Mercedes-Benz Classic at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck 2015: Magnificent flashback to the 1955 Mille Miglia
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At the Classic Days Schloss Dyck 2015,
Mercedes-Benz Classic is reawakening fond memories of the outstanding
victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia: from 31 July to 2 August 2015,
a vehicle display in the paddock and special Mercedes-Benz demonstration
runs will commemorate the success stories associated with this legendary
1000-mile race.
STUTTGART --
July 24, 2015: At the Classic Days Schloss Dyck from 31 July to
2 August 2015, Mercedes-Benz Classic is celebrating the brand's
outstanding victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia: Exactly 60 years ago,
Mercedes-Benz not only dominated the overall ranking in this legendary road
race from Brescia to Rome and back with a double victory by the
300 SLR racing sports car (W 196 S), but also achieved a
triple class victory for series production sports cars over 1.3 litres with
the 300 SL "Gullwing" (W 198) and with the 180 D Saloon (W 120)
in the diesel class.
Mercedes-Benz Brand
Ambassadors Ellen Lohr, Roland Asch and Dieter Glemser will present the two
class winners of the 1000-mile race held 60 years ago, both in the
drivers' paddock and on the track during the special Mercedes-Benz
demonstration run. The success of John Cooper Fitch in the series
production 300 SL is not only commemorated by the original 1955 car
bearing start number 417, but also by the Gullwing-inspired "Mille Miglia
417" special edition of the current Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster
(R 231).
Mercedes-Benz Classic is
also showing another highlight by presenting the 540 K Streamliner on
the orangery terrace. This innovative one-off example was built in 1938 on
the based on the sporty Mercedes-Benz flagship model of the 1930s. It
impresses with its dynamic appearance as the systematic implementation of
scientific findings obtained in the wind tunnel. The aerodynamically
optimised body has an excellent drag coefficient of Cd = 0.36. This makes a
cruising speed of up to 170 km/h possible - and when assisted by
the supercharger the Streamliner is even capable of a 185 km/h top speed.
Mercedes-Benz Classic is presenting the 540 K Streamliner as part of
the concours d’élégance "Jewels in the Park".
Rhineland Mecca for automotive
classics
In 2015 Sir Stirling
Moss is a guest of honour at this festival for automotive classics in the
park of this moated castle on the Rhine. 60 years ago Moss wrote his name
indelibly in the history books of motor racing with his overall victory in
the Mille Miglia, driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR racing sports car
and achieving the best ever time in this road race of 10 hours,
7 minutes and 48 seconds. Together with his co-driver Denis
Jenkinson, Moss led the double Mercedes-Benz victory for the 300 SLR
racing sports car ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio, who was driving alone.
Since the first event in 2006, the Classic Days
Schloss Dyck have quickly developed into one of the highlight events in the
automotive classic calendar. Mercedes-Benz Classic has actively supported
this development as a committed partner from the start. Against the
backdrop of the moated Dyck Castle in the Rhineland, the Classic Days will
once again offer an attractive and rewarding programme of events centred on
the culture of classic vehicles. These include access to the drivers'
paddock, regularity runs by "racing legends" on the circuit around the
castle and the "Classic Meeting" of the brand clubs on the large field
outside the castle. Almost 150 classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles owned by
private collectors and enthusiasts are expected in the Mercedes-Benz Club
area. The castle's hospitality rooms are also exclusively available to
members of the Mercedes-Benz brand clubs with reservations.
The exclusive concours d’élégance "Jewels
in the Park" will take place on the museum island, where the orangery is
also located. Particularly beautiful, elegant and rare vehicles will be
presented here. The "Lovely Heroes" from the time of the economic miracle
in the 1950s have their very own chapter in automobile history. During the
Classic Days there will also be a meeting of historic advertising vehicles
under the motto "Made in Germany", and the programme is rounded off by
events such as "Charm and Style" with picnics and presentations of past
eras, or the classics camping event "Nostalgic Journeys".
The Classic Days Schloss Dyck are open to visitors on
Friday, 31 July from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturday, 1 August
from 7 a.m. (access for classic vehicles) and 7:30 a.m. (entry
for pedestrians) to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, 2 August from 7 a.m. to
5 p.m.
