The early 20th century was an era of relentless innovation and a burgeoning fascination with speed. Amidst this fervor, French Benz works driver Victor Hémery harbored a bold ambition: to shatter the seemingly insurmountable 200 km/h barrier with a car of his own design, eclipsing the velocity of both airplanes and trains of the time. This vision ignited the creation of the Mercedes Lightning Car, a machine that would become legendary.
In early 1909, Hémery, alongside Benz designer Louis de Groulart and his assistant Hans Nibel, embarked on the ambitious project. Their foundation was the triumphant 150 hp Benz Grand Prix racing car from the preceding year. However, the existing four-cylinder engine, in its current state, lacked the necessary power to achieve their audacious goal. A comprehensive engine overhaul was deemed essential. In that era, augmenting engine power primarily involved increasing displacement. Consequently, the bore was significantly enlarged by roughly 30 mm to 185 mm, while maintaining the 200 mm stroke.
Achieving this within the constraints of the existing cylinder block necessitated ingenious design modifications. The considerably increased oscillating masses of the engine, now boasting a 21.5-liter displacement, demanded careful consideration. The cylinders, still cast in pairs but now reinforced with molded-on longitudinal ribs beneath the cooling jackets, were secured to the crankcase using 12 stud bolts each. Furthermore, the original triple-bearing crankshaft was replaced with a more robust five-main bearing variant to withstand the elevated loads.
This engine remains the largest displacement passenger car engine ever produced by Mercedes-Benz AG and its predecessor companies. With a boosted compression ratio of 5.8, the colossal 407 kg engine initially generated 184 hp (135 kW) at 1500 rpm. Through meticulous fine-tuning, this output was soon elevated to 200 hp (147 kW) at 1600 rpm.
Victor Hémery piloting the Benz record car, showcasing early automotive speed and power.
Following the completion of the first formidable four-cylinder engine in the summer of 1909, it was integrated into a racing car chassis and underwent initial trials near the Mannheim factory. Its competitive debut took place at the demanding Semmering hill climb near Vienna, a 10-kilometer course with a 400-meter altitude gain. However, the displacement behemoth struggled to unleash its full potential on this winding course. Driven by Fritz Erle, it was outpaced by the 150 hp Mercedes vehicles of Otto Salzer and Willy Pöge.
A glimpse of the car’s latent capabilities emerged at a sprint race in Brussels in mid-October. Victor Hémery achieved a speed of 115.4 km/h over the standing kilometer – a remarkable new world record. But Hémery’s ambition was far from satiated. In early November 1909, at the newly inaugurated Brooklands track near Weybridge, England, he established further world records. He clocked 205.7 km/h over the half-mile with a flying start and 202.6 km/h over the kilometer, also with a flying start. These feats solidified the Mercedes lightning car’s position as a speed icon.
For the first time, the high-performance Mercedes lightning car was presented with a strikingly narrow, streamlined body. This aerodynamic form would soon become the defining characteristic of the Benz 200 hp, later famously known as the Blitzen Benz. While some accounts suggest the kilometer race in Frankfurt/Main in August 1909 as the car’s inaugural competitive appearance, contemporary sources contradict this claim. The car showcased in Frankfurt, with its distinctive body shape, was not yet equipped with the 21.5-liter engine. Instead, it housed the 15.1-liter four-cylinder engine from the 150 hp racing car – a detail that aligns more consistently with the recorded speed of 159.3 km/h over the flying kilometer.
The 1909 Benz 200 hp record-breaking car, an early Mercedes lightning car iteration, showcasing its streamlined design.
The streamlined body, which was also utilized at Brooklands when powered by the 200 hp engine, was meticulously crafted to minimize air resistance. This resulted in such a narrow cockpit that the driver and mechanic could only be seated side-by-side with considerable difficulty. Key aerodynamic refinements that defined the record-breaking car’s appearance included the bird’s beak-like water box of the narrow radiator, the pointed rear end, the fairing of the front axle and the front frame crossmember, and the wooden-spoked wheels fitted with enclosed covers. These elements combined to create a vehicle optimized for unprecedented speed.
Facing a scarcity of suitable circuits in Europe, Benz & Cie. recognized the United States as the ideal arena for their record-breaking Mercedes lightning car. Consequently, the first car found a buyer across the Atlantic. US motorsport promoter Ernie Moross traded in his Benz 150 hp Grand Prix racing car to Benz importer Froehlich, supplemented by $6,000, and acquired the record-breaking machine. It was shipped to the USA in January 1910. Upon its arrival, Moross promptly christened it the “Lightning Benz” – a moniker that would etch itself into automotive history. The name “Lightning Benz” perfectly captured the car’s incredible speed and performance, cementing its legendary status.
