Redefining The Prevalent Notions: Mercedes Benz Did It In 1954
Only such minds as those at Mercedes Benz could come up with an idea like this, and also see it to its deserving end. Build a vehicle that has to carry a super-racing car to events all over Europe, and turn it in to the swiftest and the most desirable transporter anyone has ever seen. But why did the company put in such huge chunks of money in designing and constructing a carrier that was obviously non-commercial? Wasn't the job possible with just a big van?
The transporter's conception is a story of pride, fervour, and practical 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, Mercedes' V 12 powered W 154 proved to be the car to beat, as it won 12 of the 17 events leading up to the war. Till 1952, Mercedes had stayed out of Grand Prix racing and returned to the scene only with the start of the 1954 season.
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 carrier had to be different, easily spotted on the road, and easily identified with the company. It even had to the speediest of its type, as well as comparably fast to any other car on the free roads of Western Europe.
To be one of the first to reach the racetracks meant that you got more time to rehearse and organize. This gave the team more time to go through a damaged racer carefully and get it repaired in the plants even, and return it to the tracks in time as well. Technically speaking, the carrier was gifted with the best Mercedes technologies of the day. 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.
However, what really caught your eye about the carrier was its amazing body work. The panels that were fitted on it were derived from other models that used to exist at the time. The fixtures on the inside were based on the ones from the 180 S, as were the windshield and the doors. It had enough space to accommodate two spare tires, a loading ramp, tools, and all necessary equipment for the racing car.
The single cab was kept unconventionally up front, way too much ahead of the front axle, and the cab itself was placed seemingly too low, but the look that was obtained in the end was definitely Mercedes Benz. The paint job of clean, factory blue made it more than just a short-time success. Even when it was fully loaded with 6,600 pounds, it could go beyond 100 mph, a speed that is fast even in today's age.
The transporter was unveiled in the middle of 1954 and was an immediate sensation in the race tracks of Europe and the U.S. The carrier actually pulled more crowds than the racers it transported. Following the tragic event at the 1955 French 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, in which a privately owned Mercedes Benz 300 SLR crashed and killed 80 people, the company actually pulled out of formula racing. Before the year was out, the whole racing division was closed, including the transporter.
Even though there were plans of putting the vehicle and its valuable payload in the company's museum, the total weight proved to be more than the floors could support and the idea was ditched. 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. A short, albeit magnificent, page in the history of Mercedes Benz racing had been restored for the amazement and wonder of all its fans.
Questions and Answers
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