1900 Mercedes 35HP Rennwagen

In 1900, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschat (DMG) produced a special car, named after its horsepower. Emil Jellinek, DMG’s cheif designer, was responsible for the cars design and had Wilhelm Maybach engineer the first 3 racecars. In designing the car, Jellinek took a DMG design, halved its weight and increased the power by 25%. These were very welcomed attributes for an already competative DMG platform.

Upon recieving the first car, Emil named it after his daughter Mercedes Adrienne Manuela Jellinek. He quickly made plans to produce several more cars under his daughters name. Some of these cars were 4 seater tourers which offered racing performance for everyday driving.

What made this car special was its depart from tradional carriage making at the time. The long wheelbase and wider track distinguished this car from the competition. Additional modern design features included a pressed-steel frame, honeycomb radiator and a gate-style transmission mounted behind the engine and clutch. From the very first car foward, the Mercedes brand was a innovative one.

In Detail

submitted by	Richard Owen
engine	M11644 Inline-4
position	Front Longitudinal
aspiration	Front Longitudinal
valvetrain	Natural
displacement	5913 cc / 360.8 in³
bore	116 mm / 4.57 in
stroke	140 mm / 5.51 in
power	26.1 kw / 35 bhp @ 1000 rpm
specific output	5.92 bhp per litre
bhp/weight	31.47 bhp per tonne
body / frame	Steel Panels over Pressed-Steel Frame
front brakes	None
f brake size	mm / in
rear brakes	Inside Show Brakes & External Band Brake
r brake size	mm / in
f suspension	Rigid Axle w/Semi-Elliptic Springs
r suspension	Rigid-Axle w/Semi-Elliptic Springs
curb weight	1112 kg / 2452 lbs
wheelbase	2325 mm / 91.5 in
front track	1400 mm / 55.1 in
rear track	1400 mm / 55.1 in
transmission	4-Speed Gated Manual
gear ratios	:1
top speed	~86 kph / 53.4 mph