Barney Oldfield, a preeminent and highly celebrated racing driver in the USA, debuted Moross’s “Lightning Benz” at the record week held in Daytona/Florida in mid-March. There, he propelled the world speed record over the flying mile to an astonishing 211.4 km/h. Oldfield subsequently entered the “Lightning Benz” in several races in Mexico before it was returned to Moross, urgently requiring an overhaul. Moross had the car repaired and prepared for the 1911 season for a newly contracted driver, the equally renowned Bob Burman.
In record attempts at Daytona Beach in late April 1911, Burman achieved a feat with the freshly refurbished vehicle, which had by then acquired the German-sounding name “Blitzen-Benz,” that would endure for many years. He shattered the world record for the mile with a flying start, establishing a sensational new benchmark of 228.1 km/h. It would be years before this accomplishment was surpassed. Ralph DePalma, driving his Packard “Liberty Racer,” reached 241 and 242 km/h for the mile and kilometer with a flying start at Daytona Beach in the spring of 1919. However, this record was not officially recognized due to the two-way rule introduced in 1911, which mandated averaging two runs in opposite directions to validate a record speed. World records surpassing the “Blitzen-Benz,” which adhered to the two-way rule, were not achieved until July and September 1924 – first by Englishman Ernest Eldridge at 234.8 and 235.0 km/h on a country road north of Paris, and then by Malcolm Campbell at 235.2 km/h at Pendine Sands in Wales. The Mercedes lightning car had set a standard that would take over a decade to overcome.
The original “Blitzen-Benz” subsequently changed ownership multiple times before eventually returning to Europe. It participated with limited success in several races at Brooklands in the 1922 season with Count Louis Zborowski before being dismantled in 1923.
Benz & Cie. had already constructed a second Mercedes lightning car example of the 200 hp model in 1910. However, this vehicle was fitted with a conventional body featuring a wide radiator reminiscent of the Benz Grand Prix racing car, mounted on the largely unchanged racing car chassis. This car made its racing debut in October 1910 at the Gaillon hill climb in Normandy. Fritz Erle established a new track record of 156.5 km/h for the flying kilometer.
A 1910 Benz 200 hp racing car variant, showcasing the wider radiator design before streamlined modifications.
In the winter of 1910/1911, this second Mercedes lightning car was also given an extremely slender, but this time remarkably smooth, streamlined body, modeled after the first car. This modification was likely motivated by the desire to capitalize on the publicity generated by the speed records set in the USA – at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1911 and the International Motor Show in Berlin in October of that year. In the interim, the car was once again equipped with a wide radiator and a Grand Prix body – the latter in a revised version with an elevated side panel offering enhanced protection for the driver and front passenger. Benz works racing driver Franz Heim secured victory at the Ries hill climb near Graz in this configuration. In 1912, this car was also sold to the USA and designated “Blitzen Benz No. 2.” Beginning with the mile race in Laurel, Maryland, the vehicle competed in approximately a dozen racing events during the summer of 1912, driven by the rising racing star Eddie Rickenbacher. In August 1914, “Blitzen Benz No. 2” etched its name in motorsport history as the first vehicle to ever conduct record attempts on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. With Teddy Tetzlaff behind the wheel, it reportedly reached speeds of up to 250 km/h during test runs – and a proven 229.85 km/h in timed half-mile runs. The subsequent history of this particular Mercedes lightning car remains largely undocumented.
The third Benz 200 hp Mercedes lightning car was constructed in 1912 and made its racing debut – mirroring the second car exactly two years prior – at the Gaillon hill climb in early October. Equipped with the sleek streamlined body and driven by Fritz Erle, this Benz set a new track record of 163.6 km/h. In May 1913, Erle also achieved a new track record of 110.2 km/h at the Limonest hill climb near Lyon. Prior to this success, the car had been refitted with a Grand Prix body and a wide radiator. Six months later, Benz & Cie. dispatched the car to Great Britain. British racing driver L. G. Hornsted, renowned for his triumphs with the Benz 150 hp Grand Prix racing car, particularly at the perilous Brooklands high-speed track, and now pursuing records with the Benz 200 hp, proposed several technical alterations. Beyond internal engine modifications, such as adopting conical-seat valves instead of ring valves on the intake side and reinforced piston crowns to bolster the piston-pin boss, he also made changes to the frame and the external appearance of the 200 hp racing car. The longitudinal members were further stiffened at the front by a tubular crossmember, the exhaust system was modified, and the seating arrangement was revised to allow occupants to sit comfortably side-by-side. The wide radiator in the Grand Prix version was given a streamlined, rounded air intake, and the Grand Prix body tapered to the characteristic pointed rear, reminiscent of the first two vehicles. The dawn of a new era was heralded by the Rudge-Whitworth wire-spoke wheels with center locks, replacing the previous wooden and wire-spoke wheels.
Between December 1913 and January 1914, Hornsted established a total of nine new speed records with this Mercedes lightning car, covering distances ranging from half a mile to ten miles in both directions for the first time. The highest outward and return journey average was achieved over the half-mile with a flying start, where the dark blue, almost black car reached 199.3 km/h. Five months later, in June 1914, Hornsted again set a record over the mile with a flying start. The 199.7 km/h achieved also marked a new track record for Brooklands.
