idea should give buyers. The first try gave the sceptics right. The uncertain running "Dreirad Patent Motorwagen" had a price of 4000 RM. It was to much money. Not even his second car, Victoria, met with no change to speak of. At last his third try gave a demand. He sold 67 cars 1894, 135 1895, 181, 1896. Velo was the first serial produced car. It weighed 280 kg and had an engine of 1045 cc which gave 1.5 ps. The price was 2200 gold marks. Totally he manufactured till year 1900 ca 1800 cars of different models.. This made Benz to the worlds largest car producer.
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Benz biggest problem with his first car was the steering. He was forced to build a "dreirad". Benz solved this problem on his model Viktoria. He developed a system with kingpin steering. This gave the front wheels the ability to turn with different angles. This is the system that all cars have even today. The solution was to let the kingpin lean in two directions. Everybody has heard about camber and caster angles. For this Benz got patent and it forced other car builder to make varying advanced solutions. The new way of steering was demonstrated by Freiherr Theodor von Liebieg 1894, when he drove from Reichenberg in Bohemia via Mannheim to Reims and back. This was of course only an advertising gimmick in 2 ways. Theodor had to proof the economical possibilities of the car and for Benz so he could get investment money. For people it proofed the security of the car. In spite of this the marked was not ready to buy cars. Only a few Viktoria was sold. Possibly it was depending on wheels. Rubber air wheels didn't come until 1898.
Engine was 1 cyl., with bore of 150 and stroke of 165 giving 2915 cc. It had 5 ps at 700 rpm. Top speed was 35 km/h (on roads of that time) and petrol consumption was 2 l/10km. Cooling system had room for 160 litre!!
Benz production figures was only 69 cars between 1885 and 1893.
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Benz had monopolized the front wheel construction. Daimler had to produce cars that had something else which paid the purchasers attention, This car is the example of this. The first car with 4 speed transmission. It was belt driven. In this way Daimler got a smooth gearbox. Note that the front beam was suspended in the middle and turned round this point for steering. Same principle as a horse wagon.
The car was equipped with a 2 cyl engine with 762 cc and had bore of 67 and stroke 108. Power figures at 700 rpm was 2.5 ps and top speed 20 km/h.

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These years came the first cars with front engine and rear drive. Among all different models I can mention Benz Spider. The most important model was Mercedes Simplex which got it's name because it was simple to handle. The car had steering wheel and foot pedals, 4 gears forward and rear gear. One could later get it with chain drive or transmission and differential.  The transmission of power was done with clutch, plates and springs, which was handled through a pedal. One had for the first time low pressure tires. Cooling was done with honeycomb type cooler. For the first time it was equipped with low pressure tires. In the first version it was equipped with a 4 cyl, 5319 cc, bore 120, stroke 150 and a power output of 40 ps at 1050 rpm. Mercedes, just like Benz, had developed a system with 2 cyl block and valves build together in a block placed like a T (T-block). These blocks was build together to form a 2, 4 and later 6 cyl. engines. The lubrication was oil pressurized. Benz also sold a model 1903 named Parisfal Benz 12/18 hp. It was put on stand at Paris Motor Show 1902. A rival to Simplex.
The remaining pictures of Simplex are from 1905 and
1907 and are on stand at Sinsheim museum. Simplex had a very high standard of construction and terribly expensive. The car from 1907 was bought by the American agent and priced in today's value 4 million mark. Completely impossible to sell. After 3 years in selling hall it was put away and was stored. 1944 it was bought by Marianne Wing for 500 dollars as a gift to her husband. He kept the car till 1985 when it was sold to an American collector. He couldn't handle the old  technic so he donated it to his church. They later sold it to the present owner. He has lend it out to Sinsheim Museum. The engine in this 1907 model had 4 cyl. 9500 cc power of 70 ps. 1905 model had 4 cyl., 6800 cc and power output of 45  ps.
