The legendary Mercedes that the April 27, 1924 he won the Targa Florio get back on the road. Merit of the division Classic of the parent company which 100 years later wanted to restore the car down to the smallest details to return it to the view of enthusiasts. “In 1924, with this extraordinary racing car, Mercedes made motorsport history,” explains Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Assets.”
From the Targa Florio to today
“A century later, the vehicle can be seen again in stock in its original condition, which means Mercedes-Benz Classic is making history. Because something like this is only possible thanks to the combined expertise of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive and a solid network of experts. This fascinating project makes the innovative strength of our company tangible, since its origins in 1886 until the future.”
The Targa Florio
At the beginning of the twenties, the Targa Florio it was the race of races, not only for Italy but for all European motorsport lovers. A competition which among other things offered a great opportunity to German companies, excluded from participation in the European Grand Prix Championship in the aftermath of the First World War. Mercedes took second place overall in 1921 and a private individual won in a Mercedes in 1922.
Ferdinand Porsche's hand…
In the 1924 the brand returned to competition with a new racing car based on Paul Daimler's designs and developed by Ferdinand Porsche, technical director and head of development at Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft since April of the previous year. “The racing team went from Stuttgart to Sicily with four 2-liter racing cars with in-house developed engines,” they say in Mercedes. “Mercedes entered three of these racing cars in the Targa Florio and the Coppa Florio. A peculiarity was the red paint, which in reality was reserved for Italian cars: the aim was to prevent any 'interference' from Italian fans during the race. At the time, German racing cars were usually painted white.”
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