In July 1914, shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, the Briton achieved the fastest times for racing cars over the flying kilometer and over 20 kilometers, also with a flying start, at Ostend Week, reaching speeds of 189.5 km/h and 144.7 km/h respectively. Following this success, the car was returned to Mannheim, where it survived the war. With the resumption of motorsport activities in 1921, the Benz 200 hp underwent a complete overhaul. The engine was fitted with aluminum pistons and an exhaust pipe extending straight to the rear, and the car was restored to its original body configuration, drawing inspiration from the first two vehicles. The wire wheels retained their quick-release fasteners but were fitted with discs for aerodynamic efficiency.
The revitalized Mercedes lightning car made its debut in a record-breaking run as part of the AVUS opening race in September 1921. Franz Hörner set a new record of 185 km/h over 3 kilometers. In May 1922, the third Benz 200 hp was again in action. At the international kilometer race in Scheveningen, Hörner clocked 107 km/h over the flying kilometer, falling short of expectations and the performance of Dutch Mercedes importer Theo Wiemann, who achieved 165.1 km/h over the same distance in a Mercedes 28/95 hp. In July, the car was dispatched to England – as it had been nine years prior – and raced at Brooklands with limited success until September 1922, when it sustained severe damage in an accident. The wreckage was returned to Mannheim and cannibalized.
Shortly after the third Benz 200 hp, a fourth vehicle was constructed in Mannheim in the spring of 1913. It made its racing debut at the end of May 1913 in the ‘versta’ race in St Petersburg. Over the distance of 1 versta – a unit of length used in Tsarist Russia until 1917, equivalent to 1.0668 kilometers – Franz Hörner reached a speed of 202 km/h, establishing a new European road record. Two months later, Hörner competed in the kilometer race in Vercelli, northern Italy, with the Benz, covering the flying kilometer at 191.5 km/h. This was followed by two more races in hill climbs near Prague and Barcelona in May and June 1914. At the Zbraslav – Jíloviště hill climb, Hörner set a new record of 96.5 km/h, and in the race for the Tibidado trophy, he achieved the fastest time among all racing cars at 68.1 km/h. All these races were contested in the fourth Benz 200 hp, featuring the classic Grand Prix bodywork and wooden-spoke wheels.
Following the interruption of the First World War, this Mercedes lightning car was reactivated in 1922. Again with Franz Hörner driving, it successfully participated in the Semmering hill climb at the end of September, setting the fastest time of the day. Two weeks later, he still managed to secure second place in the racing car class at the Schwabenberg race near Budapest. In Bussum, Netherlands, in July 1923, Hörner avenged the previous year’s result and triumphed over Theo Wiemann in a Mercedes 28/95 hp in the class for racing cars over 6.5 liters. While this marked the end of the active motorsport career of the Benz 200 hp, the car was subsequently utilized to showcase the history and achievements of Mercedes-Benz. In April 1933, it participated in the motorcade commemorating the inauguration of the Carl Benz memorial in Mannheim, with Erle at the wheel.
The Benz Blitzen displayed at the “40 Years of Automobile Racing” exhibition in 1935, highlighting its historical significance.
As record-breaking races regained prominence in 1934, the fourth Benz 200 hp was redesigned. It received a new body, modeled after the record-breaking car, replacing its previous Grand Prix configuration. The narrow radiator required for this transformation, along with certain body panels, were sourced from the remnants of the third car that had crashed at Brooklands. In February 1935, the rebuilt vehicle was unveiled to the public at the “40 Years of Automobile Racing” exhibition, held in the Mercedes-Benz Pavilion at the International Automobile and Motorcycle Exhibition in Berlin. The vehicle was later painted silver but was returned to its original white livery in 1976 and has been on display in this color scheme at the Mercedes-Benz Museum since 1985. This Mercedes lightning car remains a powerful symbol of early automotive speed and engineering prowess.
Beyond the four motorsport-successful Mercedes lightning cars described, Benz also constructed two additional examples of the 200 hp model for private customers. One was delivered to Barcelona in February 1913 via the Benz agency in Madrid, although details regarding its bodywork and subsequent history remain unknown. The other was delivered to Brussels in December 1913 as a chassis with an extended wheelbase. It was fitted with a four-seater touring car body by Belgian coachbuilder D. & E. Snutsel. Following the First World War, it made its way to Great Britain, participating in various competitions at Brooklands from 1920 and later used on other racetracks after several ownership changes within the British enthusiast community. Since 2002, it has resided in the USA as part of a collection of historic racing cars. The Mercedes lightning car, in its various forms, continues to captivate and inspire automotive enthusiasts worldwide, representing a pivotal moment in the pursuit of speed and automotive excellence.
