Auto Mercedes Benz F1: eifelrennen

The supercharged sports cars with the model designations S, SS, and SSK (W 06) from the late 1920s and early 1930s are towering figures in the history of Mercedes-Benz. These model series line characterised by racing victories, technical innovation, and exclusive aesthetics have long acquired legendary status – and the legend is all set to be brought back to life with a vengeance in June 2013.

On 16 June 2013, Jochen Mass will compete for the Jan Wellem Cup in the “Elephant Race” at the Nürburgring in a Mercedes-Benz SSK from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection. In entering the 225 hp (166 kW) SSK in the “Elephant Race”, Mercedes-Benz Classic is commemorating the historic win by supercharged Mercedes sports cars on 19 June 1927 – in the Nürburgring’s opening race. Driving the Mercedes-Benz S model, Rudolf Caracciola and Adolf Rosenberger scooped an outstanding double win which laid the foundations for numerous wins to follow.

What began in 1927 with the Mercedes-Benz S – S stands for “Sport” – was continued in the following years as Mercedes-Benz pressed ahead with its efforts to develop and optimise the sports car. The uprated Mercedes-Benz SS – for “super-sport” – duly appeared in 1928, of which only 111 were built from November 1928. The majority of these 101 specimen were produced up to the end of 1930, with a further 10 vehicles following up to September 1933. The “SS” is included in the price lists until July 1935. At the end of 1928, the Mercedes-Benz SS was modified once again for hill-climb races, giving rise to the legendary SSK model designation (German abbreviation for “super-sport-kurz”).

This modification focused primarily on a shortening of the Mercedes-Benz S chassis to a wheelbase of 2950 millimetres. In addition, the short chassis was fitted with the new 7.1-litre engine. On the basis of its actual origins, this means that the SSK should actually have been called the “SK”; on the other hand, the higher-capacity engine underscored its kinship with the Mercedes-Benz SS, prompting the SSK designation. The SSK was fitted with the 42 mm lower radiator of the Mercedes-Benz S. Like the Mercedes-Benz SS before it, however, it sports the newer version of the brand emblem – a single white enamelled star in the middle of a laurel wreath against a blue background.

The Mercedes-Benz S, SS, and SSK subsequently accounted for a major portion of the Daimler-Benz works team’s involvement in racing, and were also used with great success by numerous private drivers. The greatest success of this era without a doubt was the overall victory in the 1931 Mille Miglia for Mercedes-Benz works racing driver Rudolf Caracciola with co-driver Wilhelm Sebastian in an SSKL – an uprated and lighter variant of the SSK. Caracciola was the first non-Italian to win the 1000-mile race from Brescia to Rome and back – and Mercedes-Benz was the first non-Italian brand to win the legendary road race.

Engine designer Albert Heeß exploited the available engine potential to the full for the works team’s racing cars. An output of 310 hp (228 kW) was measured on the test bench with the larger of the two competition superchargers – referred to internally as the “elephant”. This turbocharger was designed for use over short distances, e.g. in hill-climb races. It was able to run continuously, whereas the supercharger was otherwise usually activated by pressing the accelerator down beyond a resistance point. The driver was able to activate and deactivate the supercharger on this racing variant via a linkage which was operated by means of a locking lever underneath the steering wheel.

As part of the ADAC Eifel Race, the “Elephant Race” has become established as a magnificent revival of the supercharger era at which Mercedes-Benz repeatedly makes the running with original racing vehicles. This tradition is to be continued in 2013 with brand ambassador Jochen Mass at the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz SSK, whose history extends back to Caracciola’s victory in 1927.

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

The SSK (model series W 06) is the most exclusive and fascinating of the six-cylinder supercharged sports cars belonging to the Mercedes-Benz S series. The model designation derives from the German abbreviation for “super-sport-kurz”. The car’s particularly sporty character is underscored by the shortened wheelbase and the high-capacity, high-powered six-cylinder engine. In the summer of 1928, Rudolf Caracciola won the Gabelbach, Schauinsland and Mont Ventoux races by a clear lead at the wheel of the brand-new SSK. In 1930 and 1931, he won the European Hillclimbing 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-kurz-leicht”) also scored some spectacular victories, a particular highlight being the Mille Miglia win: in April 1931 Rudolf Caracciola became the first ever non-Italian to claim victory in this race. The average speed of 101.1 km/h established a new record.

