1902 Mercedes Simplex 40hp

Graciously on loan from The Keller Collection at the Pyramids

·    Designed as a race car by Paul Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach

·    This car is the oldest surviving Mercedes Simplex car in the US

The 5th annual Paris Motorshow - Salon de l'Automobile, 1902, remained the social climax of the motoring season, though some complained that the growth in the automobile industry had overcrowded even the spacious Grand Palais. Both the German company and French distributor C.L. Charley were represented on the Mercedes stand.

35 hp & 40 hp chassis’ dominated the exhibit, and the several touring cars on display indicated, as ore reporter said, that "no skill or expense had been spared to attain the height of luxurious comfort for the passengers."

The Mercedes 35 HP was conceptualized by two Germans, Paul Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, in 1901. It was developed for Emil Jellinek, a wealthy German entrepreneur. The car was made in Stuttgart, Germany by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft or DMG (currently Daimler AG).

This car was originally designed as a race car. About 36 of them were ordered for a sum of 500,000 Gold Marks (~ $4.4 million today). Willie K. Vanderbilt had set several records with previous Mercedes. In a Mercedes Simplex, Vanderbilt took part in the 600-Mile Race to Paris. Later, he broke all records in the Ablis to Chartres Race and with a flying start, reached a top-speed of 111.8 km/h (69.5 mph).