Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft
Mercedes 2-litre supercharged Targa Florio car

Why it matters

The supercharged 2-litre four-cylinder car won the 1924 Targa Florio with Christian Werner and was the first Mercedes racing car revised under Ferdinand Porsche. Its engine, with two overhead camshafts, 16 valves and a Roots supercharger, set the layout for the later eight-cylinder car.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

History

Porsche took over the supercharged 2-litre engine introduced in spring 1923 and revised it for more power and reliability, lowering compression, enlarging the Roots compressor and using mercury-filled hollow exhaust valves. For the Targa Florio at the end of April 1924 it was installed in a chassis derived from the 1923 Indianapolis car, with wider track and parallel rear frame rails for the spare wheels.

The team painted the cars red to avoid hostility from Sicilian spectators. Werner won after more than six and a half hours; Lautenschlager was tenth and Neubauer fifteenth. The cars went on to hill-climb wins in 1924 and 1925, and in September 1924 a one-off version with a supercharged 4.5-litre 1914 Grand Prix engine appeared at the Semmering.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The cars were painted red for the 1924 Targa Florio. The chassis track was widened from 1340 mm to 1400 mm front and rear, the rear frame side members stayed parallel to accommodate spare wheels, the driver sat on the right behind a small windscreen, and fixed wings were mounted all round.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Mercedes 2-litre "Targa Florio" racing car, 1924 Level A Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive (Classic M@RS)

   • 2-litre four-cylinder racing engine with supercharger
   • four-cylinder
   • 2-litre four-cylinder racing engine
   • two overhead camshafts with a vertical-shaft drive and a total of 16 valves
   • enlarging the Roots compressor
   • 150 hp/110 kW with compressor by the time development ended
   • maximum engine speed of 4500 rpm or 4800 rpm
   • track width widened from 1340 mm to 1400 mm

   Accessed 2026-11-12