Mercedes-Benz History.
DISCLAIMER - my interest in Mercedes/Daimler-Benz, whil(e)(st) perhaps
encompassing, is primarily in the S and SS series of the late 1920s and early
1930s; this is not intended to be a full-blown history or chronology of the Mercedes
marque. - SB,III
I took many photos (including excruciatingly-detailed shots of engine compartments
and dashboards) of S and SS cars (and some K, 380K, 500K, 540K, and 770 cars) back
in the '50s. Some of these include famed cartoonist and driver, Charles Addams,
in his S tourer out at the Bridgehampton (Long Island) track.
[I am repeating some of the introductory material from the main and
previous continuation pages here for continuity.]
I located (30 Mar 01) my 1950s files and there are great surprises in store; the files
were a bit damp but dried out and I am adding fantastic photos.
In early 1956, I had the incredible fortune to drive the 1928 SS tourer that was
featured in the Museum of Modern Art (along with the famed Movado watch) as a
supreme example of pure functional beauty. It was quite an adventure and
I've written it up and will add lots more info for M-B enthusiasts as I get the time and
inclination. The car was all burgundy with crimson piping and spokes and an
off-white head (top) [my memory on some of this was 'way off!] and I finally found my
bureau-top photo (missing since the last move) 07 Jan 01, and it's again missing, as is
the post I made of it; instead, I located the original negatives and had prints and
scans made. In the interest of full documentation of a famous and fantastic car
[and it was "only" a Sindelfingen (factory) body], I am redroducing all the pictures
here, in spite of some being really poor and one being double-exposed (I had a bad
habit of winding the film past the last picture and stripping the sprocket holes).
Also, these photos were taken with an ancient Voightlander bellows camera that had
only a rudimentary framing lens and a manual distance setting slide; in my excitement,
I really messed up some of the shots rather badly indeed (I'm no Alexandre Georges
or Jerry Cheseborough, famed M-B photographers). Also, I cropped many of
these photos to save memory and bandwidth, but was very careful not to remove any
detail.
EX-PECK/MMA/BRODIE/BOYER SS TOURER COLOR PHOTOS
As far as I know, the car belonged to D. Cameron Peck when it was shown at the
Museum of Modern Art in New York, where it was extensively photographed by
Alexandre Georges, and was then bought by Sidney Brodie out on the West Coast,
where it was again extensively photographed, that time by Jerry Cheseborough, and
then passed to Alston Boyer on Long Island.
[Photos ca. Feb 56 by and © 1956/2003 - S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved]
(Thumbnail image - click on photo for much larger image.)
Allston Boyer and his car in 1956.
(13 Nov 03)
(The missing Kodacolor print, marked that it was printed "Week Ending Mar. 3, 1956"
had changed sadly over the years; that body paint was a true, rich burgundy
and, if the crimson piping shows, I can't see it!)
{The negatives held up much better and prints made from them are fairly true
to what I remember.}
Incidentally, that tubular factory front bumper is set wrong; the rearward sweep of
the ends should be absolutely horizontal.
Here's me with the car:
(13 Nov 03)
1928 Mercedes-Benz SS and SB,III.
[Photos ca. Feb 56 by and © 1956/2003 - S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved]
(Thumbnail image - click on photo for much larger image.)
There are a dozen more color photos, plus a baker's dozen highly-detailed B&W shots
of just this automobile. Then, there follow two photos from the same era of a
540K at the curb and a dozen photos of a magnificent SSK roadster sitting alongside
Bill Frick's speed shop in Freeport (Long Island), New York. So, here we go:
'49 New Yorker and '28 SS.
'49 New Yorker and '28 SS (note that front bumpers are flush).
'49 New Yorker and '28 SS (note that rear bumpers are NOT flush).
Note support stick (to prop up hood so it didn't double back and get damaged)
and also note the lubricator on the cowl.
Note support stick (to prop up hood so it didn't double back and get damaged).
[Artificially lightened - nothing showed under the hood!]
Note carburetor intake manifold with cooling fins (compressor heats air).
[Photos ca. Feb 56 by and © 1956/2003 - S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved]
(Thumbnail images - click on photos for larger images.)
