Only such minds as those at Mercedes Benz could come up with an idea like this, and also see it to its deserving end. Create a carrier that has to contain a racing car and take it to different parts of Europe, and make it such that it is swift and extremely eye-catching. But what could have been the motivation behind making something with so much devotion when the company knew that it had no commercial merit? Wasn’t it possible to simple use a van that was large enough? If you like this mercedez article check out mercedes benz cars for more top quality information.
The tale of the making of the transporter is one of dignity, zeal, and common sense. In the days before World War I, there was stiff competition between Mercedes Benz and the other groups in Germany involved in racing. However, the V-12 powered W-154 released by Mercedes proved itself to be the car that became everyone’s envy, winning 12 of the 17 events before the war. Mercedes had remained aloof of Grand Prix racing till the season of 1954, and this happened due to a decision that was taken two years before.
The truck was thus designed by Mercedes to be special only for its W-196, a fresh new racing model that was to be driven by a famous Argentine racer. The haulier had to be such that it could be easily recognized on the road as being made by Benz and also it had to be really unique. They designed it to be one of the fastest cars on the Western European freeways of the time as well.
You gained a lot of bonus time for prep run-throughs and practice detailing if you reached the racetracks first. It also meant that a damaged racer could be driven to the plant for repairs and returned to action in record time. Mercedes put in their best technologies in making the transporter. The extended X shaped frame was based on the automaker’s full sized 300 S sedan, while the 3.0 liter six cylinder engine and four speed manual transmission were similar to those installed in the automaker’s 300 SL gull wing sports cars. The four wheels were set up with hydraulic brakes that were power-assisted as an extra measure. More information on the topic of mercedez is located at mercedes c class.
However, the transporter’s most unique aspect was the grand framework. Most of the steel panels used were derived forms of other panels that were in vogue in those days. The interior fixtures, the windshield, and the doors : all of them were modelled on the ones used in the 180 S. It had enough space to accommodate two spare tires, a loading ramp, tools, and all necessary equipment for the racing car.
The front axle was kept unnaturally far behind the single cab, which in turn was placed too low, but the result was that the look was one that was uniquely Mercedes. The finished product, painted in factory blue, was more than just an eye catching success. The truck could go faster than 100 mph, even when loaded fully with 6,600 pounds : a speed that is considered to be fast even today.
Hitting the roads sometime in mid-1954, the transporter was an instantaneous hit at the race tracks of Europe, and the U.S.as well. The carrier actually pulled more crowds than the racers it transported. Mercedes Benz withdrew from racing following the tragic events of the 1955 French 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race after a privately entered Mercedes Benz 300 SLR crashed, killing 80 people. This resulted in the racing division and the transporter being retired before that year got over.
Initially, there was an idea that the transporter and its cargo should be kept in the company’s own museum, but the weight turned out to be more than the floors could handle, and so this idea got done away with. After its untimely termination, the company got a lot of inquiries, such that it had to start on the plans of a replica in 1993. With the help of an outside fabricator, and a handful of sketches and photographs, the vehicle was finally unveiled in 2000. Thus, all those who were ardent fans of this influential carrier in the history of formula racing can now see it in the museums.