Tourer
Coachwork: Thomsons Ply. Ltd.
Chassis #: 545015537
Germany began imposing a motor vehicle tax in 1906 and those hardest hit were the large-displacement cars. Mannheim, Germany's Benz, formally named Benz & Cie, responded by introducing a smaller 2.4-liter 10/18 HP car in 1908. It came in just below the stipulated 10 PS taxation threshold. This model soon became popular with Berlin's tax drivers, which helped initiate the tradition of Benz (and later Mercedes-Benz) taxis in Germany, which continues even to this day. (Benz merged with Daimler in 1926 and formed Mercedes-Benz.)The 10/18 proved popular and spurred the development of an even smaller car, the 1,570cc 6/14 PS of 1910. An intermediate-level car followed, dubbed the 8/20 in 1912, and would remain in production until 1921. This tax-friendly automobile had a rather impressive top speed of 62 kilometers per hour (about 40 mph). Benz at its Mannheim factory produced just 3,093 passenger cars in 1912. The chassis price for the 8/20 hp was around 6,500 DM with the body being an additional cost.
This particular example is a 1912 Benz 8/20 Tourer with coachwork by Thomson's Ply. Ltd. It is believed to have been part of a three-car group sent to Australia in 1913 to compete in a trans-Australian endurance race with Aussie sportsman Hugh McIntosh. During a practice run, one Benz was wrecked. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 forced the cancellation of the race. The two remaining Benz remained in Australia until Daimler-Benz AG acquired one and made it part of its Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2017
1912 Benz 8/20HP Vehicle Profiles
Recent Vehicle Additions
Performance and Specification Comparison
8/20 hp Specification Comparison by Year
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Production
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