1930 Mercedes-Benz Nurburg 460 Popemobile

Auto Car | 1930 Mercedes-Benz Nurburg 460 Popemobile | The Nürburg – as the vehicle became more familiarly known – was the last pillar of the new joint model programme following the merger of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie. in 1926 to form Daimler-Benz AG.
It was seen as the successor to the 15/70/100 hp six-cylinder supercharged model and underwent a hurried development under the supervision of Ferdinand Porsche. Other brands were already enjoying considerable success in the luxury vehicle segment, not least among them the Horch 8 produced by the German competitor Horch, a vehicle developed by none other than Paul Daimler after Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft had originally rejected his design.

The Nürburg was the first series model from Mercedes-Benz to feature an eight-cylinder engine. For this reason it was often referred to in some publications as the Nürburg 8, and the cover of early catalogues is adorned with a golden figure 8 embedded in a lozenge shape. It was christened the Nürburg not as a reference to any particular sporting ability, but rather as a tribute to its reliability – during endurance testing on the Nürburgring the vehicle had clocked up 20,000 kilometres in just 13 days and nights.

Built initially on a high-frame chassis, there was much about the Nürburg that resembled the stocky and impressive fortress its German name suggested. Yet at the same time it was rather old-fashioned and antiquated in appearance; vehicle construction and design had moved on and adopted new laws. Soon after its debut, therefore, the model underwent a thorough revision and was equipped with a low-frame chassis – one of the first tasks of Hans Nibel, Daimler-Benz’s chief designer who succeeded Porsche on January 1, 1929. The now much more visually pleasing Nürburg was again presented at the 1929 Paris Motor Show. The lower-slung vehicle had a longer, more elegant look, and was now every bit the equal of its competitors in terms of external appearance.

The power unit was an eight-cylinder in-line engine developing 80 hp (59 kW) from a 4.6-litre displacement in combination with a four-speed transmission. By popular demand it was joined in 1931 by a more powerful variant that developed 100 hp (74 kW) from a 4.9-litre displacement. This model was not officially available until later as the 19/100 hp Nürburg 500; for the not inconsiderable surcharge of 2,000 Reichsmark this variant came not only with the more powerful engine, but also an economy gear or “overdrive”, engaged to reduce engine speed for each of the four forward gears, and high-quality, high-performance Zeiss headlamps. From September 1932, an overdrive was also available on the 460 model at a surcharge of 1,400 Reichsmark.

Whereas the 500 was produced solely as a long wheelbase version, the 460 model was additionally available as a 240mm-shorter version bearing the additional designation letter “K” – not to be confused with the “K” in the name of the later supercharged vehicles. The shorter chassis was 50 kg lighter and fitted with 4/5-seat bodies, available as a saloon, open-topped tourer and Convertible D. The low-frame variant of the 460 K was also still available as the “St. Moritz” special convertible C. This model acquired the illustrious name of the winter sports venue in the Swiss Engadine region after the car beat all other competitors in an automotive beauty pageant in early 1930.

One special version of the Nürburg 460 built on the short chassis did not appear in any brochure or price list: a two-seater sports roadster, two examples of which were used in motorsports events. In the international Alpine Rally of 1929, Rudolf Caracciola and Otto Merz covered a distance of 2,660 kilometres in these unusual sports cars, as well as completing the eight-hour ADAC long-distance race for non-supercharged touring cars on the Nürburgring.

The Nürburg with long wheelbase was available as an open-topped touring car and Pullman limousine, each with 6 or 7 seats. In late 1931 the model range was joined by a 6/7-seat Convertible F, although this came not with a Sindelfingen body, but instead with bodies built by the external firms of Neuß, Erdmann & Rossi, Voll & Ruhrbeck, Papler and Gläser. In-house bodies for the other variants were produced not just at the Mannheim plant, which built all model variants of the Nürburg, but also at Sindelfingen to some extent. For a handful of VIP customers such as Pope Pius XI, the Nürburg was also fitted with the Pullman body of the Grand Mercedes. As was usual at the time, customers could also purchase a bodyless chassis with a view to having an external coachbuilder fit it with a custom-built body. To this end the chassis were available in both wheelbase lengths. A very special variant of the Nürburg was built in February 1931 – a special-protection Pullman limousine, which was documented in a series of contemporary archive photographs.

Production of the Nürburg 460 ended in December 1933. In February 1934 the Nürburg 500 model was renamed 500. This led to some confusion, since just a month later saw the arrival of the “supercharged 500” – better known today as the 500 K. In order to differentiate between the two vehicles the company introduced the designations 500 N and 500 K.

Source : mercedes-benz-blog-trivia.blogspot.com

1909 Benz 200HP Blitzen-Benz

Auto Car | 1909 Benz 200HP Blitzen-Benz | At the beginning of 1909, Julius Ganss, working for Benz, was given permission to design a car which could reach a speed of over 200 km/h based on the 150 hp Benz Grand-Prix car. Providing the thrust to match the rhetoric was the 150-hp engine from the grand-prix racer, yet even this output fell short of what was required to fulfill such an ambitious brief. In the hour of need, the engineers fell back on a trusted method and bumped displacement up to 21.5 liters - setting a standard no other racing or record-chasing car  produced by Benz & Cie. or Daimler Benz AG would ever reach again. The engine developed 184 hp at 1500 rpm in its original incarnation, before some technical trickery saw this figure rise to 200 hp at 1600 rpm. Weighing in at 407 kg, it was almost as imposing in its sheer physical size as in the power it produced.

Although the engine with serial number 5100 first saw action in the chassis and under the body of the Benz grand-prix car, it was known within the company as the 200-hp Benz, in line with the usual naming method. On August 22, 1909 Fritz Erle - a designer at Benz and later head of the testing and motor sport departments - stormed to victory in the one-kilometer race in Frankfurt/Main in double-quick time. Erle covered the kilometer with flying start in 22.6 seconds, equivalent to an average speed of 159.3 km/h and enough to earn him the Grand Duchess of Hesse prize.

