This vintage Mercedes Benz Race Car immediately impresses with its finely tuned performance. Expert Gert confirms the exceptional handling: understeer is non-existent, while the responsive 3.0-liter engine allows for easily controlled, relaxed oversteer at lower speeds. However, he cautions against sudden, high-speed oversteer, a testament to the car’s raw power.
The 16-inch drum brakes are remarkably effective for a vehicle of this era. Enhanced by a mechanical servo system, they require surprisingly little effort, even under demanding conditions. Driving this machine on the twisty Mercedes track reveals impressive side forces, exceeding initial expectations. Every aspect of this vehicle conveys the meticulous development typical of a true race car. Unlike many contemporaries built for short bursts of speed, this Mercedes Benz is engineered as an enduring and robust racing machine, built to last.
Witnessing Gert’s effortless command at the wheel, his confident gear changes, brings to mind stories of legendary drivers. It’s reminiscent of Denis Jenkinson’s admiration for Stirling Moss, the “Golden Boy”. Jenkinson recounted moments during the grueling Mille Miglia where Moss would approach village entrances at seemingly excessive speeds. With detached confidence, Jenkinson would observe, “this is going to be interesting. Now I am going to watch the master at work!” His unwavering trust in Moss was absolute, mirroring Moss’s complete faith in Jenkinson’s pace notes. A signed indication – impossible to shout over the engine’s roar – that an upcoming corner was “flat in third” was all the assurance Moss needed.
When circumstances allowed, Denis transitioned into the role of an astute observer. He once described an astonishing moment to his family: overtaking an airplane filming them at approximately 190 mph. “That is when I realized that I was traveling in another, surreal dimension,” he recalled, encapsulating the extraordinary experience of piloting a Mercedes Benz race car at the limit.
