Concept Cars Home
Image Left 1929 SS
 

1930 Mercedes-Benz 710 SS Rennsport news, pictures, and information

Chassis Num: GP10
 
This 38-250 Mercedes-Benz SS was ordered by Captain Malcolm Campbell in 1930 and was first tested on the outer circuit at Brooklands. Its specifications were the same as that of Rudolph Carraciola's Tourist Trophy-winning, works supercharged 7-liter 38-250. This car with chassis number GP10 was entered in many notable races during 1930, 1931 and 1932, including two Irish Grand Prix events as well as races at Brooklands. Campbell sold the car in 1932. It was later owned by another British amateur driver, the late A.F. Rivers-Fletcher.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Type was based on the prior 400 and 630 models which had been given their names based on the displacement size of their engines. The 400 had a four-liter unit while the 630 was powered by a engine that displaced 6.3-liters. Both had six-cylinder supercharged engines with the supercharger only engaging when the driver pushed the peddle to the floor.

The 630, benefitting from improvements by Ferdinand Porsche, resulted in the 680 S. It was brought to the first race at Nurburgring where it emerged victorious. Larger engines soon followed, resulting in the 700 SS and the 710SS. Though they had been intended for road use, they were nearly identical to the SSK and SSKL racers. Their supercharged engines were capable of producing around 225 horsepower, which made them well suited to handle the drivers driving demands on the road or the track. Many of the cars were constructed of aluminum to help reduce the overall weight.

In 1928 the Mercedes SSK was introduced and commonly referred to as 'The Mighty Mercedes' and 'The Fastest Sports Car in the World'. The name SSK stands for Super Sport Kurz, German meaning short. The naming convention for the SSK typically has numbers associated with them, such as 700 and 710. This represents the engine capacity, 7.0 liter and 7.1 liter respectively. It used a modified version of the Ferdinand Porsche designed S-type chassis that, when compared with the S and SS models, was about 19 inches shorter. The K-Type was mechanically identical to the four-seat 'touring' car, the SS. The vehicle had been lowered and the engine moved back to capitalize on better weight distribution. The vehicle was powered by a variety of engines including the 7.1 liter supercharged engine that produced 225 horsepower, and later 250 horsepower. There was room for a driver and passenger, spare tires, and tools.

The bodywork was mostly handled by the factory but often outfitted by European and American coachbuilders such Murphy.

The final series was the SSKL. By drilling holes in the chassis, the weight of the vehicle was decreased even further, although weakened the frame causing many to break. The engine became more powerful, now producing 300 horsepower. It was successfully campaigned in 1931 but a year later was unable to challenge modern vehicles like the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300.

During its production run, lasting from 1928 through 1932, between 31 and 35 examples were built with around half being factory-designated Rennwagens, or race cars.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2007
Legendary Bentley Sets £4.5 Million Auction Record
•Tim Birkin's 4 ½ Litre Supercharged 'Blower' Bentley single seater sets new world best for a Bentley at Bonhams Goodwood auction •Beautiful Brooklands racing machine underlines enduring appeal of the 'Bentley Boy' racing spirit (Crewe and Goodwood, 29 June 2012) Just 35 miles away from the fabled Brooklands race circuit where it astonished thousands of spectators eight decades ago by sprinting its way into the record books, Sir Henry 'Tim' Birkin's dramatic 4 ½ Litre Supercharged...[Read more...]
Lost Mercedes - Surfaces At Bonhams
One owner, unrestored, supercharged 'S' Type Mercedes to be sold by Bonhams at Goodwood Revival this autumn One of the greatest and most important motor car finds of the last decade, the 'Lost Mercedes' is to be offered at Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale on Saturday 15th September 2012. Bonhams announced today that it has been commissioned to sell a recently discovered 1928 Mercedes-Benz 26/120/180 'S' Type Sports Tourer which almost without precedent for motor cars of this type and d...[Read more...]
Keels & Wheels Concours d'Elegance
Nearly 12,000 people gathered on the lush grounds of Lakewood Yacht Club to get an up close look at some of the most pristine, classic automobiles and vintage wooden boats in the United States at the 17th Annual Keels & Wheels Concours d'Elegance. The 2012 event was co-hosted by the Antique and Classic Boat Society-Southwest Chapter. In addition, the event raised significant funds for Boys & Girls Harbor. To date, Keels & Wheels has donated more than one million dollars to charity. The 2012 ...[Read more...]
Bentley Ready For Classic Thousand Mile Challenge
•Iconic Bentley Blowers ready for great Mille Miglia adventure •Bentley Continental W12 and V8 models join historic cars in Italy (Crewe, England & Brescia, Italy. 16 May, 2012) W.O. Bentley's gift for creating cars that combined the speed of a thoroughbred racing machine with an enviable reputation for strength and comfort, allowing them to effortlessly cover hundreds of miles, is set to be underlined once again at the 2012 Mille Miglia when two 4½ litre Bentley Blowers take on the ...[Read more...]
JAGUAR EXPANDS POWERTRAIN CHOICE WITH TWO ADDITIONAL FORCED-INDUCTION PETROL ENGINES
As Jaguar expands its product offer in key global markets it is introducing two additional petrol units to its range to enhance customer choice; the new 3.0-litre V6 Supercharged Petrol, and the 2.0-litre I4 Turbocharged Petrol. Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars, said: 'Jaguar currently has its strongest range of products for several decades. Our continued growth is dependent on two things; activating the awareness of the brand, and expanding our range to enable us to access...[Read more...]

Arrow Right 1930 Mercedes-Benz models
Mercedes-Benz 38/250 SS
Mercedes-Benz 770K

Similar Automakers
AudiBMW
InfinitiJaguar
Land RoverLexus
 
Mercedes-Benz: 1920-1930
Similar Automakers
Other models by Mercedes-Benz
Manufacturer Website

Related Articles and Event Coverage
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca

Mercedes-Benz
Monthly Sales FiguresVolume
April 201325,490 
March 201326,175 
February 201323,268 
January 201323,578 
December 201230,376 
November 201231,945 
October 201225,644 
September 201223,156 
August 201222,686 
July 201219,311 
June 201222,231 
May 201224,556 
(More Details)

 
170
180 Series
190
200 W21
220
250
28/95HP
280
290
300
300D
320
37/90Hp
370 S
380
400
450
500
540K
560
600
630K
710 SS
770
B-Class
C-Class
CL-Class
CLK GTR
CLS
E-Class
G-Class
GL-Class
GLK Class
M-Class
McLaren SLR
Model S
R-Class
R107
S-Class
Simplex
SL-Class
SLK
SLS AMG
SSK
Vision S500
W123
W126
W154
W196 R Streamliner

Image Left 1929 SS
© 1998-2012. All rights reserved. The material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.