The car had retained the body of the grand-prix model and entered events under this designation. Victor Hemery drove the 200-hp machine for the first time on October 17, totally outclassing the competition in a sprint race in Brussels. And the tarmac had barely had time to dry on the newly opened Brooklands circuit in England when the Benz works driver arrived on November 8, 1909 to set a new land-speed record. Héméry covered the one-kilometer distance from a flying start at an average speed of 202.7 km/h, breaking the all-important 200 km/h mark for the first time in Europe and proving that the car was capable of fulfilling its raison d'etre. This was, after all, a machine built to break records, and other new milestones were soon to follow. The kilometer from a standing start was completed in 31.326 seconds and the mile recorded in 41.268 seconds, equaling the mark set by Darracq.

Whilst the car was competing in these early races against rivals and clock, the engineers back in Mannheim were working feverishly to develop a new and aerodynamic body variant. The work was completed in late 1909 and the Benz finally took on a stylistic character very much of its own. Erle and Hemery made the car as narrow as possible in order to reduce wind resistance to a minimum, which explains why the gearshift and handbrake levers and the exhaust system were located outside the car body, with only bulges in the hood giving the exhaust rocker arms the space they required. The high-standing, narrow radiator core was accommodated behind a brass grille, whose upper end formed an expansion tank pointing out sharply from the front of the car. This 'bird's beak' helped to give the record-breaking machine its striking and somewhat aggressive appearance, whilst at the rear of the car the body tapered off into a pointed tail. When it came to the seat positions, the driver and co-driver - whose job it was to operate the hand-operated gasoline pump - were literally shoulder-to-shoulder.

Eventually the first two 200HP Blitzen Benzs ended up and American and Buick works driver Bob Burman, lined up at Daytona Beach on April 23, 1911, this long, wide expanse of coastline providing the perfect venue for high-speed trials. Tapping the car's full potential, he squeezed out an average 225.65 km/h for the mile with flying start and 228.1 km/h over the kilometer with flying start - a new land-speed record which was to remain unbroken until 1919. At the time, this made the Benz twice as fast as an aircraft, whilst the rail speed record (1903: 210 km/h) was also blasted out of sight.

Benz dealership in Antwerp, Belgium, sold Blitzen-Benz no. 6 to a Mr. M. Heje from Gent, who took delivery of the car on December 24, 1913, thereby setting himself a very special Christmas present. This was the only Blitzen (engine number 13280) with an extended chassis (3200 mm instead of 2800 mm) and a four-seat touring body. The latest model was also a frequent entrant in record attempts at Brooklands. The car remained in England for a long time, before being acquired by an American collector in 2002.

Source : www.supercars.net

1907 Daimler Dernburg Wagen

Auto Car | 1907 Daimler Dernburg Wagen |  The first all-wheel-drive car for everyday use was built by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) in 1907. The "Dernburg-Wagen", as it was known, even featured all-wheel steering. It is called after the then Secretary of State of the Colonial Office Bernhard Dernburg who drove many a kilometer in it in Africa the following year.

In fact the all-wheel-drive history of the company began slightly earlier, in 1903, when Paul Daimler laid the foundations for this technology with a first design draft. The first all-wheel-drive vehicle appeared in 1904, and was quickly followed by others. Since then, the watchword has been that all-wheel drive is the best technology when it comes to better traction and safe, assured progress. Over the decades it has been successfully used in all kinds of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, both passenger cars and commercial vehicles, and from vans to heavy-duty trucks. Some of these models, for example the G-Class or the Unimog, have gained a legendary worldwide reputation, and are to be found virtually everywhere on earth. All-wheel drive also scores heavily in day-to-day driving on normal roads, however, as the Mercedes-Benz saloons with 4MATIC demonstrate.

When placing its production order at the beginning of the last century, the German Colonial Office knew precisely what to expect from Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG): a reliable vehicle which would withstand long journeys on unmade roads without complaint, while offering the flexibility that the motor vehicle had already amply demonstrated by the beginning of the last century. The engineer Paul Daimler, son of the company’s founder, was chiefly responsible for the design of the new vehicle which was finally built as a one-off at the factory in Berlin-Marienfelde in 1907. This all-wheel-drive vehicle was based on a DMG commercial vehicle chassis, and had a wheelbase of four meters with a track width of 1.42 meters. The ground clearance of 32 centimeters was not unusually large for the time, as almost all vehicles were often used on heavily rutted unmetalled roads. In 1908 "Allgemeine Automobil-Zeitung" (AAZ) wrote this about Daimler’s design: "All higher road obstacles are overcome by the robust front and rear axles, and the particularly vulnerable lower section of the gearbox housing is enclosed by a strong steel guard between the pressed frame cross-members, which is resistant enough to allow the entire frame to bottom."

The vehicle came on the market for a price of 34,750 Marks. It was fitted with a touring car body having two seats on the chauffeur’s bench and four seats in the rear. Only the rear passengers had doors, and large steps were provided to overcome the entry height of around one meter. Extending almost to the front end and mounted on eight poles, a sunshade prevented the driver from being dazzled even when the sun was low. A luggage rack was mounted on the back for cases or spare tires, with a further, large luggage rack on the roof protected by a tarpaulin. Awnings were affixed below the roof on both sides; these could be lowered to enclose the body and protect the occupants from wind, weather and sand. "To be sure, this Mercedes is not noticeable for its light and elegant construction; it has unmistakable external signs of power and endurance," wrote AAZ, however: "The overall impression of the vehicle has not suffered as a result of the special requirements."

With a length of around 4.90 meters and a height of a good 2.70 meters including the roof structure, the majestic vehicle weighed around 3.6 tonnes when fully laden with all the special items specified by the Colonial Office, such as a particularly heavy-duty clutch and petrol and coolant reserves for tropical conditions, replacement parts and tools.

Despite this the four-cylinder engine performed manfully, delivering a very respectable output of 35 hp (26 kW) from a displacement of about 6.8 litres at 800 rpm – allowing a maximum speed of around 40 km/h on level tarmac. In view of the intended operating conditions, the climbing ability made possible by the all-wheel drive was however more important: it was an outstanding 25 percent. The vehicle featured permanent all-wheel drive, the engine delivering its power to the four wheels via a sophisticated mechanical system. A shaft connected it to the centrally installed gearbox, which had four forward gears and one reverse gear. From there prop shafts transferred the torque to the front and rear axle differentials, which in turn used bevel gears to split and transfer it to the wheels.

