1912 Benz 8/20HP Tourer

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.

This example was later restored and participated in the 300-mile Mercedes-Benz rally commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Mercedes-Benz and its predecessor companies in 1986. It was later sold to Japan where it spent several years in a private collection until it was eventually sold and imported to the United States in the 1990s.

In the mid-1990s it was acquired by Rainer Wittich of New Orleans, Louisiana, during whose tenure the Benz was displayed for some time at the Mercedes-Benz USA headquarters. During the early 2000s, the Benz was displayed by Mr. Wittich at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

From 2006 to 2013, the 8/20 was owned by Robert Beckmann of North Carolina before coming into the care of its current caretaker. Since that time, it has been treated to a restoration.

This 1912 Benz 8/20 Tourer has brass bright work, an array of brass lamps, a wood-rimmed steering wheel, a Burgundy paint finish, a black folding top, and button-tufted black upholstery. The engine is a 1950cc L-head four-cylinder unit berating through a Zenith carburetor and producing 20 horsepower (20 HP rated output and 8HP taxable output). There is a four-speed manual gearbox with shaft drive and a mechanical transmission brake with rear two-wheel parking brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2017