The vehicles from
Mercedes-Benz Classic at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck 2015
Mercedes-Benz 540 K Streamliner
(W 29, 1938)
Built in 1938,
the Mercedes-Benz 540 K Streamliner was the pinnacle of the
aerodynamically optimised vehicles developed by Mercedes-Benz in the 1930s.
Based on the Stuttgart-based brand's top sports car model, this unique
vehicle set benchmarks both in technical and aesthetic terms. It allowed
Mercedes-Benz to take the lead in a development that occupied the entire
automobile industry at that time: the rapid pace of technical change and
the growing network of fast roads enabling higher potential cruising
speeds. Consequently, the aerodynamics of powerful passenger cars became
increasingly important with regard to efficiency too. With its aluminium
body's flowing lines and low silhouette, minimal sources of disturbance on
its surface and underbody cladding, the Streamliner applied research
findings in an exemplary way, giving it a sensationally low drag
coefficient (Cd value) of 0.36. In 2014, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the vehicle
to the public once more following lavish restoration.
Technical data for the Mercedes-Benz 540 K
Streamliner (W 29)
Cylinder arrangement: 8/in-line
Displacement: 5401 cc
Output: 85 kW (115 hp), with supercharger 132 kW (180 hp)
Top speed: 185 km/h
Cylinder arrangement: 8/in-line
Displacement: 5401 cc
Output: 85 kW (115 hp), with supercharger 132 kW (180 hp)
Top speed: 185 km/h
Mercedes-Benz 300
SL "Gullwing" (W 198), 1954-1957)
In February 1954, the 300 SL "Gullwing" (W 198) celebrated
its world premiere at the International Motor Sport Show in New York. The
Coupé was referred to as the "Gullwing" owing to the roof-mounted doors
resembling a gull's wings. The high-speed sports car was based on the
legendary 300 SL sports racing car (W 194) from the 1952 season, and was
the first series production car with a four-stroke petrol injection engine.
With an engine output of 158 kW
(215 hp) – a good 20 percent more than the
carburettor-equipped racing version of 1952 – the W 198 was
in the top echelon of series production sports cars in its day, which also
predestined it for racing. Various suspension setups and final drive ratios
were available on request for racing purposes, allowing top speeds between
around 225 km/h and 250 km/h. One legendary triumph was the
triple class victory of the 300 SL series sports car in the 1955 Mille
Miglia. John Cooper Fitch achieved fifth place in the overall ranking in
his car bearing start number 417, clocking a time of 11 hours,
29 minutes and 21 seconds to head the class for series production
sports cars over 1.3 litres. From 1954 to 1957 a total of
1400 units of the 300 SL "Gullwing" were produced, no less than
867 of them in the year of the 1955 Mille Miglia victory.
Technical data for the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
"Gullwing" (W 198)
Production period: 1954–1957
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 2996 cc
Output: 158 kW (215 hp)
Top speed: up to 250 km/h
Production period: 1954–1957
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 2996 cc
Output: 158 kW (215 hp)
Top speed: up to 250 km/h
Mercedes-Benz
180 D (W 120, 1954 to 1959)
The first diesel engine version of the Mercedes-Benz 180
"Ponton" (W 120) had its debut in January 1954. This meant that the
Stuttgart-based brand now also offered its modern saloon with the
characteristic "Ponton" silhouette with a diesel engine, which delivered
29 kW (40 hp) from a displacement of 1767 cc. A total of
114,046 units of the 180 D Saloon were produced up to the model facelift in
autumn 1959. These diesel saloons, which were capable of speeds up to 110
km/h, cannot be compared with the racing and sports cars that raced to
overall victory in the Mille Miglia. But the 180 D was an ultra-modern
vehicle at the time, with a self-supporting body and a "subframe" on which
the front wheels guided by double wishbone axles were suspended.It
demonstrated its strengths and great dependability in the Italian road
race: Mercedes-Benz entered several model 180 D cars in the 1955 Mille
Miglia, with start numbers 04, 09 and 010A, and they achieved a triple
victory in the diesel class. The class winner driven by the Austrians
Helmut Retter and Wolfgang Larcher took 16 hours, 52 minutes and
25 seconds for the 1000-mile race.