Source : www.emercedesbenz.com

1906 Mercedes 120 HP

Auto Car | 1906 Mercedes 120 HP | Two historical racing cars from the collection of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart will be participating in the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The 120 hp Mercedes manufactured by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) was one of the last original designs by Wilhelm Maybach. And the 120 hp Benz from Benz & Cie. competed in the French Grand Prix in Dieppe exactly 100 years ago.

For the 1906 racing season, DMG for the first time developed a racing car with six-cylinder engine. Wilhelm Maybach had designed this engine – a highly progressive unit at the time – as early as the fall of 1905 with overhead camshaft, overhead valves and double high-voltage spark-plug ignition. The individual steel cylinders are mounted on the light-alloy crankcase. Cooling jackets and cylinder head are made of a single casting and welded to the steel cylinders. This design served as a model for top-performance engines for decades to come. From a total displacement of 11.1 liters, the six-cylinder generates 106 hp (78 kW) at 1400/min and 120 hp (88 kW) at 1500/min – never before had such high engine speeds been achieved in engine manufacture, the result of Maybach's endeavor to keep the moved masses in the valve timing gear as small as possible.

Ironically, a dispute arose at DMG over the modern design in that several technical details did not meet with the approval of the management, the supervisory board and the company's most important and highly influential customer, Emil Jellinek. In addition to Maybach being discredited, the internal strife had the consequence that no sufficiently tested six-cylinder car was available for the first French Grand Prix in June 1906. Instead, the company entered three versions of the 120 hp Mercedes of 1905, with four-cylinder engines specially modified for this race.

The 120 hp Mercedes presented by Mercedes-Benz in Goodwood dates back to the year 1906 and forms part of the collection of the company's museum. It hasn't been operated in public for a long time – since its entry in the Semmering hillclimb race in 1908, it has above all been used as a static exhibit. Now the car is presented to the public again – and used for its original purpose, namely for racing. This is Goodwood, after all, were the racing atmosphere of bygone times is revived.

Paul Daimler was instrumental in creating competitive Grand Prix cars for the German company, Mercedes. The early 1900s saw a quick escalation in the importance of racing as it promoted the brand, inspired creativity and the introduction of new technology, and tested the limits of the cars. Local, regional, national, and international rivalries quickly spawned a new level of pride and the necessity to finish in first place. Italy, Germany and France were among the top European rivalries that fought for the coveted checkered flag. In 1906, Renault brought home glory at Le Mans for the Italian flag and Fiat followed suite the following year. Things went rather poorly for Mercedes in 1907, with only one car managing to finish the race. When it crossed the finish line it was in a miserable tenth place. Mercedes looked to 1908 for its first major victory for Germany since its 1903 win at the Gordon Bennett race.

Daimler began work on a new vehicle. New racing regulations were introduced by the Automobile Club de France which limited the weight to 1100 kg and the engines bore to 155 mm. The Mercedes engine was given a displacement size of 12.8-liters. Its bore measured 154.7 mm while its stroke was 170mm. It had a cast-iron block and head and fitted with side exhaust valves and overhead intake valves. The result was a 130 horsepower unit that was mated to a four-speed manual gearbox with braking performed on the rear wheels. The lightweight aluminum body rested on a pressed steel ladder frame and was suspended in place by a live axle and semi-elliptic leaf springs.

The engine with its 154.7mm bore was nearly the largest it could be while still complying with the rules. The lightweight bodywork and being de-void of non-essential items, its overall weight only slightly over the minimum imposed figure. Daimler had worked extremely hard at taking every necessary advantage to create a very competitive racer that could bring honor to its country.

The start of the 1908 race saw three Mercedes 140HP racers in contention. They were flanked by 45 other competitors with half being from France. The Mercedes driven by Salzer took an early lead. His first lap was the fastest lap of the race; his time on the track ended prematurely due to mechanical problems. After retiring to the pits, the Mercedes driven by Christian Lautenschlager was soon in the lead and would ultimately finish the race in first place. It was a convincing victory with the second place car being nearly ten minutes behind.

As had happened the year before, rule changes made the cars obsolete for the 1909 season – which mattered little since there were no Grand Prix races for 1909. Grand Prix races were not held in 1909, 1910, or 1911 due to the governing body and manufacturers unable to agree on rules.

Source : www.conceptcarz.com

1906 Benz Grunewald Fire-Fighting Pump

Auto Car | 1906 Benz Grunewald Fire-Fighting Pump | One hundred years ago, the world’s first fire-fighting pump powered by a gasoline engine was supplied to the customer and put into operation in the Grunewald suburb of Berlin on December 1, 1906. It was a three-tonner with four-cylinder engine, built by Süddeutsche Automobilfabrik Gaggenau (SAG, South German Automobile Factory), a company which was integrated in Benz & Cie. a little later.

A brochure published by Benz & Cie. on the occasion of a hygiene exhibition in Stuttgart in 1914 had this to say in retrospect: “The Benz factory in Gaggenau was the first to supply a fire-fighting vehicle powered by an explosion engine, and it still occupies first place not only with respect to the number of vehicles supplied but also in terms of operational safety and vehicle performance.” At that point in time, a lot had happened ever since the fire-fighting pump’s arrival in Berlin on December 1, 1906. SAG, founded in 1905, got into difficulties as early as 1907 and, from January 1, 1911, officially operated under the name Benz-Werke Gaggenau GmbH. Where self-propelled fire-fighting vehicles were concerned, the gasoline engine had slowly but steadily prevailed against the electric motor and the steam engine.

Strong competition from electric drive

In 1906, the situation had still been completely different. The first self-propelled fire-fighting combination, consisting of two electrically driven vehicles and a steam-powered pump, had gone into operation in Hanover as late as 1902. The Chief Fire Officer responsible, Maximilian Reichel, had meanwhile changed from Hanover to Berlin and taken an interest in the novel wheel-hub motors of the Lohner-Porsche type offered by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft from 1906. The Lohner-Porsche system had been invented by young Ferdinand Porsche who had been working for Jacob Lohner in Vienna from 1899 and for Austro-Daimler from 1905.