Technical data – Mercedes-Benz SSK 27/170/225 hp (W 06), street version
Production period: 1928-1930
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 7065 cc
Ouptut: 170 hp (123 kW), with supercharger 225 hp (166 kW) at 3,300 rpm
Top speed: 192 km/h

The drivers in the 2013 “Elephant Race”

Jochen Mass
Born on 30 September 1946 in Dorfen near Starnberg.

Jochen Mass began his varied career in motor sport in 1968, racing in touring cars for Alfa-Romeo and as a works driver at Ford between 1970 and 1975. During this period, he won the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race (1972). At the same time, he also took part in Formula 2 (1973) and in 105 Formula 1 Grand Prix races (1973/74 with Surtees; 1975-1977 with McLaren; 1978 with ATS; 1979/80 with Arrows; 1982 with March).

After winning the German Racing Car Championship in 1985 and a stint until 1987 as a works driver at Porsche, he joined the Sauber-Mercedes team as a works driver. He drive for this team in Group C until 1991. In the new Silver Arrow – the Sauber-Mercedes C 9 – Jochen Mass won the Le Mans 24-hour race with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens and achieved second place in the 1989 World Championship. Three years later Mass moved into team management in the DTM.

Sir Stirling Moss described him as “a driver with a great feeling for racing cars and a high level of expert knowledge who is familiar with all eras of racing history”. This explains why Jochen Mass is on the scene for Mercedes-Benz right up to the present day at historic events, such as the ADAC Eifel Race at the Nürburgring. From the W 165 Silver Arrow to the Mercedes-Benz SSK – Jochen Mass knows and drives them all.

Did you already know?
The history of the S-Class is the focus of a special exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum from 18 June to 3 November 2013.

Credits: Daimler AG

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Detail: Mercedes-Benz SSK to compete in the 2013 “Elephant Race” at the Nürburgring

At the ADAC Eifel Race including the Jan Wellem Trophy which is to be held at the Nürburgring from 14 to 16 June 2013, Mercedes-Benz Classic will be fielding a host of fascinating vehicles celebrating the entire spectrum of motor sport history since the race track’s origins in the 1920s. The star line-up in the Eifel will include both the legendary supercharged Mercedes-Benz SSK racing car and the historic O 3500 racing transporter, for example.

Classic touring cars from Mercedes-Benz will also be well represented at the ADAC Eifel Race including the Jan Wellem Trophy: brand ambassador David Coulthard will be racing the “Tailfin” 220 SE (W 111) in the three-hour Dunlop FHR Endurance Cup in the Eifel on Saturday. This will be the first race of the 2013 season for the car, which Mercedes-Benz Classic has built according to the original.

The grey “Tailfin” is making its mark in historic motor sport while reviving memories of Mercedes’ major racing victories in the 1960s. The vehicle’s outings in modern-day races are the culmination of collaboration between Mercedes-Benz Classic and the FHR association of historical racing drivers. Founded in 1983, the FHR has been promoting historic motor sport for 30 years now and has been instrumental in turning the current racing series with historic competition cars into popular events. To mark its 30-year anniversary, the FHR is appearing at this year’s meetings with a newly designed drivers’ paddock. Alongside the 220 SE, a rally version of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (W 112) will also be on show and in action.

The Mercedes-Benz SSK (W 06) will grace the Eifel Race as a 225 hp (166 kW) time machine for the trip into a golden era of motor sport history: Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador Jochen Mass will be competing in the supercharged sports car dating from 1928 in the so-called Elephant Race on the Sunday, 16 June 2013.

This race for the big sports cars of the 1920s and early 1930s alludes back to the era which also witnessed the Nürburgring’s opening race in 1927. Rudolf Caracciola and Adolf Rosenberger were the victors back then, each at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz model S. Caracciola, who was later to become an idol of the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows era, laid the foundation for his honorary title of “Master of the Nürburgring” with his win.

