Makes › Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft › Mercedes › Mercedes 120 hp Gordon Bennett racing car · Factory competition · 1905 Ultra Rare
Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft
Mercedes 120 hp Gordon Bennett racing car
14-litre racers for the last Gordon Bennett Cup (1905); three ran for Germany and three for Austria
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 6 Built
- Years
- 1905
- Engine
- Four-cylinder, short-stroke, IOE valve arrangement · 14,047 cc / 14.0 LFactory: 14,047 cc
- Power
- 89.5 kW / 122 PSFactory: 120 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Josef Brauner (engine design)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 1905 Mercedes 120 hp was the last evolution of the four-cylinder racing car line that began with the 1903 90 hp. It raced in the final Gordon Bennett Cup but failed to repeat the success of 1903, a record the factory attributed to reliability problems, accidents and tyres.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productioncars that started the 1905 Gordon Bennett race | 61 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
For 1905 the 90 hp car was revised mainly for more power, with bore and stroke enlarged. Six cars started in the Gordon Bennett Cup on 5 July 1905, three for Germany and three for Austria. Werner finished fifth, de Caters seventh and Braun tenth; Théry won in a Richard-Brasier.
Results at the Ardennes race and the Vanderbilt Cup were poorer, but de Caters won the heavy class and overall at the Gaillon hill climb at 116.2 km/h, and Hermann Braun set a Semmering record of 7 minutes 50.8 seconds in an Austrian car.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Mercedes 120 hp Gordon Bennett racing car.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Four-cylinder, short-stroke, IOE valve arrangement2 |
| Cylinders | 42 |
| Displacement | 14,047 cc / 14.0 LFactory: 14,047 cc2 |
| Bore | 175 mmFactory: 175 mm2 |
| Stroke | 146 mmFactory: 146 mm2 |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 89.5 kW / 122 PSFactory: 120 hp · converted2Rating: manufacturerArchive gives 110 to 120 hp (81 to 88 kW) and says sources do not allow a more precise figure. |
| Power at | 1,200 rpm2Approximate. |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Mercedes 120 hp "Gordon Bennett" racing car, 1905 – Mercedes-Benz Classic M@RS archive Level A
- 6 cars that started the 1905 Gordon Bennett race
-
2
Mercedes 120 hp "Gordon Bennett" racing car, 1905 Level A Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive (Classic M@RS)
- four-cylinder engine with characteristic IOE valve arrangement
- four-cylinder engine
- resulting in a displacement of 14,047 cc
- bore and stroke to 175 x 146 mm
- peak output of around 110 to 120 hp/81 to 88 kW
- at approx. 1200 rpm
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