EX-PECK/MMA/BRODIE/BOYER SS TOURER B&W PHOTOS
[Photos ca. Feb 56 by and © 1956/2003 - S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved]
(Thumbnail images - click on photos for larger images.)
There's that blower (standard, not elephant).
[Double Exposure]
[Photos ca. Feb 56 by and © 1956/2003 - S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved]
(Thumbnail images - click on photos for larger images.)
"K" vs. "K"
The suffix "K" has been used in two different ways by Daimler-Benz to describe
Mercedes-Benz cars. In these pages, especially in what follows, it matters.
In the '20s, "K" stood for "Kurz" (short chassis), as in the SSK and SSKL
types. However, almost immediately after, ca. 1930, while the SSK and SSKL
were at the end of their run but still in production, the first-series 770K came out, one
of the biggest cars, if not the very biggest, Mercedes ever built, in which the "K" stood
for "Kompressor" (compressor). Without delving deeply, I believe that
the latter usage has been consistently applied ever since, most notably to the 380K,
500K, 540K, and later 770K series.
(14 Feb 05)
FRICK PHOTOS
Not having the detailed notes that accompanied the original prints, I can only recall
that these photos were taken ca. 1956 and that the 540K, bearing valid 1956
Connecticut plates, was merely parked (facing the wrong way - west) on east-bound
Sunrise Highway (U.S. Route 24) in front of Bill Frick's famed speed shop; I must
assume I spotted the 540K, screeched to a stop, and then saw the SSK out back.
Just sitting there on Sunrise Highway (Lawn Guylunders note - Sunrise hadn't yet
been widened,
nor divided, nor have the LIRR tracks beyond been raised for the grade elimination
project ca. 1960).
[Photos ca. 56 by and © 1956/2003 - S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved]
(Thumbnail images - click on photos for larger images.)
That's quite a front end; compare it to the SS (picture C) above and SSK (picture 3)
below.
[Photos ca. 56 by and © 1956/2003 - S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved]
(Thumbnail images - click on photos for larger images.)
The SSK was, as I recall, a 1930 model, also with a Sindelfingen (works) body;
it is NOT an SSKL (no lightening holes).
[Photos ca. 56 by and © 1956/2003 - S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved]
(Thumbnail images - click on photos for larger images.)
Might that be a Pinin Farina creation over the windscreen?
Note Studie Hawk in background; the car on the right is shown because, as I remember
the missing notes, it is the very first Cisitalia imported into the U.S.
Note that the bumper is dead-level.
Note MG TD (or TC?) and Woodie in background.
Note Studie Hawk in background.
It is interesting how small the SSK looks without a frame of reference; it is NOT at all
small!
[Double Exposure]
[Photos ca. 56 by and © 1956/2003 - S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved]
(Thumbnail images - click on photos for larger images.)
That about does it for the nonce; let's see what else turns up.
Wonder where these cars are now.
SS & SSK Color Brochure
[Source: Daimler Benz Classic Archiv.]
I noticed that my 1975 full-size, full-color reproduction of the undated Mercedes color
brochure for the SS and SSK models does not carry any copyright notice - fair game!
Unfortunately, the brochure is huge - 33mm x 24mm (12frac12;" x 9½") and the
car images fit the pages bumper-to-bumper so the pages won't quite fit on the platen
of my nominally 12" x 9" scanner. I'm not too keen on piecing, so, for the
nonce, here are some teasers until I find another way - the front cover in Mercedes
racing silver, page 1 (the title page), page 7 with the SS Offener Tourenwagen (open
touring car - my favorite), page 12 with the Technical Oversight (the text ist auf
Deutsch) and a chassis view, page 14 cropped to views of the left and right sides of
the engine and of the rear axle, page 15 with Technical Data, and page 16 with
Results of Proof Trials (racing results):
{scroll away!}
What you're missing is a lot of German text and page 5 with the Cabriolet A, page 9
with the Roadster (so-gennant), page 11 with the SSK (cycle fendered but full weight
- no lightening holes for the SSKL, such as shown in the tiny photo on page 16).