It was certainly no coincidence that the voluntary fire brigade of Grunewald was the first in Germany to take an interest in gasoline engines – quite a few of the well-to-do inhabitants of the posh suburb were proud owners of automobiles. These were approached by Fire Brigade Commander Ratig with a request for donations for the acquisition of a gasoline-powered fire-fighting pump. The voluntary fire brigade had acquired a motorized three-wheeler as early as 1901 and a passenger car with equipment trailer in 1905. Süddeutsche Automobilfabrik, in its turn, was not totally unknown in Berlin. Just one year earlier, it had supplied a large-capacity bus for 52 passengers to the capital.

Good relations between Gaggenau and Berlin
The fire-fighting pump marketed by SAG as the “Grunewald Type” from 1907 weighed in at 2.43 tons. It accommodated six fire-fighters on two longitudinally arranged back-to-back benches behind the driver’s seat. Behind the benches, there was space for the tank for the gas pump, several hose drums and other equipment. The vehicle was available with engines developing 22, 32 and 40 hp and cost 14,000, 14,500 and 15,000 marks, respectively. Engine power was transmitted to the twin solid-rubber rear wheels by means of a chain. The front wheels were fitted with pneumatic tires in size 850 x 125 millimeters. According to the manufacturer, the fire-fighting pump reached a top speed of 35 km/h and was capable of climbing 16-percent gradients.

“The development of self-propelled fire-fighting pumps was spurred on by the fact that neither the horse-drawn steam-powered pumps nor the electrically powered pumps had an adequate operating range. In a neighboring city, they were reported to have failed on the third assignment after having answered two fire alarms on one and the same day, requiring recourse to the manger and the electricity recharging station, respectively,” wrote SAG three years later in a brochure specially printed after a major fire in Karlsruhe, where the steam pump proved its effectiveness in a case of emergency for the first time. “We succeeded in easily accommodating three functions in our vehicle. The latter can be used firstly as a gas pump, secondly as a crew and equipment carrier and thirdly as a steam pump.”

Up to 50-meter-high jet

The brochure also refers to a report in the evening edition of “Badische Presse” of December 15, 1909: “In fighting this fire, the new self-propelled fire-fighting pump performed outstandingly well. Thanks to its high speed in reaching the scene of a fire and the speed at which it goes into action, it is predestined for being the first to arrive at the scene of a fire and start extinguishing work straightaway until the other pumps have arrived and been put into operation. The self-propelled fire-fighting pump powered by an engine from Gaggenau operated uninterruptedly from 10.45 p.m. yesterday until 4.45 a.m. this morning, spraying water through four mighty hoses at a pressure of six to seven bar into the raging fire, up to a height of some 40 to 50 meters.”

Source : www.seriouswheels.com

1889 Daimler Wire-Wheel Car

Auto Car | 1889 Daimler Wire-Wheel Car | In 1889 the eyes of the world turned to Paris and the World Exposition. The biggest attraction – in all senses of the word – was the tower wrought in iron by Gustave Eiffel. But something else that fascinated the crowds of visitors to the show was the use of electric bulbs to illuminate many of the exhibition stands – the very epitome of the modern age. Never one to be left behind, Gottlieb Daimler installed thirty electric light bulbs around his stand, powered by current generated from his “illumination car”, a mobile mini power station equipped with Daimler engine and electricity generator. The light from his bulbs highlighted one exhibit in particular that had yet to achieve its breakthrough – the four-wheeled “wire-wheel car”.

Although it received considerable favourable interest, the car failed to strike many visitors as sensational. And yet only three years earlier, Gottlieb Daimler, aided and abetted by the engineer Wilhelm Maybach, had built the world’s first four-wheeled automobile – a carriage equipped with internal combustion engine and steering device. 1886 was also the year in which Carl Benz presented his Patent Motor Car; this, too, was on display at the World Exposition. But the new Daimler automobile featured a number of ground-breaking innovations: the wire-wheel car had a two-cylinder petrol-powered V-engine and a geared manual transmission. The same engine also powered two boats brought by Daimler to Paris and with which he proved the innovative drive system’s viability for watercraft on the River Seine. In short, then, Daimler’s was an impressive display of products.

The first automobiles in 1886 had succeeded in demonstrating what was feasible in principle. But they had also shown their limitations. The output of 1.1 hp (0.8 kW) at 650/min achieved by the Daimler single-cylinder engine was inadequate for many applications. Maybach multiplied the power by adding a second cylinder canted at 17 degrees – thereby giving rise to the world’s first V-engine. In common with the earlier single-cylinder engine, nicknamed the “grandfather clock” on account of its vertical shape, the V-engine featured water-cooled cylinder heads and was equipped with the curved-groove valve control initially favoured by Daimler. The displacement of 565 cubic centimetres was sufficient to develop an output initially of 1.5 hp (1.1 kW) at 700/min. A major advantage of the new engine was its lightweight design – it weighed just 40 kilograms per horsepower, half as much as its predecessor. The patent awarded to this engine in 1888 (DRP No. 50839) already included designs with cylinders in parallel and in boxer configurations, overhead exhaust valves and cam-operated rather than curved-groove valve control.

The twin-cylinder V-engine was the perfect drive system for the highly-elegant wire-wheel car initiated by Maybach, so called for its slender iron wheels. This was an entirely new design. Of particular note are the technical similarities with the bicycle, in particular the frame and chassis, which is why in his design sketches Maybach also referred to the vehicle as a “quadricycle”. The frame and wheels of the wire-wheel car were supplied by Strickmaschinen-Fabrik AG of Neckarsulm, a well-known local firm of bicycle manufacturers, which later achieved international fame under the name NSU.

Maybach additionally used the robust tubular steel frame of the lightweight vehicle as a conduit for coolant water and positioned the engine in the rear. On the rear axle beside the right-hand wheel he fitted a sealed bevel gear differential, and on the left wheel a brake drum with a band brake operated by a hand lever from the driver’s seat.

There were initially problems with the steering – axle pivot steering did not appear on a four-wheeled vehicle until Benz introduced it in 1893 – which explains why the design documentation still contained a draft for a “three-wheeled velocipede” with steerable rear wheel. This three-wheeler design soon disappeared back into the drawer, however, when a different solution was found to the steering problem with the four-wheeled wire-wheel car. Here, using the same principle as a bicycle, each of the front wheels was individually mounted in a fork and linked by a track rod. So when the steering lever was turned, the wheels tracked a common radius.

