S class

Stuttgart, 8 June 2017

Almost exactly 90 years ago, on June 19, 1927, the first car race on the newly built Nürburgring took place. Almost forget it is, though, that was at the time still a novelty at the start: the Mercedes-Benz type S, with the Rudolf Caracciola prompt on the "ring" has won, which at that time was still 29 kilometres long including the South loop. Caracciolas cut: 101.1 km/h.

Fast elephants

A winning streak of "white elephants" begins with this success to the cost (so called because of their paint and the roar of the compressor), which dates to the era of the silver arrows in the early 1930s. At this time, the SSK - and SSKL models mark the high point of which only 33 units are built. About seven liters of displacement, up to 250 Horsepower and 192 km/h top super sports car levels are at that time.

K S is

However, back in the year 1927: only a year ago Daimler and Benz merge. The type S is created from the active also in the racing model "K" with six-cylinder supercharged engine. It holds Mercedes, but markedly improved the car. So is in favour of a better distribution of axle load the engine mounted lower and 30 centimeters back. The weight of the chassis down to 230 kilograms to 1,270 kilograms. Parallel the displacement to about half a litre rises to 6.789 cubic centimeters, which is why often the designation "680" courses. From the factory the block 120 horsepower, supercharged, there are 180 HP.

Quick passport control

About a month after the opening race Mercedes celebrates triple victory at the Nürburgring at the German Grand Prix in July 1927. In August 1927, Rudolf Caracciola chases in record time on the Klausenpass in Switzerland, unequalled to this day. All in such a hurry the civilian owners of type S didn't have it: for they Mercedes offers an open touring car with four seats or a convertible at the factory. But quite a few of the solvent buyers contact equally renowned coachbuilder Erdmann Rossi (Berlin), Saoutchik (Paris) and van den Plas (Brussels). W 06 is the internal designation for the type S, it is maintained also in the 1928 introduced types of SS and SSK. (rh)

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