Hi everyone!


While browsing through some old copies of "The Autocar", I came across the following:

Quote

According to last reports Caracciola has now left for the United States by air. Although he could not take either of his 11/2 litre Mercedes-Benz to Indianapolis he has been testing the cars on a road near Zurich in early mornings with the aid of a technician who has come specially from the works at Stuttgart. It is said that the car has been doing 140 mph at times.

Incidentally, the third 11/2 litre car, captured by the Russians, was a special streamlined version for record-breaking purposes. No doubt the Germans had an eye on Major Gardner's magnificent M.G. records.

End quote

Source - The Autocar, May 10th 1946, page 408

It has been already determined that Mercedes built 4 W165. Besides the ones used at Tripoli, what was the use of the other 2?

Can anyone help?

There was an awful lot of rumour presented as fact in the early post-war years. Some time ago, we explored this topic as part of a wider M-B thread.

While they certainly planned four W165s, the solid evidence points to only two cars, with a possible third completed chassis (possibly the streamliner, but was the body ever built?). I'm still not convinced the fourth was more than a "box of bits" .... if that!

http://forums.autosport.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63174

I've been reading a newly acquired copy of Chris Nixon's book and in it there is a quote from Rudolf Uhlenhaut suggesting that a W165 streamliner was built. This intrigued me somewhat. I find it odd that Uhlenhaut would say this if it was not accurate. If it was Neubauer saying it then I'd take it with a pinch of salt, but I'd have thought that Uhlenhaut was more trustworthy.

Although I am well aware that the memory can deceive.

This is one of the two unraced W165's [chassis 449548/3 or 439806/4]. No clue about their purpose.

Not sure it was a W165.

It was presented as such in Classic and Sportscar September 1995 but...

...but for Louis Sugahara in Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix-Fahrzeuge it is a W154. In one of the british magazines of 1946, don't remember if it is Motor Sport, Autocar or Motor, a picture was published and captioned as being a special 3 litre car photographied by an english soldier at MB works.

Then, if you look at position of the starting handle hole, it is at the same place as all the ones 1939 W154 are; the W165 one was nearer the side of the nose (row five instead of row four as the W165 engine was at a more important angle than the W154).

I'd have thought the purpose was most obvious...

It was built to taunt us seventy years later!

Jean-Maurice is correct

The photo is one of a series of four from the Cameron Earl book : "Investigation into the Development of German Racing Cars between 1934 and 1939"

The others show side-on, front 3/4 and rear 3/4 views. The front wheel spats are in two separate sections. The front 2/3 turn with the wheel, with the rear 1/3 fixed to the bodywork by aero-section struts. The car was never raced in this configuration though Earl describes it as " . . . a 3 litre Mercedes Type M163 specially prepared for the 1940 Tripoli event". The 1940 event was of course for 1.5L voiturette cars.

The 1939 1.5L Tripoli car is easily identified by the offset windscreen ( to the right from the drivers perspective )

[quote name='GIGLEUX' date='Mar 23 2010, 12:54' post='4234520']
In one of the british magazines of 1946, don't remember if it is Motor Sport, Autocar or Motor, a picture was published and captioned as being a special 3 litre car photographied by an english soldier at MB works.



Motor Sport August 1947

Thank you Simon.