Four-speed geared manual transmission

The wire-wheel car gave Maybach the opportunity to try out his design for a geared manual transmission with four speeds. This consisted of various gear pairings with straight-cut teeth, of which one pair was in service at any given moment. First gear enabled the vehicle to travel at up to 5 km/h, fourth gave a top speed of 16 km/h. During an extended test drive in Paris the transmission was impressive enough to convince an engineer from Renault, the carmaker that had been founded only the previous year. It was so perfect that it became the model for all subsequent gear transmissions for motor cars. The only downside was that technology of the day did not permit optimum hardening of the gear wheels, which meant that service life left something to be desired.

In spite of all the innovations, the wire-wheel car for which Daimler and Maybach had harboured the highest hopes, met with little interest among the visitors to the World Exposition in Paris. Nevertheless, the World Exposition was to be the scene of another event of enormous significance – Gottlieb Daimler cemented a business partnership with Louise Sarazin, the widow of his long-standing French business colleague, Edouard Sarazin. She acquired the licensing rights to Daimler engines on condition that the engines bore the name “Daimler”. This was to prove a catalyst for the French automotive industry, as well as for the widespread growth in general of the automobile – since France would be at the centre of this growth. Before long, there were more cars equipped with “moteurs système Daimler” than in its country of birth, Germany, where distribution was moving ahead at a comparatively slow pace. In addition, French licensees also found profitable business with motor boats, trams, trolley cars, power generators and fire hoses. In 1890 Louise Sarazin married Emile Levassor. Her husband’s company Panhard & Levassor also supplied engines to other companies. Their biggest customer was the family-run Peugeot company, which bought the wire-wheel car at the end of the World Exposition. Using this as a model, the company began building its own automobiles, supplied exclusively until 1906 with Panhard & Levassor engines produced under the Daimler licence. By the turn of the century Peugeot had become France’s leading car manufacturer.

The wire-wheel car was an important milestone in automotive history. As was the V-engine, of course, which went on to become the drive system for all kinds of vehicles.

Source : mercedes-benz-blog-trivia.blogspot.com

1885 Daimler Riding Car

Auto Car | 1885 Daimler Riding Car |  The birth of a car as we know it today took place in 1886. Independently of one another, the two founding fathers of the company now known as Daimler AG, Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, invented a vehicle with internal combustion engine – Benz his three-wheeled Patent Motor Car, Daimler the four-wheeled Motor Carriage.

However, the previous year, in late summer 1885, Gottlieb Daimler’s two-wheeled “riding car”, also equipped with an internal combustion engine, travelled under its own power. In the original sense of the term, therefore, it could also be considered an automobile, since the word derived from the Greek auto (“self”) and the Latin mobilis (“mobile”). Only later did the word automobile establish itself as a generic term for multi-track vehicles.

In the sum of its features, the riding car was the most important precursor to individual mobility, thereafter rendered possible by the advent of the automobile. It was proof on wheels that the internal combustion engine was capable of powering a road vehicle –and that a human being could fully control it. Indeed, in the case of the riding car, by sitting astride the engine he was seen to take complete control of the machine with the objective of locomotion. By means of just a few levers he was able to set the vehicle in motion. The riding car therefore gave an important and lasting signal of what could be achieved.

The compactness of the riding car also sent out another important signal, for it used the smallest and most powerful combustion engine available capable of being fitted to a two wheeled vehicle – it would have been impossible at the time to build a smaller vehicle than the riding car equipped with combustion engine.

The most important prerequisite for the riding car, simultaneously the world’s first motorcycle, was Gottlieb Daimler’s four-stroke, single-cylinder engine, which he registered for patent on 3 April 1885. This was a milestone in the history of technology, since the unit was small and powerful compared with other combustion engines of the day for stationary operation. Daimler’s priority, on the other hand, was the engine’s mobile application. He applied for a patent for his riding car with “gas or petroleum engine,” as it was described in the patent specification, on 29 August 1885 (German Patent No. DRP 36423 was awarded on 11 August 1886).

The riding car was proof on wheels that the internal combustion engine was capable of driving a human-controlled road vehicle. Moreover, it provided an impressive demonstration of the size and power of the Daimler engine. For the riding car was a highly compact vehicle, and therefore sent out an important message about the large and unwieldy stationary internal combustion engines of the day.

Two inventors – one idea
The founding fathers of Daimler AG, Gottlieb Daimler in Cannstatt and Carl Benz in Mannheim, were working on an identical problem at the end of the 19th century – the invention of a vehicle that would give man the ability to travel without reliance on being pulled by a horse. They worked away independently, without knowing what the other was doing – and one can only assume the two had never met. Their places of work were separated by a distance of 120 kilometres – at least a whole day’s journey in the late 19th century.
They both reached their objective almost simultaneously, though with different solutions: Benz built his three-wheeled Patent Motor Car, for which he was awarded the German Patent No. DRP 37435 on 29 January 1886. And shortly afterwards Daimler presented the first four-wheeled motor vehicle, a carriage chassis in which he had integrated the combustion engine that had proved so effective in the riding car.

Daimler pursued the vision of motorising a whole range of vehicles, on land, on water and in the air. He demonstrated the engine’s potential for universal application, for example, by fitting it in a boat in 1887, and in an airship designed by Friedrich Hermann Wölfert in 1888. Neither was Benz idle: by 1887 he had also completed a first motorboat, and aero engines followed later. But by this time, both inventors were already involved in the series production of automobiles.

Source : eblog.mercedes-benz-passion.com

1954-1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe

Auto Car | 1954-1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe | Eternal youth is a miracle, since only a few cars and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL coupe is one of this elite group. The Mercedes-Benz presented its new sports car in February 1954 at the International Motor Sports Show in New York, while the lit fuse for an icon of the automotive world. With its flat, graceful body, the 300 SL was nothing fresh about his even as the millennium approached, and the “sports car of the century” in 1999. “Gullwing” doors provided that essential touch of inspiration, opening to the sky to reveal a tight molded interior. The history of the 300 SL is inextricably linked with the life of an influential admirer connected. American importer Maximilian E. Hoffman was called on the Mercedes-Benz, a car on the way to build the image of its racing coupe, the start of production in 1954, offers a sweet fruit for his efforts. The assembly lines may have waved goodbye to the last made of only 1400 pieces of the 300 SL coupe ever in 1957, but the spirit of this particular car safe lives.

