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's 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