1903 Mercedes 60 HP

Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft was founded in 1890 and remained in operation until 1926. Founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, the company was initially based in Cannstatt and relocated to Stuttgart-Untertürkheim in 1903 after the original factory was destroyed by fire. Another relocation occurred in 1922, this time to Berlin.

DMG is recognized as being among the leading innovations of the horseless carriage era and inventing the world's first four-stroke petrol engine and float-feed carburetor. Its earliest financial success was found by selling manufacturing rights for its V-twin engine to Panhard et Levassor and Peugeot. In 1898, Viennese-born Consul General for Austria-Hungary Emil Jellinek established himself as the official agent for DMG in Nice, France. He sold large and powerful Phoenix Daimler motorcars to wealthy residents of the French Riviera, but these motorcars were difficult to operate and not very attractive, prompting Jellinek to return to DMG requesting an all-new motorcar be developed. He financied the project, requesting they be 'comparable to no other,' and agreed to buy the first 36 examples. These new motorcars were to be named after his young daughter – Mercédès - hoping it would bestow greater international appeal, particularly in France. He obtained exclusive dealership rights for the new car in France, Austria, Hungary, Belgium and the United States, and he registered the Mercedes trademark in 1902.

The new DMG-built Mercedes 35 HP was introduced in December 1900 and marked the end of the carriage style that had dominated the industry. The design penned by Wilhelm Maybach would be followed for decades to come, and it is regarded as the first truly modern motorcar. Among its mechanical prowess and revolutionary features were its honeycomb radiator, low-tension ignition, pressed-steel chassis, water-cooled drum brakes, scroll clutch, and an H-pattern, four-speed gearbox with dual-chain drive.

More refined motorcars were forthcoming, the first being the improved Mercedes-Simplex 40 HP of 1901, followed by two additional large-capacity models before the smaller 3-liter Mercedes Simplex 18/22 was launched in 1903. The Mercedes Simplex, so-called on account of the vehicle's easy handling, was built up to 1909.

British racer E.T. Stead drove a 40 HP to first place in the 1902 La Turbie Hillclimb near Nice, reaching speeds of more than 60 mph and beating Georges Lemaitre and Wilhelm Werner, who were driving similar models.

Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP
The Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP was developed during 1902 and introduced in 1903. At its core lurked a four-cylinder engine with a 140mm bore and 150 mm stroke, giving it a displacement size of 9.2 liters. Its intake valves had an overhead design (F-head layout) and were capable of producing 60 horsepower at 1,100 RPM. Having the greatest volumetric efficiency of any engine of its day, the 60 HP Mercedes could reach a speed of 80 mph. The four-speed manual transaxle with paired with a dual-chain drive system that effectively transferred the power to the rear wheels. There was a front beam axle, live rear axle, and semi-elliptical leaf springs all round.

The Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP was large and powerful, and its relatively long wheelbase and low center of gravity rewarded it with superb handling. Many consider the 60 HP the first true dual-purpose automobile, adequately suited for road or track.

Between 1902 and 1905, the DMG works in Cannstatt built 102 examples of the Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP. Among the list of individuals who acquired the Sixty either through Emil Jellinek in Nice or Charles Lehmann's C.L. Charley dealership in Paris include William K. Vanderbilt, Clarence Gray Dinsmore, Baron de Caters, Baron Henri de Rothschild, and Count Zborowski.

Perhaps the most famous racing accomplishment of the Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP was in July 1903 at the Gordon Bennett Cup in Ireland, where Camille Jenatzy drove a Sixty to an outright win, averaging 49.2 mph over 327.5 miles of public roads.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2024