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was originally designed as a purpose-built race car (W 194) is designed. In 1952, the coupe notched up an impressive track record in major competitions years ago. At the Grand Prix in Bern the 300 SL sealed a clean sweep of podium places, a wonderful performance by a double victory in front of a dove field in the 24 Hours of Le Mans secured. The Nürburgring duly yielded another one-two-three, and the new Mercedes racing car claimed the victory in the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. It has everything up to a majestic return to motor sport for Mercedes-Benz, begins where the brand had left during a very successful period before the Second World War.

Although initially no plans, the 300 SL into series production, the Daimler-Benz Board had been sent in the words of Maximilian (“Maxi”) Hoffman rings in the ears. The official importer of Mercedes-Benz in America promoted tirelessly for a sports car with his wealthy clientele, and the 300 SL racer fitted the bill perfectly. After long deliberations, the green light for series of road-trim 300 SL (W 198) and a smaller, open-top sports car, the 190 SL (W 121).

The two models were selected for their premieres less than six months after the Board celebrated its approval of the project was granted. The occasion was the International Motor Sports Show in New York instead of 2:06 -14, 1954, and currently the major U.S. auto show. The engineers took the challenge of racing against the clock, and the 300 SL and its little brother, the 190 SL, were prepared to the cheers of the admiring crowd arrives. Series production began in Sindelfingen in August 1954, and the price to 29,000 mark – a huge amount of time, appropriated, fixed, especially if the new model alongside the Mercedes-Benz 170 V in comparison – on sale at Marks 7900th

The body of the 300 SL was with the primary aim of cutting aerodynamic drag to a minimum develops. The result was a streamlined form with few adornments, a car that is faithful to the design brief and retained its freshness and radiance to the present. Beautifully proportioned and extremely dynamic it was as if the 300 SL – surging forward were cut to the wheels – to form a shape.

The new sports car was a real crowd-puller, thanks in no small measure to its wonderfully charismatic ‘gullwing’ doors. Rather than serve merely as a stylistic gimmick, they are the central element of the 300 SL design, the ultimate example of necessity as the mother of invention. The car’s aluminum skin was stretched over a metal frame, which – in the interest of increased stability – much more than usual on the sides of the vehicle, making it impossible to fit conventional doors. The reaction of the engineers was to work an opening top door concept. The elegance of the side view of the car remained undisturbed by a door handle, with a discreet pull-out bar, release the lock. The door then opened upwards with the aid of a telescopic spring.

The tubular frame for the 300 SL, designed by Rudolf Uhlen skin, reduced weight to a minimum but provided maximum strength. A series of extremely thin tubes were welded together into triangles to a frame which boasted impressive torsional stiffness and was only exposed to pressure and tensile forces to produce. In the standard SL frame tipped the scales at only 82 pounds, while the complete car in ready-to-drive condition and including spare wheel, tools and fuel weighed 1295 kg.

The body of the 300 SL was constructed largely dependent on high-quality steel, aluminum, although it was used for the hood, trunk lid and the skin panels for the doors and window sills. For a relatively small fee, customers can choose, the whole body of the alloy, which have 80 kilos total weight of the car cut. However, only 29 SL customers took this option and today their cars are searched high for rarities.

The technical make-up of the 300 SL owes to the Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186 II) sedan, the vehicle of choice for many statesmen and entrepreneurs and also known as the “Adenauer Mercedes”. The six-cylinder engine featured a number of changes, saw the carburetor replaced by a direction injection system – requires a technical advance, the years of his time. This new technology increases the performance to 158 kW (215 hp) and the maximum speed of the vehicle as much to 260 kph, depending on the rear axle. Customers could order their SL with a choice of five different conditions. The standard 1:3.64 variant was primarily to deliver rapid acceleration and capable of 235 km / h were placed 1:3.89 1:4.11 and the conditions good for even faster acceleration, whilst the 1:3.42 option offered a higher top speed. This figure rose still further – up to 260 kilometers per hour – when the ratio was set at 1:3.25. But this “led to reduced acceleration, drive the car less comfortable in the downtown city traffic,” as the sales information pointed out. The 300 SL hit 100 km / h in just 10 seconds, with car testers in the measurement of fuel consumption to an average of 15 liters per 100 km. A 100-liter tank was placed on the rear of the car and up to 130 liters may be extended for an additional fee.

The engine had 45 degrees to the left to be tilted under the hood of the squeeze, what an extremely flat car, thus the amount of space within the passenger footwell. The SL focus was almost exactly in the middle of the car, with the perfect foundation for fast and precise cornering. The chassis was essentially the same as the sedan 300A, but with sportier tuning, and the drum brakes in response to the increased power of the muscle bound sports car adapted. Only later, in 1961 roadster variant, were these replaced by disc brakes all round.

The interior of the 300 SL was more solid than spectacular. The standard reference materials are available in a choice of three checked patterns are available, but most customers opted for leather instead. The body paintwork came in silver metallic as standard, but red, blue and black also found great success.

A lack of space in the 300 SL made something of a challenge – that was a sports car. Fortunately, the steering wheel can be folded down so that the driver turn his legs in the direction of the pedals. Once seated, the riders enjoyed an impressive ergonomically refined cockpit design. The steering wheel was just the right distance for the poor to reach the driver’s feet moved intuitively onto the pedal: the 300 SL was a real driver’s car. In addition, the instrument panel very neat and clean manner, with the tachometer and speedometer in the middle of the field of vision of the driver, as you might expect.

Out on the street, one comes to understand quickly why the 300 SL had been christened with those particular letters – the car was certainly Sporty and Light. With an engine delivers 215 hp and a weight of only around 1,300 kilograms, acceleration was impressive enough – especially with the right choice of rear axle ratio. Exceptional torque ensured good pulling power at all engine speeds. The steering is direct and the suspension allowed the car snuggled his way. There is no doubt that the 300 SL was a sports car in the best race. That is, it was far from impractical, as many owners were quick to appreciate. For them, this was a high-speed touring car which offered precise driving characteristics but which avoided undermining the power of the driver unduly. The trunk was big enough, adds, as it was by the extra space behind the seats for extra luggage. Plus customers can order a custom-designed luggage for most of the available space set.

