World Champion

Mercedes Benz, Lancia, Ferrari, Maserati and to a lesser extent Gordini, were the protagonists of the 1955 Championship.

The dominance of the Mercedes Benz team was overwhelming in the 1955 F1 season and Juan Manuel Fangio is a third time World Champion. The summary of the results was as follows: 2nd. in classification and 1st. in race in Argentina with record of return; 1st in qualifying and left in the race in Monaco with a lap record; 2nd. in classification and 1st. in the race in Belgium with a lap record; 1st in classification and 1st. in the race in Holland; 2nd in classification and 2nd. in career in England; 1st in classification and 1st. race in Italy. Of the 6 races, he won 4, three of them with the fastest lap. He scored 41 points, ahead of his teammate and teammate Stirling Moss, by 18 points. Mercedes Benz withdraws from competitions at the end of this Season.

The legendary "Silver Arrow"

The Mercedes Benz brand would become famous throughout the history of European motorsports, conquering numerous triumphs before the Second World War, when successes were shared with Auto Union and Alfa Romeo. After the war, reappears in 1951 in the two races of Grand Prix disputed in Buenos Aires and it does with the models W163 of 3 liters, driven by Fangio, Kling, and Lang. For three years later write the golden chapters of the history of F1 for Mercedes-Benz and the "Silver Arrows". The fast cars, reached with Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel, the World Championships of 1954 and 1955., marking a time when nothing seemed impossible. In 1954 the W196 was unveiled, an F1 advance that Fangio, Kling and Herrmann that year and Moss in 1955, used bodywork according to two models: one called "fairing" that today we present to you all with its large fenders, which was used in fast circuits with long straights, where, due to its excellent aerodynamics, it performed its best performances; the other without careening, quickly become preferred by Fangio, who could now see the front wheels and place them millimeter-wise in the corners, to optimally apply his precise technique that differentiated him from his adversaries.

"... From the first test of 1954 with the Mercedes Benz, I had the feeling of being on a perfect car, one of those of the type that pilots, we dream of running someday ..."

The Mercedes Benz W196 had 8-cylinder front engine arranged in line -76 mm x 68.8 mm- reaching its displacement to 2,496 cc, initially delivering a power of 268 hp at 8000 rpm, which in 1955 would be increased to 290 hp at 8500 rpm. Its hemispherical combustion chamber forced an excessively long spark gap, which was counteracted by the use of double spark plug per cylinder. The Hisch crankshaft allows assembling the connecting rods on rollers, such as the piston bolts, without the use of nuts or screws.

The feeding was to direct mechanical injection with Bosch pump in line. The ignition to magneto, with injectors designed in the same factory. The distribution was made by a double overhead cam, commanded by a gear cascade with intake in the center of the crankshaft. It was presented with a double valve per cylinder. The valve system used a novel mechanism called desmodromic valve-movement without springs, which operated the opening and closing mechanically by means of a small cam, avoiding a high rate of rpm rebound by the use of springs. A lateral power take-off from the center of the engine, splitting it in two of 4 cylinders in line, pursuing a better effort to the torsion of the crankshaft. A cardan shaft passed angled under the pilot, towards the rear transmission system. 

The clutch was a dry single disc and the mechanical gearbox, five forward gears, forming a single set with the differential shaft and enclosed by a very light alloy casing. The engine was inclined, to reduce the height of the car and lower its center of gravity. The bodywork was made of aluminum with its surrounding line of a very low profile for greater penetration. It was mounted on the triangular tubular frame. The front suspension was to triangles superimposed with torsion bar and hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers. The rear suspension had semi-axles articulated below the differential, guided by longitudinal arms, with torsion bars assisted by a hydraulic cylinder and a spring. The rear axle was of oscillating position, with its propelling organs arranged as low as possible. In short, the suspensions were independent, the front by a deformable parallelogram and torsion bars and the rear by a novel oscillating shaft of single articulation, but with the center of balance of reduced height, since the anchor was made below the crankcase of the differential. In order to reduce the suspended weight and gain braking surface, the front brakes were large diameter drum arranged on the chassis, centered in front of the engine and located behind the radiator. The rear brakes were also located on the chassis at the differential output. Both pairs had drums made of light material and turbo-cooled. The tires are made of wire-type rouge- with Continental 700x16 diagonal car tires. The fuel tank loads 230 liters because it was essential to take all the necessary for a race since at that time, tire changes were avoided in competition. The weight in running order with pilot and fuel was 920 Kg for the W196 "Fairing". The maximum speed reached 280 km / h, although with the passing of months and after a logical evolution on the engine, it will reach 300 km / h.

These, among others, constituted the most salient technical features of the Mercedes Benz W 196 received in a donation.

Chaining numerous successes, this model Mercedes Benz was removed from the tracks at the end of the International Season of 1955.

MERCEDES-BENZ W 196 2500/3000 

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