Mercedes-Benz Cyprus (North)

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    • A-Class

      A-Class Coupé, Saloon

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      The A-Class

      Between temptation and reason.

    • B-Class

      B-Class

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      The B-Class Sports Tourer

      Designed to fit your life

    • C-Class

      C-Class

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      The C-Class Saloon

      Experience a car like no other

    • CL-Class

      CL-Class

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      The CL-Class Coupé

      A masterpiece from Mercedes Benz

    • CLC-Class

      CLC-Class

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      The CLC-Class Sports Coupé

      Dynamism at its most alluring

    • CLK-Class

      CLK-Class

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      CLK-Class Cabriolet

      Dynamism at its most alluring

    • CLS-Class

      CLS-Class

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      The CLS-Class Coupé

      The technology of seduction

    • E-Class

      E-Class.

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      The E-Class Saloon

      See Mercedes-Benz in a new light.

    • G-Class

      The G-Class

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      The G-Class Cabriolet

      A modern classic

    • GL-Class

      GL-Class

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      The GL-Class Off-Roader

      Off-road driving with on-road feel.

    • M-Class

      M-Class

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      M-Class Off-roader

      Refined power.

    • R-Class

      R-Class

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      The R-Class SUV Tourer

      The new form of space travel

    • S-Class

      S-Class

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      The S-Class Saloon

      Looking ahead, driving ahead

    • SL-Class

      SL-Class

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      The SL-Class Roadster

      The legendary sports car

    • SLK-Class

      SLK-Class

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      The SLK-Class Roadster

      All you need for an enjoyable drive

    • SLR

      SLR

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      The SLR Coupé

      The rebirth of a legend

The blue miracle

The idea
The Mercedes-Benz racing car transporter
In 1952, the Daimler-Benz Board of Management decided to return to Grand Prix racing from 1954. The company’s racing department had already built the successful 300 SL racing car in 1952. The Grand Prix vehicles built during the development period were given the internal designation W 196. In addition to these activities, priority was given to setting up a mobile workshop for service and repair and to building trucks for the transportation of racing cars.

Alfred Neubauer, the legendary Mercedes-Benz race organiser, recalled a similar challenge in 1924. At his request, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft converted a Mercedes touring car into a large-scale racing-car transporter. The first truck transported an eight-cylinder racing vehicle in piggy-back fashion to the Monza race circuit.

Neubauer was consumed by the thought of developing a fast-moving racing-car transporter. "Give me time to think of something!" he told master craftsman Hägele after being presented with the idea. He took charge of a test department in which chassis and suspension fitters, engine specialists and body makers built a series of prototypes.

The specifications for the transporter were not complicated. It was to be fast – even when carrying a load (a Grand Prix or SLR racing car). It therefore had to have plenty of power and an equally powerful braking system.

It is no longer possible to retrace the individual steps of producing the racing-car transporter in every detail, but it is known that the vehicle was a joint development within the department. The engineer Hennige finally suggested combining the tubular frame, engine and body parts from several vehicles: the X-shaped tubular frame of a 300 S, the powerful engine of a 300 SL and interior fittings from a 180. The idea was given the green light by Rudolf Uhlenhaut and the team set about the task.
The blue miracle
Moving boldly forward
Tradition of perfection
Futuristic concept
Star in the paddocks
Comeback
Technical data