Source : www.totonz.com

2005 Renault Megane Renaultsport

Auto Car | 2005 Renault Megane Renaultsport | Renault has released official pictures of its awesome Mégane Renaultsport Trophy racer following the car’s recent debut at the Paris Motor Show. Although motorists will not see the show-stealing 320hp Mégane Trophy on the road, the car will be racing throughout Europe – including visiting the UK – next year.

With styling based on the powerful Mégane Renaultsport 225, the Mégane Trophy race car will compete in its own one-make championship covering eight European race meetings beginning next Spring. Approximately 30 Mégane Trophy racers will take part in the series on tracks in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The UK race will be on Sunday 11th September 2005 at Donington Park in Leicestershire.

The full Mégane Trophy calendar will be unveiled this month following publication of the F1, MotoGP and WRC schedules.

Renaultsport’s latest offering has taken the already powerful and impressive Mégane Renaultsport 225 and evolved it into the Trophy race car with a tubular chassis, mid-mounted V6 powerplant and semi-automatic gearbox. Its bodywork has been lowered by a full 10 centimetres, with widened wheel arches and added rear diffuser, all combining to give the 155mph-plus Mégane Trophy awe-inspiring looks and ensure it is a top level-racing machine.

The 3.5-litre V6 engine fitted to Renault’s Espace and Vel Satis powers the Mégane Trophy but in this case, the unit develops more than 320hp and features semi dry sump lubrication.

The Mégane Trophy’s electronic control system is by Magneti-Marelli and covers all engine, gearbox and automatic clutch management functions plus the data acquisition that is so essential for drivers and engineers to unleash every fraction of the car’s performance. Enhanced driveability comes from specially-designed Michelin tyres, with stopping power courtesy of ventilated discs with six-pot callipers’ front and four-pot at the rear.

In dynamic terms, the Mégane Trophy is comparable to some GT racers thanks to its strong power-to-weight ratio and wind tunnel-developed aerodynamics.

The Mégane Trophy will be given an initial shakedown at the end of this month with first development tests getting underway in November.

Mégane Trophy: Technical data

Type: Mégane Renaultsport
Chassis: Tubular (to FFSA ‘Silhouette’ safety standards + front/side crash boxes)
Engine: V4 Y
Capacity: 3.5 litres
Max. power: 320hp
Max. torque: 309 Nm
Electronic management: Magneti-Marelli
Transmission: Sequential 6-speed (+ reverse), automatic clutch, steering wheel control
Wheels: FR 8X18, RR 9X18
Front brakes: Ventilated steel discs, dia. 356mm x 32mm, 6-pot callipers
Rear brakes: Ventilated steel discs, dia. 330mm x 32mm, 4-pot callipers
Tyres: FR 21-65/18; RR 24-65X18
Wheelbase: 2625mm
Length: 4375mm
Width: 1910mm
Fuel tank: 45 litres
Max. speed: over 155 mph
Weight: 950kg

Source : www.seriouswheels.com

Renault Megane Dragonfly Doors

Auto Car | Renault Megane Dragonfly Doors |Renault has chosen the Geneva Motor Show to take the wraps off its Mégane Coupé Concept show car which foreshadows a compact production coupe to be released at a later date. Like NewLaguna, it points to an evolution towards more fluid, sportier styling from Renault. Mégane CoupéConcept targets drivers who are not only drawn by the notion of driving pleasure but who also seek to express their personality through their vehicle. Mégane Coupé Concept symbolizes Renault's vision of what a genuine compact sports coupe should deliver, namely character and dynamism, two traits epitomized by the show car's unprecedented door-opening kinematics. Distinctive looks that exude personality and dynamism

Mégane Coupé Concept provides a foretaste of the forthcoming Mégane Coupe. "This show car emphatically showcases the evolution at Renault Design. Its squatter proportions and powerful, energetic styling talk directly to the driver's senses; they say 'driving pleasure'. The spectacular, unprecedented door-opening kinematics add that little touch of magic which contributes to the dream factor associated with the automobile," explains Renault's Patrick Le Quément, Senior Vice President, Corporate Design.

Of a total length of 4.51 metres, Mégane Coupé Concept features a modern, dynamic silhouette with tautlines that seem to suggest perpetual movement, while its alert, expressive front-end looks point at once to a truly dynamic personality.

The juxtaposition of headlamp modules with aluminium-finish air-intakes also conveys an impression of fluidity and movement. The two rows of main and dipped beam lights sit on a crystal-like striated strip which fills the sidelight and daytime running light functions. The headlamps use high-performance light-emitting diodes which are both long-lasting and extremely efficient.

The foglamps also employ LED technology and blend harmoniously with the dynamic, front-end styling. The shoulder-lines flow along the curvaceous sides before culminating in a squat rear-end which expresses power and movement. The four independent tubes that make up the modern rear lights are housed in the bodywork and serve as a further illustration of the dynamic, technological spirit behind Mégane Coupé Concept. Day or night, they form a highly distinctive signature. The boot, which pulls open and then lifts to minimize vertical travel, echoes the kinematics of the doors which are divided into two sections.

The panelled door itself is topped by a separate glazed area and, as they open, the two parts deploy gracefully and elegantly in an independent movement redolent of dragonfly wings. A carbon arm at the rear of the doors connects them to the body structure and the system ensures particularly easy access for passengers. In addition to its practical aspect, this technological feature reveals a cabin that blends effortlessly with the elegance and energy expressed by the exterior.

The cabin: a compelling extension of the exterior's dynamic voluptuousness

The interior is redolent of the world of contemporary furniture. The independent, asymmetric front seats, which rise up from the sills, seem to float in midair. Their wafer-like forms express an airy lightness, while their enveloping design is a pledge of comfort and holds the occupants firmly in place. The aperture revealed by the open doors carries over to the front seat shells and the upper part of the two rear seats. This sculptural, one-piece structure, which is finished in fire red lacquer, ensures a seamless link between the exterior and the cabin.

The centre console extends through to the rear seats and its layered design recalls the striated bar of the headlamp modules. The futuristic, ethereal dashboard features expressive, flowing lines and can be divided into two distinct sections: the red lacquered main structure and black nubuck inserts which can hold small items.

