Mercédès — The Car of Emperors and Kings

We have recently been loaned a very beautiful catalogue of the Daimler-Motoren Gesellschaft, of Stuttgart-Unterturkheim, the British agents for whom were Milnes Daimler, Ltd., of Long Acre. This catalogue is undated, but would seem to refer to the 1910 period. One hundred and nineteen illustrious patrons are listed, including H.M. Edward VII, H.M. The Queen of England, H.I.M. Wilhelm II, H.I.M. The Czar of Russia, H.M. Leopold of the Belgians, Lord Lonsdale, Lord Northcliffe, H.M. King of Siam, etc. King Edward possessed four cars, while the German Emperor was down as having five personal Mercédès, two household cars and five more for his Corfu Imperial Automobile Station. No wonder the Mercédès was at this time advertised as “The Car of Emperors and Kings.” The models listed were 20, 30, 40 and 50-h.p. 4-cylinder, live-axle cars, 50, 70 and 80-h.p. chain-drive cars.

The 20 and 30-h.p. models had o.h. inlet valves, push-rod actuated; all the others were T-head. The smaller cars used h.t. magnetos, the over-30-h.p. models Bosch l.t. ignition. Lubrication was fully-forced, supplemented by a hand-pump on the larger cars, and a special dashboard switch enabled each cylinder’s ignition to be separately tested. Honeycomb radiators and centrifugal water pumps were used, the 70-h.p. car’s radiator taking three gallons. The 20, 30 and 40-h.p. live-axle cars had double cone clutches, leather-lined, all others the Mercédès scroll clutch. All used 4-speed and reverse gearboxes. Half-compression devices were used on all save the 20 and 30-h.p. cars, and brakes were watercooled. The “15/20” 80 by 130-mm. job weighed 15 1/2 cwt. as a chassis, ran at 1,600-3,000 r.p.m. and would do 40 m.p.h. “on a good road with light open body.” The “25/30” (90 by 140) did 300-1,600 r.p.m. and about 50 m.p.h., the “35/40” (110 by 148) 300-1,250 r.p.m. and 46 m.p.h., the “45/50” (120 by 160) the same r.p.m. and 50 m.p.h., and the “65/70” (140 by 160) 300-1,200 r.p.m. and 60 m.p.h. The “75/80” (120 by 150) “six” ran at 250-1,270 r.p.m. and 60 m.p.h. Some fine bodywork was illustrated, including a sporting 2-seater on the 20-h.p. live-axle chassis, a sporting 4-seater on the “thirty” and a 35-h.p. chain-driven omnibus.