Such a marvellous idea could only have been the handiwork of those perfectionists at Mercedes Benz, for no one else could have seen this project through. Make a nice carrier that will take a racing car to numerous events in Europe and design it so that it is easily the fastest and the best transporter anyone has ever seen. But how could have the company even thought of putting in so much funds in designing and producing a vehicle that they weren’t going to sell? Wasn’t it possible to simple use a van that was large enough?

The tale of making the carrier has facets of dignity, passion, and common sense. Ahead of the First World War, there had been a bitter rivalry going on between Mercedes Benz and the racing teams of Germany at the time. But Mercedes? W-154 power-driven by the V-12 won 12 of the 17 events before the war and claimed the number one position out and out. In effect of a resolution taken in 1952, Mercedes returned to Grand Prix racing in the 1954 season. More expert mercedez information is located at mercedes benz melbourne.

The transporter was then made by Mercedes Benz so that it will carry the W-196, the new racing car by the company that had a renowned Argentinean racers its pilot. The transporter had to look different than any other of its kind while being instantly identifiable on the road as being designed by Mercedes. They also designed it to be fast , as fast as any other car on the freeways of the Western part of Europe of the time.

Getting the car to the racetrack faster and sooner meant more preparation and practice time. This even meant that any damaged racer could be sent to the plants if needed and then brought back to the tracks in time. Technically speaking, the carrier was gifted with the best Mercedes technologies of the day. The 300 S sedan’s X-shaped frame was the inspiration behind the transporter’s own frame, but the 3.0 liter, 6-cylinder engine, and the four speed manual transmission was that of the 300 SL sports cars with gull wings. Each wheel was fitted with brakes that had hydraulic drums that were power-assisted.

But the most amazing part was the body work on the transporter. The majority of the steel panels that were used were based on models that used to be popular at that time. The doors and front glass, for example, were borrowed from the 180 sedan, as were most of the interior finishing’s. Between the fenders, you could fit in tools, equipments, two spare tires, and a loading ramp to boot without any problems at all. Get more information about mercedez by visiting mercedes ml.

Even though the cab had been placed well up front, far past the front axle, and at a very low height, it just added to the daring excellence that Mercedes wanted to boast of in the first place. The finished product, painted in factory blue, was more than just an eye catching success. The truck could manage speeds beyond 100 mph even with a full load weight of 6,600 pounds , something considered to be fast today as well.

The transporter took to the road in mid-1954 and was an immediate hit at tracks in Europe as well as North America. In reality, the carrier was mostly more surrounded by fans than the racing cars that it was supposed to transport. When a privately owned Mercedes Benz 300 SLR crashed in the 1955 French 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race and killed 80 people, this made the company decide to keep away from racing in total. Till the autumn of the same year, all of the racing division had been retired , including the transporter.

Although plans were made to place the vehicle and its precious cargo in the company’s museum, its weight proved too much for the building’s floors and the idea, as well as the transporter itself, was scrapped. In the light of frequent inquiries and requests, Mercedes Benz had to start designing a replica of it in 1993. Working with just a small number of photographs and sketches and an outside fabricator the company completed it in 2000. Thus, all those who were ardent fans of this influential carrier in the history of formula racing can now see it in the museums.