Press Release
The “grandmother” knits together a series of fine performances
The fourth 200-hp Benz (engine number 9143) came to life around 1912. The latest incarnation sported a broad radiator, wood-spoke wheels and the racing body of the car driven by Erle in 1910/11. The car was entered in several races up to the outbreak of the First World War, with Franz Hörner – a junior driver supported by Héméry and Erle – among those given the privilege at the wheel. The wood-spoke wheels survived beyond the end of the war, giving the car a rather antiquated appearance and earning it the nickname “the grandmother” in its first races post-1918. Appearances, however, proved deceptive, with the Mark-IV Blitzen enjoying a consistent record of success throughout the 1920s. It was then that the car launched its second career as an ambassador for the Benz brand, exploiting the magnetic hold which record-breaking cars exerted over the public at large. A special exhaust system was added to the latest 200-hp Benz to maximize its promotional impact, a flap allowing the exhaust gases either to flow out directly and with an ear-splitting roar through truncated pipes, or to pass through a rather quieter system.
The Blitzen-Benz held by the Mercedes-Benz Museum
1935 was dominated by a major anniversary at Daimler-Benz. It had been 50 years since the company started to make automobiles and another 200-hp Benz – the car which can currently be found at the Mercedes-Benz Museum – was built from the parts still at hand as an exhibition piece for the celebrations. Some of the components were taken from the “grandmother”, others - the hub locks, for example, and probably the radiator and the central section of the body – from the wreckage of Hornsted’s Blitzen. In order to make the car look slightly more aerodynamic, the wood-spoke wheels were fitted with aluminum covers. Plus, the engine cover, rear section and the cover of the truncated exhaust were all newly manufactured.
Lightning strikes twice
There were still two other 200-hp Benz cars in circulation. Madrid-based Benz dealer Treumann sold car no. 5 (engine number 9145) to Mr. J. Ratis in
Meanwhile, the Benz dealership in
Business booming
Their success vindicated the decision taken by Benz & Cie. to put these special cars into production. The technical excellence of a car capable of setting a record that stood for more than eight years was undeniable. With the company also enjoying success with other racing cars during the Blitzen era, it was no surprise that the brand was the source of widespread interest and sales were booming. The company was raking in the cash, but the luster and flair conjured up by the Blitzen-Benz should not be calculated in economic terms alone, as its enduring appeal has proved.
A new chapter in the history of the Blitzen-Benz
Indeed, 2004 has seen the latest Blitzen-Benz taking shape, an American collector refusing to be intimidated by the costs involved and commissioning the construction of what is in effect the seventh 200-hp Benz. In a remarkable show of trust, the
At the same time, specialists were restoring the Museum’s Blitzen and preparing it for action once again. The history of the Blitzen-Benz roared gloriously back to life as the engine struck its first notes of the 21st century, the wheels turning again to the resonant tones from under the hood. The speeds they achieved may have been modest by today’s standards, but there is still broadly-held respect for those early drivers and the bravery they showed at the huge steering wheels of these imposing machines. All they had to protect themselves on those heroic record attempts at speeds of up to 228.1 km/h was a pair of glasses – and you literally shudder to think how the suspension must have felt north of 200 km/h. These were tough characters worthy of an awesome car.
Technical data for the 200-hp Benz
General data:
Wheelbase: 2800 mm (vehicle no. 6: 3200 mm)
Track width front/rear: 1330/1320 mm
Dimensions L x W x H: 4820 x 1600 x 1280 mm
Weight of car: 1450 kg
Weight of engine: 407 kg
Maximum speed: 228.1 km/h
Engine:
Benz racing car engine
Operating principle: Four-stroke gasoline
No. of cylinders/arrangement: 4/in-line
Displacement: 21,500 cc
Bore x stroke: 185 x 200 mm
Output: 200 hp at 1600 rpm
Torque: 36 mkg at 1000 rpm
Compression ratio: 1:5.8
Maximum engine speed: 1650 rpm
Valves: Overhead, 2 per cylinder, side-mounted camshaft, drive via gear wheels
Mixture formation: 1 horizontal round slide carburetor
Fuel feed: Compressed-air hand pump, operated by co-driver
Lubrication: Initially splash lubrication, later pressure circulatory lubrication via gear pump and clean oil input
Starter: Starting crank, buzzer ignition
Ignition: High-voltage magneto ignition, 2 Bosch D4 magneto
Ignition control: By hand using lever on steering wheel
Fuel tank: 73 liter
Power transmission:
Drive: Via intermediate shaft and chain drive to the rear wheels
Clutch: Cone clutch
Transmission: Four-speed manual transmission
Gearshift: Gate-type shift, mounted on the right on the outside of the car
Chassis:
Sectional frame
Axles: Rigid axles with semi-elliptical springs at the front and rear
Brakes: Front – none; rear – expanding brakes acting on the rear wheels and an external band brake acting on the intermediate shaft; handbrake acting on the rear axles
Steering: Helical spindle steering
Wheels: Wire-spoke or wood-spoke wheels
Tires: 820 x 120 Continental balloon tires