Mercedes-Benz Classic will also be using the SSK for a total of four exclusive trips on the Saturday and Sunday, on which prize winners will accompany Jochen Mass around the Nordschleife (North Loop). These trips will bring Jochen Mass’s passengers as close as it is possible to get to the pioneering days of the Eifel Race. In the run-up to the Eifel Race, Mercedes-Benz Classic has staged a competition in selected motoring magazines, with these trips as the main prize.

In addition, brand ambassador Dieter Glemser is offering trips in the co-driver’s seat of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (W 112). Mercedes-Benz won numerous international rallies with this near-series competition vehicle in the 1960s, including victories for the Stuttgart racing team in the Argentinian Touring Car Grand Prix of 1963 and 1964.

Mercedes-Benz Classic’s strong presence at this festival of historic motor sport will be rounded off by a comprehensive supporting programme. Former racing driver Marcel Tiemann will act as compère, presenting various highlights of automotive history. Exhibits on show from the Classic division of the company which invented the automobile will include a Mercedes-Benz O 3500 racing transporter. Three of these elegant vehicles based on a bus body were produced in 1954 to transport the legendary model W 196 Silver Arrows. Such a transporter has been recreated with the greatest possible authenticity for racing outings by Mercedes-Benz Classic.

In particular, the supporting programme includes special treats for the members of recognised Mercedes-Benz brand clubs, such as parking facilities in the paddock, taxi trips on the Grand Prix circuit of the Nürburgring in the 300 SE, participation in the Nordschleife Experience and much more besides – including autograph sessions and meet and greets with the brand ambassadors.

This offering by Mercedes-Benz Classic highlights the strong ties between the brand and the clubs. Fans of classic Mercedes automobiles are also assured of expert, comprehensive support at the Eifel Race by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Customer Centre, which will be on-site with its own stand.

The ADAC Eifel Race has been staged at the Nürburgring since the legendary race circuit was opened in 1927. The event’s roots extend back still further, however – races were already taking place around Nideggen under the name of the ADAC Eifel Tour between 1922 and 1926. The legendary Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows were also born at the Eifel Race: the W 25 competed in silver livery in 1934, as legend has it, that the white paintwork had to be removed from the racing cars at the Nürburgring on weight grounds – claiming victory in this very first, prestigious race with Manfred von Brauchitsch at the wheel.

The ADAC Eifel Race including Jan Wellem Trophy is being staged as an event for historic automobiles since 2008. The spectrum of vehicles rich in racing history which are lining up in various categories ranges from the supercharged sports car from the early days of the Eifel Race to Group C racing cars such as the Sauber Mercedes C 9.

The three-day festival of historic racing (with the actual Eifel Race as a three-hour competition on the Saturday) offers the lively and diverse historic racing scene numerous races and an extensive supporting programme. Highlights on the agenda in 2013 are once again Mercedes-Benz Classic’s presentation of numerous vehicles from the Mercedes-Benz brand clubs in the paddock area and the gathering of brand clubs.

The Mercedes-Benz Classic vehicles at the 2013 ADAC Eifel Race

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

The SSK is the most exclusive and fascinating of the six-cylinder supercharged sports cars belonging to the Mercedes-Benz S series. The model designation stands for “super-sport-kurz” (in German), alluding to both the car’s particularly sporty character and its shortened wheelbase. In the summer of 1928, works racing 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 Hillclimbing 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-kurz-leicht”) also scored some spectacular victories, one of the most outstanding being in the legendary 1000-mile “Mille Miglia” race: driving the SSKL, Rudolf Caracciola was the first non-Italian to win the gruelling road race from Brescia to Rome and back in April 1931.