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World record for speed was taken 1909 at Brooklands by Victor Hemery, when he drove Lightning-Benz to a top speed of 202.68 km/h. Already 1911 the American Bob Burman put a new record of  impressive 228.1 km/h. This record kept till 1919 mostly because of first world  war. From the beginning Blitzen Benz was build for 1908 French Grand Prix, but was rebuild as a record breaker car 1909. Engine was 4 cyl, 2 block according to Benz principle with enormous 21504 cc and highest power output at 1600 rpm and for that time impressive 200 ps.
Study the car and note the double acting friction absorbers. There are drive chain on both sides. A differential is put in the chain axle. Yet there is no talk bout brakes. There is but only outside brake lining mechanically acted. There is place for hand crank to start engine. Yet doubtful if anyone had the strength.
The engine volume on 21 litre had overhead valves in 2 T-blocks and 2 sparkplugs/cylinder. You can see the pushrods coming up from the low placed camshaft.
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Daimler (read Mercedes) had no good suitable engine for a race car. See  Phoenix Contra Benz 1899 race car. This car is an expression for this. Maybach who made large engines, on the first hand for air ships had to let Daimler take his 6 cyl. motor. Although Maybach considered that 1 cyl is best 2 cyl. are acceptable, 4 cyl are to many and 6 cyl are not worth discussion, was this his first 6 cyl. engine. Bore 140, stroke 120 gave a volume of 11083 cc and with a power output of 120 ps at 1400 rpm. This gave a top speed of 150 km/h. Note that bore is bigger than stroke. On the engine picture you see the inlet side on the T-block motor. Look also how they have tried to prevent the front beam not to twist through the double friction absorbers with two bars down to the axle. There is no talk about this cars success. One can imagine that the construction was not a good one. Not until 1914 Mercedes came with a successful race car. In that car they took advantage of the construction  refinements from the car of 1906. Se 1914 Grand prix Car.
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From the beginning this was a S-type which was delivered to Czechoslovakia. 1934 the car was modernized. It was very common to update bodies for the most expensive cars. Besides a 3500cc, 6 cyl. SS-engine, at 135 ps, the car got a very handsome roadster body. The work was done by a well-established body builder in Prague. Firma Ulec. The long front fenders and even the impressive motor hood caught easily the eyes of looking people. Neither fender or motor bonnet was surpassed by any Mercedes when this was done. Compare Mercedes 500 K Special Roadster. It was not delivered until 1936. Still today "Schwarzer Prinz can reach over 200 km/h. You can see this car at Sinsheim Museum.

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This Mercedes model is principle worth all money in the world. Only 25 cars were built and 5 are still known to exist. Yet you should know that different models was sold with this type of body. Bodies with straight door and spare wheel in different places, hard top, fixed head coupe, and Maharadja style, so it is uncertain what Mercedes museum mean with  the 25. The model could be ordered from 1936. Sure is that the car you can see at Mercedes and Sinsheim museums are one of them. One model with straight doors are to be found at RossoBianco-museum. A Maharadja type is shown at Bugatti-museum in Mohlsheim. I have also seen one at Åhlholms museum in Denmark, but according rumour it is sold.
The backseat lid can be opened for another 2 seats. Another site showing "Mighty Mercedes" is C.F.Mirbach Historical Cars.
5400 cc, 8 cyl. gave 115 ps without compressor and 180 with. Its max speed was 170 km/h. Till 1938 it was delivered with 4 gear then 5. Uncertain if any 5 gear was delivered before the war.
NB. According to the book Mighty Mercedes it was only the first samples that were equipped without side windows and hollow doors. It was then equipped with straight doors and side windows.
This car can be found at Sinsheim museum. (Ref. 4)
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Detail pictures of different silver arrows. Year and model? That can be a suitable question for some summer rally of the year. Look at  rear-view mirror, steering wheel and dashboard. Maybe the drivers seat can give you a hint, or the incredible beautiful engine with compressor front and overhead cam drive rear fully visible.
Read about Auto Union, the car that meet Mercedes with resistance.
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