The main car pictures are renderings, not photos. From the bumpers on all but
the SSK, I'd guess this was a 1932-33 brochure and the last races noted on page 16
are from 1932; thus this is the last (or one of the last) for this model. This
ended up at Kinkos for a full color scan (it didn't pick up the silver of the front cover,
however); here is the entire brochure (the inside front cover, page 2, and both sides
of the back cover are blank):
(17 Feb 04)
[Page 2 is blank.]
That's a lot of scanning and posting but it should give you a better flavor of the whole
brochure.
I suppose the next step will be to attempt a translation with my sehr schwer und
rostig Deutsch (but see below for K model specs.)!
(21 Apr 04)
MERCEDES BENZ Type 24-100/140 SPECIFICATIONS
(21 Apr 04)
This car is NOT a K model; see
Works History of the Type 24-100/140 and K on the succeeding page.
(23 Apr 04)
(from Ashley Sametz, 20 Sep 1971 - edited for form, only)
[Photos on
preceding page.])
Engine: 6 cylinder
bore - 94mm (3.76")
stroke - 150mm (6.20")
normal RPM - 2800
displacement - 6.24 liters (367 cu. in.)
brake HP - 100 metric (110 American)
with blower - 140 metric (150 American)
gas mileage - about 25 liters per 100 kilometers
(approx. 10-13 mpg)
oil usage - about 0.8 liters per 100 kilometers
(approx. 1 qt. per 100 miles)
Crankcase and cylinders - pan made of light metal, upper part of crankcase and
cylinders cast in 1 block out of light metal. Cylinder walls made of cast iron.
Cylinder head - made of cast iron, removable.
Crankshaft - chrome nickel steel with 4 bearings.
Camshaft - overhead camshaft driven by a combination driveshaft and worm gear
assembly.
Valves - overhead valves.
Compressor (blower, supercharger) - activated by pressing down on the accelerator.
Spark - Bosch high voltage magneto ignition. Spark advance and retard adjustable
by a lever on steering column. Firing order 1, 5, 3, 6, 2, 4
numbering from front to rear of engine.
Carburetor - Mercedes Benz special carburetor for supercharged engines.
Temperature of air induction pipe can be regulated.
Settings for jets: normal - main jet additional jet idle
140 95 100/28
Cooling - Honeycomb type radiator with water pump and fan.
Oil - pressure oil system supplied by gear pump with distributor. Additional fresh oil
pump, visible oil level indicator.
Gas tank - contents 110 liters (about 30 U.S. gallons) with gas gauge and vacuum
fuel pump.
Chassis and undercarriage:
Transmission - made of light metal, fatsened to engine. Mechanical gear changing,
four speeds forward, one reverse. Mechanical tire pump.
Clutch - multiple disc clutch.
Drive shaft and rear end - universal jointed driveshaft with bevel geared differential.
Enclosed rear axle. Raer axle ratios - 1:4 or 1:4.36 with reinforced axle.
Springs - half elliptical, lever shock absorbers in rear.
Brakes - drum brakes, four wheel foot brakes. Hand brakes on rear wheels only.
Dashboard - speedometer with kilometer counter, switchbox, oil control lamp, 8 day
clock, pullout hand lamp.
Electrical assembly - generator, starter, battery, 2 headlights, 2 side lamps, tail light.
Weight - 1550 kilograms (about 3,400 lbs) chassis
(about 2,600 lbs) body
6,000 lbs total approx.
Top speed - 115 kilometers per hour (68/70 mph with 1:4 rear axle ratio).
Wheelbase - 3750 millimeters (approx. 150").
Width of track - 1430mm (approx. 57.2").
Ground clearance - 220mm (approx. 8.8").
Overall length - 5085mm (approx. 203.4" {17'}).
Maximum width - 1760mm (approx 70.4").
Maximum height - 1900mm (approx. 76" {6' 4"}).
Tire size - 33 x 5.00 inches.
Stay tuned!
of this series of Mercedes-Benz pages.
[For those interested in the Chrysler side as well,
see my Chrysler page, et seq.
(with the Walter P. Chrysler story).]
Cyclops fans; see Cyclops on my Automotive page!
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S. Berliner, III
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2003, 2004,
2005
- All rights reserved.
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