Technical data – Mercedes-Benz SSK 27/170/225 hp (W 06), street version
Production period: 1928-1930
Cylinders: 6/in-line Displacement: 7,065 cc
Ouptut: 170 hp (123 kW), with supercharger 225 hp (166 kW) at 3,300 rpm
Top speed: 192 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 220 SE (W 111) “FHR Tailfin”

Mercedes-Benz Classic built a model 220 SE (W 111) “Tail fin” saloon for historic motor sport in 2011 in order to commemorate the brand’s historic racing victories, to uphold its traditions, to allude to its outstanding contribution to racing history, and to make historic motor sport an even more attractive proposition for active participation by private drivers. The car complies with the provisions of Appendix K to the international sports law issued by FIA (Féderation Internationale de l’Automobile). The vehicle is deployed in particular in the Dunlop FHR Endurance Cup organised by the FHR association of historical racing drivers – the world’s largest historic endurance racing series in accordance with Appendix K. An authentic feature typical of the 1960s is the competition vehicle’s great similarity to the series production model on a technical level. The customary modifications include the reinforcement of chassis elements and body components, an increase in the size of the fuel tank and adaptation of the engine characteristics to the given application.

Technical data – Mercedes-Benz 220 SE (W 111) “FHR Tailfin”
Production period: 1959-1965
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 2,195 cc
Output: 120 hp (88 kW ) at 4,800 rpm
Top speed: approx. 170 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (W 112) rally vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SE as a rally vehicle dominated the touring car scene from Argentina to Germany in 1963 and 1964. Like all Mercedes-Benz cars used in rallies in this era, the large “Tailfin” saloons were very closely based on the series production vehicles. Daimler-Benz AG highlighted this fact at the time as a selling point for the series production saloons. The saloons did undergo certain modifications, however, according to their intended form of use. Measures here included reinforcing chassis elements, enlargement of the fuel tank and adaptation of the engine characteristics, for example by lowering the compression ratio in the interests of a longer engine life. The transmission and final-drive ratios were also varied.

Technical data - Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (W 112) rally vehicle
Production period: 1963-1964
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 2,996 cc
Output: 195 hp (143 kW) (series production version: 160 hp/118 kW; as of 1964: 170 hp/125 kW )
Top speed: over 200 km/h (series production version: 175 km/h to 195 km/h, depending on year of production and rear-axle ratio)

Mercedes-Benz O 3500 racing transporter with box body

For the return to Grand Prix racing in the 1954 season, the Mercedes-Benz racing department built three special transporters to ferry the model W 196 Silver Arrows to and from their races. The Mercedes-Benz bus model O 3500 served as the basis for the closed racing transporters. In contrast to the L 3500 truck, the bus has a substantially lower chassis with a drop over the rear axle. This creates the necessary space to transport two racing cars one above the other in the large box bodies.

In all, bodybuilder Ludewig in Essen built three racing transporters with voluminous box bodies for Mercedes-Benz. Two of these served to transport vehicles, while the third O 3500 was fitted out as a mobile workshop. The fleet for racing events also included an L 3500 pickup and – as of 1955 – the legendary open transporter based on a Mercedes-Benz 300 S. Mercedes-Benz Classic has rebuilt one of the O 3500 racing transporters in highly authentic style.

Technical data – Mercedes-Benz O 3500 racing transporter with box body
Production period: 1954
Cylinders: 6
Displacement: 4,580 cc
Output: 90 hp (66 kW)

The drivers for Mercedes-Benz Classic at the 2013 ADAC Eifel Race

David Coulthard
Born: 27 March 1971 in Twynholm, Scotland

David Coulthard began his go-carting career at the young age of 11. He was junior go-carting champion in Scotland from 1983 to 1985. After racing in various Formula categories, in 1994 he joined the Williams Formula 1 team. In 1995, David Coulthard came third in the Formula 1 World Championship. At the beginning of the 1996 season, the Scot moved to McLaren Mercedes, teaming up with Mika Häkkinen (Finland). At the Australian Grand Prix in 1997, Coulthard secured Mercedes-Benz its first Formula 1 win since 1955. In 2001, Coulthard came second to Michael Schumacher in the World Championship. From 2005 to 2008 he raced for Red Bull Racing; in 2008, Coulthard ended his Formula 1 career. In all, David Coulthard competed in 246 Grand Prix races between 1994 and 2008, including 150 for McLaren Mercedes. He notched up 13 wins, 12 of which were for McLaren Mercedes. From 2010 to 2012, David Coulthard raced for the Mücke Motorsport team in the DTM at the wheel of an AMG-Mercedes C-Class. He ended his active racing career in October 2012. The Scot has now taken up an involvement in historic racing as a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz Classic. He will be the first Formula 1 vice-champion ever to take part in the Dunlop FHR Endurance Cup when he competes in the 2013 Eifel Race.

