Mercedes-Benz
SSKL – 1931 Mille Miglia winner (Caracciola / Sebastian)

Why it matters

Rudolf Caracciola and co-driver Wilhelm Sebastian won the 1931 Mille Miglia in an SSKL, the first overall victory in the race by a non-Italian driver. The win came on the lightweight SSKL's first outing and was achieved with a private team that the factory could only support, because the economic crisis had ended Daimler-Benz's own racing department for 1931.

How rare is it?

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

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Mercedes-Benz's media article gives the winning date as 13 April 1931 and an average of 101.1 km/h, a record for the race at that time. The archive says the sensational result came on the SSKL's first outing and notes that Caracciola beat strong local drivers and marques. The race had been run since 1927 and covered a route from Brescia to Rome and back.

The SSKL itself was a weight-reduced development of the SSK; the archive says four were built and that they were recorded in the order books as "SSK, 1931 Model". The cached pages do not identify which of the four cars won the Mille Miglia or give its chassis number.

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 archive describes the SSKL by its many weight-reducing holes drilled in the chassis, body substructure and detachable body parts, and by a lighter, thinner U-section frame that gave a ready-to-drive weight of 1352 kg against 1520 kg for the latest SSK. The engine has larger intake and exhaust valves (56 mm), a revised crankshaft and a supercharger drive that runs continuously until disengaged by a lever below the steering wheel. These are general SSKL features; the cached pages give no identification details for the Mille Miglia car itself.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Sports Car Digest – 1931 Mille Miglia race profile Level C

   • 1 the individual SSKL in which Caracciola/Sebastian won the 1931 Mille Miglia

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   SSKL 27/240/300 hp / W 06 RS, 1931 (Classic M@RS) Level A Mercedes-Benz Group AG (Classic M@RS, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive)

   • Engine type : M 06 RS (Technical data)
   • Number of cylinders / arrangement : 6 / in-line (Technical data)
   • Total displacement : 7065 cc (tax classification: 7020 cc) (Technical data)
   • Bore x Stroke : 100 x 150 mm (Technical data)
   • Compression ratio : 7.0 (Technical data)
   • Number of valves / arrangement : 1 intake, 1 exhaust / vertical, overhead (Technical data)
   • Valve operation : 1 overhead camshaft (Technical data)
   • Fuel system : 2 Mercedes-Benz updraught annular-float carburettors (Technical data)
   • Rated output : 240 hp, with supercharger 300 hp at 3400 rpm
   • with supercharger 300 hp at 3400 rpm
   • Rated torque : 70.2 mkg at 2000 rpm (Technical data)
   • Gearing : 4-speed manual transmission (Technical data)
   • Driven wheels : rear wheels (Technical data)
   • Wheelbase : 2950 mm (Technical data)
   • Maximum speed : 235 km/h (Technical data)

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   Mercedes-Benz SSKL, 1931 (Classic M@RS, motorsport model text) Level A Mercedes-Benz Group AG (Classic M@RS, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive)

   • 300 hp/221 kW at 3400 rpm with compressor

   Accessed 2026-11-12