This embedded zone houses the sophisticated instrumentation which takes its inspiration from aviator-style watches, including a speedometer which displays the speed in analogue form on the periphery and in digital form in the centre, plus an analogue rev-counter. Both feature black metallic backgrounds with white graphics and red backlighting.

The choice of colours and materials is another means by which the exterior and interior have been harmonized to highlight Mégane Coupé Concept's volumes and magic. The iridescent Dragon Grey body-colour goes well with the dragonfly-like door-opening mechanism and the paintwork's rainbow finish gives a fresh vision of the car every time the light changes: even at a standstill, it appears to be in movement.

Meanwhile, the interior's contrasting colour-scheme underpins the dynamic exterior thanks to the blend of fire red lacquer (dashboard, upper part of the centre console, front seatbacks, etc.) and softer black leather or nubuck for the door panels, seat cushions and centre console).

The door panels themselves incorporate supple, slide-locking stowage, while the floor is protected by a black, modern, graphic mesh. Carrying over the red of the interior, there are hints of red outside, too, including the roofline, foglamp surrounds, wheel spokes and exhaust tailpipes.

The cabin equipment is modern and intuitive

The different controls have been inspired by the Renault-pioneered Touch Design approach and are both simple and practical. The central multimedia control is coupled with a display divided into three zones. The central part displays all journey-related information (navigation, radio, music, video, Bluetooth telephone), while the screens either side show the images relayed by cameras incorporated in the exterior mirrors.

Mégane Coupé Concept is locked and unlocked using a Samsung F700 mobile phone which serves as a hands-free card and connects to the centre console. Both rear passengers benefit from a portable Samsung P2 audio/video multimedia player with touch screen which they can use to swap files using the mp3/video Bluetooth controls.

The four-zone climate control system allows each passenger to select the temperature they prefer using controls housed either side of the dashboard in the case of the front passengers or on the front seatbacks for rear occupants

Special care has also gone into ensuring that the cabin is brightly lit. The red backlighting of the instruments contrasts with the surrounding black backgrounds. Meanwhile, the panoramic windscreen extends over the roof to provide additional clarity during the day and blue-hued cabin lighting at night.

A show car dedicated to passion and driving pleasure

Mégane Coupé Concept's generous bumper, wide, low grille and alveolar air-intake point to the presence of a high-performance powerplant under the bonnet. Indeed, Mégane Coupé Concept is powered by a 200hp (147kW) 2.0 Turbo petrol engine which delivers torque of 280Nm at 2,600rpm and peak power of 200hp at 5,800rpm to ensure punch and flexibility at all engine speeds for everyday motoring pleasure.

Mated to a manual six-speed gearbox, the 2-litreturbocharged unit drives Mégane Coupé Concept from a standstill to 100kph in just 7.2 seconds, yet it returns economical fuel consumption of just 6.5 litres/100km (154g of CO2/km).In order to exploit this engine to the full, Mégane Coupé Concept features a sport chassis, plus suspension and steering engineered to guarantee precise, responsive handling.

This promise is compounded by the 21-inch aluminium alloy, seven-spoke, satin-finish Dragon Grey wheels equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport tyres (245/35) which provide outstanding grip for even greater driving pleasure.

Mégane Coupé Concept is a compact, stylish, dynamic coupe which delivers undeniable driving pleasure, while its sporty calling is also expressed by its modern, elegant cabin. This show car, which builds on the trend established by Laguna Coupé Concept, sees Renault take its will to dial genuine passion into its cars yet another step forward.

Source : jalopnik.com

Sub-Quattroporte Sedan - Maserati Midsize Sport Luxury Sedan For 2014

Auto Car | Sub-Quattroporte Sedan - Maserati Midsize Sport Luxury Sedan For 2014 | New High End Vehicles from Maserati is set to build a midsize sport luxury sedan to rival the likes of the BMW 5 Series/M5, Mercedes CLS/AMG, Jaguar XF/XFR, and Cadillac CTS/CTS-v. The car is smaller than the Quattroporte, which will continue. It will go on market about 2014, probably as a '15 model in the U.S. Although it's in the product plan, there's no frozen design (one possible look is depicted in the illustration), and running prototypes would be years away. Maserati wants to become a "relevant player" within its chosen luxury segments. Adding the new model would allow it to strengthen dealer coverage and brand visibility. The all-new car is part of Maserati's 2010-'14 business plan, which Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne recently revealed to investors.

The Future Lincoln Lineup - New Vehicles by 2014

2011 Lincoln MKX

Auto Car | The Future Lincoln Lineup - New Vehicles by 2014 |  Now that Ford's shorn of Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin and Volvo-and now that it's closing Mercury -Lincoln will get seven new vehicles in the next four years in a major new investment in product and in a more distinct identity for the Ford luxury brand.

At the press launch for the 2011 MKZ Hybrid and the 2011 MKX this week in Washington, D.C., Lincoln executives repeated the mantra that Lincoln is moving in the direction of smaller, less ostentation premium luxury vehicles. While the latest generation of Lincolns has been visually distinct from Ford-brand cousins, those differences are expected to multiply as its cars and crossovers are replaced or revamped over the next four years.

Lexus RX 400h - Luxury Hybrid Engines

Auto Car | Lexus RX 400h - Luxury Hybrid Engines | There are several luxury hybrid engines, but the Lexus RX 400h is very popular. The Lexus RX contains two engines; one is gasoline and other is electric, which combine separate functions according to the drivers needs. In front, the electric motor works optimally under very normal conditions for driving, and in the rear the electric motor kicks when you put the pedal to the metal in full acceleration.

2012 Audi A7 High-End Vehicle First Drive

 

Auto Car | 2012 Audi A7 High-End Vehicle First Drive | Sardinia is a really old place, and at first it feels odd to drive Audi's latest creation, the 2012 Audi A7, on roads that meander past the remains of a stone village from the Bronze Age and a 3,800-year-old olive tree that's miraculously still alive.

But Sardinians have gotten in the habit of reinventing their island over the centuries. Their latest creation is the Costa Smeralda, a gorgeous strip of coastline that's currently the No. 1 destination for millionaires from Moscow, Dubai and all points in between. You certainly wouldn't be surprised to see a high-end vehicle here, particularly if it's new and avant garde in design, as the Audi A7 is.