Blitzen Benz

Blitzen Benz
Overview
Manufacturer Benz & Cie
Production 1909
Assembly Mannheim, Germany
Body and chassis
Class Racecar
Body style Roadster
Layout Front engine, rear-wheel drive Dual-chain drive[1]
Powertrain
Engine 21,504 cm3 (1,312.3 in3) I4[1]
Transmission 4-Speed Manual Gate-type shift[1]
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,800 mm (110.2 in)[2]
Length 4,820 mm (189.8 in)[2]
Width 1,600 mm (63.0 in)[2]
Height 1,280 mm (50.4 in)[2]
Curb weight 1,450 kg (3,196.7 lb)[2]

In 1909, the Blitzen Benz was a race car built by Benz & Cie in Mannheim, Germany, that broke the world land speed record in 1910. It was one of six cars built to improve its aerodynamics, with a 21,504 cm3 (1,312.3 in3), 200 hp (149.1 kW) inline four engine enlarged from the company's Grand Prix racer.

Of the six Blitzen-Benz ever made, two survive—Mercedes-Benz owns one, while the other belongs to a U.S. collector.[3]

At Brooklands on 9 November 1909, land speed racer Victor Hémery of France set a record with an average speed of 202.7 kilometres per hour (126.0 mph) over a kilometer. On 23 April 1911, Bob Burman recorded an average of 228.1 kilometres per hour (141.7 mph) over a full mile at Daytona Beach,[4] breaking Glenn Curtiss's unofficial absolute speed record, land, sea or air, set in 1907 on his V-8 motorcycle.[5] Burman's record stood until 1919.[4]

After 1914 the car was rebuilt for circuit racing, undergoing a number of revisions before it was broken up in 1923. Several other examples of the 200 hp have survived.[4]

A 1909 Benz 200 Blitzen Benz at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed

References

  1. 1 2 3 "1910 Benz 200HP Blitzen-Benz Specifications". conceptcarz.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "1909 Benz 200HP Blitzen-Benz Specs". carsession.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  3. ↑ "The Blitzen-Benz". AutoSpeed (360). December 6, 2005.
  4. 1 2 3 "The fastest car in the world: the 228.1-km/h "Blitzen-Benz"". Daimler AG. 17 March 2011.
  5. ↑ Paul Garson (September 15, 2010). "Top 10 Weirdest Custom Motorcycles; Dimensionally challenged motorcycle mavericks". Motorcycle.com.

See also

Benz road cars, 1886–1926 — next »
1886–1926 Patent Motorwagen · Viktoria · Velo · Elegant · Phaeton · Tonneau · Spider · Break · Parsifal · 14/30 PS · 18PS · 28/30 PS · 35/40 PS · 50PS · 60PS · 70PS · Prinz-Heinrich-Wagen · 20/35 PS · 24/40 PS · 25PS · 10PS · 6/14 PS · 6/18 PS · 8PS · 12/30 PS · 16/40 PS · 18/45 PS · 33/75 PS · 21/50 PS · 27/70 PS · 39/100 PS · 11/40 PS · 16/50 PS
Racing Rennwagen · Prinz-Heinrich-Wagen · Blitzen Benz · Tropfenwagen
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