Technical Data for the Mercedes-Benz 180 D
(W 120) – road version)
Production period: 1954 to 1959
Cylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 1767 cc
Output: 29 kW (40 hp), from September 1955 32 kW (43 hp)
Top speed: 110 km/h
Production period: 1954 to 1959
Cylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 1767 cc
Output: 29 kW (40 hp), from September 1955 32 kW (43 hp)
Top speed: 110 km/h
The drivers for Mercedes-Benz Classic
at the Classic Days Schloss Dyck 2015
Roland Asch
Born on 12 October 1950 in Altingen, Germany
Born on 12 October 1950 in Altingen, Germany
Trained as a master
automotive mechanic, Roland Asch began his motor racing career as a hobby
at first, but achieved victories like a pro: after winning the German Hill
Climb Championship in 1981 and the German Motor Racing Trophy in 1983, his
début in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) followed in 1985. In
1988 he finished as the DTM vice-champion driving his own Mercedes-Benz 190
E 2.3-16. In the late 1980s, he finished first in the overall standings in
the Porsche 944 Turbo Cup three times, and in 1991 won the championship
title in the Porsche Carrera Cup. In the early 1990s, he won a total of
five victories and delivered a number of other good results in the DTM for
Mercedes-Benz. In 1993, he finished as the runner-up in the DTM for the
second time, and moved to Ford in the Super Touring Car Cup in 1995. As a
Brand Ambassador, Roland Asch has close ties to the Mercedes-Benz brand to
this day, and can regularly be seen behind the wheel of important racing
cars from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection during events.
Dieter Glemser
Born on 28 June 1938 in Kirchheim/Teck
Born on 28 June 1938 in Kirchheim/Teck
His
pedal-to-the-metal career kicked off in the 1960 Schorndorf Hill Climb.
Numerous class victories in various hill climbs and circuit races at the
Nürburgring followed. He started racing for Mercedes-Benz in 1963, when he
achieved overall victory in the Poland Rally in a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE and
two 2nd places in the Germany Rally (including a class victory) and in the
Argentine Touring Car Grand Prix. In the following year he was part of the
triple victory by the teams made up of Böhringer/Klaus Kaiser, Dieter
Glemser/Martin Braungart and Ewy Rosqvist/Eva-Maria Falk in the Argentine
Touring Car Grand Prix. With Ford, Dieter Glemser celebrated a European
Championship title for touring cars in 1971, a win in the 24-hour race at
Spa-Francorchamps and the German Motor Racing Championship in 1973 and
1974. He ended his active motor racing career in November 1974, following a
serious crash caused by tyre damage in the touring car race in Macao,
south-east China. From 1990, Dieter Glemser was a member of the
Mercedes-Benz motorsport team for ten years, responsible for organisational
matters as a department manager. From 2001 to 2008 he worked as a
freelancer for Mercedes-AMG and Daimler AG in the area of sports and driver
safety training, as well as at Mercedes-Benz Classic events where he is
still active.
Ellen
Lohr
Born on 12 April 1965 in Mönchengladbach, Germany
Born on 12 April 1965 in Mönchengladbach, Germany
Ellen Lohr came to motor sport from the kart
racing scene, where she was active from 1979 to 1983. Her greatest
successes were participation in the Junior Kart World Championship and a
first place in the North-West German Kart Championship. After competing in
the German Formula Ford 1600 series (German Champion in 1987), and first
races in the DTM (BMW) and the German Formula 3 Championship with VW in
1989/90, she was signed by the AMG-Mercedes team for the German Touring Car
Championship. For the 1995 season, she moved to the Mercedes-Zakspeed team,
and in 1996 drove for the AMG-Mercedes Persson MS team. Ellen Lohr is the
first and only woman to date to have achieved a DTM victory, which she won
in May 1992 at the motor racing festival in Hockenheim driving an
AMG-Mercedes 190 2.5-16 Evolution II. In 1997, she competed in the
European Truck Racing Championship at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz racing
truck. Subsequently Ellen Lohr has continued to be actively involved in
numerous other racing series, including the Paris–Dakar Rally since
2005 and again in truck racing since 2012.