Mercedes 35 HP | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft |
Production | 1901 |
Powertrain | |
Engine |
5.918 Lstraight-4 35 hp |
Transmission | 4 forward/1 reverse |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2.345 m (92.3 in) |
Width | 1.345 m (53.0 in) |
Curb weight | 1200 kg (2646 lb) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Daimler Phoenix |
Successor | Mercedes Simplex 40 HP |
The Mercedes 35 HP (German: Mercedes 35 PS) was a radical early car model designed in 1901 by Wilhelm Maybach and Paul Daimler, for Emil Jellinek. Produced in Stuttgart, Germany, by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG), it began the Mercedes line of cars (since 1926 re-branded Mercedes-Benz). Its name is derived from the power of the car,35 Pferdestärke (26 kW, approximately 35 horsepower).
A significant advancement over the previous generation of automobiles, which were modified stagecoaches, the Mercedes 35 HP is regarded as the first modern car. It was equipped with a powerful petrol engine, it was both wider and larger with a tailored steel chassis, and its center of mass was near the ground. Originally designed as a racing car, the Mercedes 35 HP was further developed for normal road use.
In the 19th century, Wilhelm Maybach's career as an industrial designer had been with Gottlieb Daimler in their Cannstatt workshop (near Stuttgart), at which together they had pioneered the petrol engine production and were responsible for designing and making some of the world's first automobiles. By 1900, Maybach was the Chief Engineer within the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG), which had been an expansion of their previous company that originated from their small workshop. He never got along with the new capitalist board, and later left to join Ferdinand von Zeppelin. In 1900, Gottlieb Daimler died and his son Paul Daimler had taken his place beside Maybach.