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 21,500 cm3 (1,312.0 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's land speed record in 1910. It was one of six cars built to improve its aerodynamics, with a 21,500 cm3 (1,312.0 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 November 9, 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 April 23, 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]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "1910 Benz 200HP Blitzen-Benz Specifications". conceptcarz.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "1909 Benz 200HP Blitzen-Benz Specs". carsession.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
  3. "The Blitzen-Benz". AutoSpeed (360). December 6, 2005.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "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.