Dieter Glemser
Born: 28 June 1938 in Kirchheim/Teck, Germany

His career in the fast lane kicked off in the 1960 Schorndorf Hill-Climb Race. Numerous class victories duly ensued in various hill-climb and circuit races at the Nürburgring. After joining the Daimler-Benz AG team in 1963 and taking to the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE, he notched up a final win in the Polish rally and came second in the German rally (including a class victory) and in the Argentinian Road Grand Prix. In the following year, he was involved in the triple victory by Böhringer/Kaiser, Glemser/Braungart and Rosqvist/Falk in the Argentinian Road Grand Prix. With Ford, Dieter Glemser claimed a European Championship title for touring cars in 1971, a win in the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race, and the German Racing Championship (DRM) in 1973 and 1974. He ended his active racing career in November 1974 after a serious crash resulting from tyre damage in the touring car race in Macao/South-East China. Dieter Glemser was a member of the Mercedes-Benz motor sport team for ten years from 1990, responsible for organisational matters as head of department. From 2001 to 2008, he worked as a freelancer for Mercedes-AMG and Daimler AG in the area of sports and safety training and Classic events. He still drives at Mercedes-Benz Classic events to this day.

Jochen Mass
Born: 30 September 1946 in Dorfen near Wolfratshausen, Germany

Jochen Mass began his varied career in motor sport in 1968, racing in touring cars for Alfa-Romeo and as a works driver at Ford between 1970 and 1975. During this period, he won the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race (1972). At the same time, he also took part in Formula 2 (1973) and in 105 Formula 1 Grand Prix races (1973/74 with Surtees; 1975-1977 with McLaren; 1978 with ATS; 1979/80 with Arrows; 1982 with March). After winning the German Racing Car Championship in 1985 and a stint until 1987 as a works driver at Porsche, he joined the Sauber-Mercedes team as a works driver. He drove for this team in Group C until 1991. In the new Silver Arrow – the Sauber-Mercedes C 9 – Jochen Mass won the Le Mans 24-hour race with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens and came second in the 1989 World Championship. Three years later Mass moved into team management in the DTM. Sir Stirling Moss described him as “a driver with a great feeling for racing cars and a high level of expert knowledge who is familiar with all eras of racing history”. This explains why Jochen Mass is on the scene for Mercedes-Benz right up to the present day at historic events, such as the ADAC Eifel Race at the Nürburgring. From the W 165 Silver Arrow to the Mercedes-Benz SSK – Jochen Mass knows and drives them all.

Marcel Tiemann
Born: 19 March 1974 in Hamburg

North German Marcel Tiemann came to motor sport comparatively late, but notched up early successes to establish himself among the front runners. In 1997, Mercedes-Benz signed up the promising young driver for the FIA GT Championship, in which he drove an AMG-Mercedes CLK-GTR. In his very first season, Tiemann achieved fourth place in the driver rankings – on equal points with Alessandro Nannini. 1998 saw him racing once again for Mercedes-Benz in the FIA GT Championship. When the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) resumed in 2000, he was among the Mercedes-Benz drivers in the CLK-DTM. As from 2001, he raced for various teams. His five wins in the 24-hours race at the Nürburgring are the stuff of legend, driving for Opel in 2003, followed by four wins in succession for Porsche from 2006 to 2009. After an accident which was no fault of his own when driving an Audi at the GT Open in Imola in May 2010, Tiemann was forced to end his active racing career. He was one of the most successful long-distance drivers of his era, making it onto the winner’s rostrum in at least every third one of his earlier races and claiming one of the first five places in two out of every three races. Marcel Tiemann has been a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz Classic since 2012.

Did you already know?
The history of the S-Class is the focus of a special exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum from 18 June to 3 November 2013.