1929 Mercedes-Benz Model SS

Benz & Cie. and DMG merged as the Daimler-Benz company on June 28th of 1926, with all of its automobiles becoming Mercedes-Benz. The first models produced following the union were the Model 630 K. The 'K' represented 'Kurtz' meaning short, and were officially designated 24/100/140. The 24 referred to the taxable horsepower (function of engine displacement) and the 100 was the actual horsepower. The third number, 140, was the horsepower with the supercharger engaged. During the early 1920s, Mercedes had led the way in using superchargers in road-going vehicles, incorporating lessons learned from building aircraft engines for high altitude operation during the Great War. All Mercedes-Benz cars built prior to World War II and equipped with superchargers employed an 'on demand' system that only came into operation when the throttle pedal was fully depressed, which clutched in the Roots-type blower to boost acceleration and raise power output. In regards to the 6.8-liter 'S' Series of 1927, power output rose from 140 bhp to 200 brake horsepower with the supercharger engaged.

The 6.8-liter 'S' Series was the work of the company's new chief designer Ferdinand Porsche. It retained the dimensions of the Model K chassis, but the frame was lowered and the engine was moved rearward by 30 cm. The 'SS' or 'Super Sport' grand tourer followed in mid-1928, equipped with a 7.1-liter version of the M06 engine. The SS was very exclusive with just 102 units constructed.

The Mercedes-Benz S and SS models were among the most luxurious and powerful automobiles of the late 1920s, and many were clothed by the most skilled craftsman of the day. Many of the cars were constructed of aluminum to minimize weight.

The Mercedes-Benz SS (for 'Super Sport') was powered by a 7.1-liter, inline six-cylinder engine developed up to 160 horsepower in naturally aspirated form and up to 200 horsepower with a supercharger engaged.

In late 1928, Mercedes-Benz introduced the SSK, which stood for 'Super Sport Kurz' (German for 'Super Sport Short'). Designed for hill climb competition, the SSK had a shortened wheelbase of 2950mm and was fitted with a tuned version of the SS engine but with the lower radiator of the Model S. Factory driver Rudi Caracciola drove the SSK to 26 hill climb victories over a two year period.

Just like the S and SS, the SSK was both a production and race car. Over a three-year period, a total of 31 examples were built. The ultimate evolution of the SSK was the SSKL ('L' representing Leicht or light), which arrived in 1931. Its reduced weight was achieved by drilling holes through the SSK chassis, dropping approximately 250 pounds in the process.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2021