Beschreibung:

The sporting prowess and prestige of the Mercedes marque following its introduction by the German Daimler company in 1901 was such that, following the amalgamation of Benz and Cie of Mannheim and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft of Stuttgart-Unterturkheim in 1926, the Mercedes-Benz marque which resulted rather tended to eclipse the achievements of the Benz company. Whilst is, perhaps, understandable, it is nevertheless to be regretted that, ever since, Daimler-Benz AG and its successors DaimlerChrysler have preferred to place the emphasis on Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz history, rather than that of Benz, and even the excellent Museum at Stuttgart appear singularly reluctant to provide much information on the Benz marque. This is a great pity, because not only was Karl Benz the man who designed and built the first workable motor car to be powered by an internal combustion engine (in1885), but from very early on the Benz marque distinguished itself in competition. Entered in the Chicago Times-Herald event, a Benz was the sole survivor in the first run-off and one of only two finishers in the second. Emile Roger has already entered a Benz in the Paris-Rouen Trails of 1894 and was classified 5th. A 16hp racing model driven by Fritz. Held took the laurels in the Berlin-Leipzig race, and replicas were sold to the public in London at 750 guineas. In 1907, however, came the 8 litre 60hp model, a favourite of Prince Henry of Prussia, and driving one of these Fritz Erle won the Herkomer Trophy. The company’s three entries in the Targa Florio, driven by Erle, Spamman and de Bojno all finished, and in the Kaiserpreis, Victor Hemery got through to the final. In the Coppa Florio Hemery cam in second at 62.5mph and his team mate Hanriot was third at 60.9mph and by 1908 Benz were heavily committed to racing. Hemery won the 438 mile St Petersburg-Moscow event over appalling surfaces, averaging 51.4mph and in the French Grand Prix only tyre troubles and an eye injury robbed him of first place. He came second, at 67.5mph to Lautenschlager’s Mercedes, and was closely followed by Hanriot in 3rd place, with Erle seventh. In America, Bergdoll had driven his 60hp Benz to victory in the Florida 100 race and Hemery showed that this was no "flash in the pan" by finishing second in the Grand Prize at Savannah in his Grand Prix Benz at 64.9mph. In the same race Hanriot had been timed at 100mph and came third. The firm continued to develop competition machines of increasing engine size, and the 21,504cc Blitzen Benz developed 200hp and took many records. The Benz cars entered for the Prince Henry trials were said to be capable of 3000rpm and were certainly the fastest cars in the event, and many of the large pre-war cars were still distinguishing themselves at Brooklands and elsewhere after the Great War. It will be seen therefore, that Benz’s racing pedigree was in many respects just as illustrious as that of Mercedes, although space precludes mention of all their victories. The racing two seater 60hp model with which we are here concerned has spent much of its life in Argentina. Fully restored and described by the vendor as being in very good condition throughout, it also has an interesting competition provenance. The vendor confirms that in 1913 it was raced by Carloz Pozzi and Gemmi Machi in Argentina, remaining in Pozzi’s hands until 14th August 1951, at which time it passed to Juan Pablo Saenz Valiente, who retained it until 1991 when it was purchased by the vendor and restoration commenced. We are told the car is now in substantially the same condition as when it raced in 1919. The car is offered with some history(in Spanish) and a bill of sale from Pozzi to Valiente dated 1951. The two seater raceabout body with bolster tank is a replica of the original. A potent Edwardian eminently suitable for VSCC events, but also eligible for events organised by the Veteran Car Club subject to authentication by that club’s dating committee. Should the car remain in t