MERCEDES-BENZ W 163 – year 1939

Daimler Benz AG, Stuttgart, Germany.

After the Grand Prix of England and Italy, in which Auto Union cars turned out to be better and stronger than Mercedes, heads of the racing department of Daimler-Benz, Eng. Rudolf Uhlenhaut and the main designer, Eng. Fritz Nallinger decided to upgrade the W 154. The changes were made to the engine, chassis and body. In the new version marked as W 163 it was possible to increase the engine power to 355,5 kW (483 KM) by 8000 RPM. The charging pressure of the two-stage compression system was 285 kPa. With the engine capacity unchanged, the specific power increased to 119,9 kW / l (163 KM/I).

The car got a new body with an elongated and lowered front. The widened intake opening in front of the radiator smoothly passed into the wheel suspension cover. The wheels were equipped with new brake drums with radially arranged blades, ensuring ventilation and cooling of the brakes during heavy braking. The wheelbase was 2750 mm, wheel track - 1580 mm, and the highest point of the engine was only 700 mm above the ground. The car had a weight 1220 kg and reached the top speed 315-320 km/h. Vehicle, equipped with a special aerodynamic body with wheel guards, he participated not only in the Grand Prix races, but also in speed record attempts. In January 1939 On the way to Dessau, Caracciola set four world records for class D cars (2000—3000 cm3), reaching 398,2 km/h. That same year, Mercedes won five of the seven main Grand Prix races. This time the company's best player was Hermann Lang – winner of the Grand Prix in Pau (88,7 km/h). Belgian Grand Prix at Spa (152 km/h). Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten (153,6 km/h) and the Eifelrennen at the Nurburgring (135,4 km/h). Thus, Lang became the champion of Europe. Mercedes W 163 they were also successful after World War II, np. took second place in the race for the Argentine President Perona Award in the years 1951 i 1952.