Hitler's Mercedes W07, W24 and W150

Discussions on the vehicles used by the Axis forces. Hosted by Christian Ankerstjerne
Post Reply
ucans
Member
Posts: 38
Joined: 17 Sep 2015, 13:18
Location: toulouse
Contact:

Hitler's Mercedes W07, W24 and W150

#1

Post by ucans » 10 May 2020, 10:48

DO NOT REPOST PLEASE

A small summary of the book that I am writing about these cars and that I am pleased to share with you

Mercedes Typ Großer W150 (1938-1943)

(Final version, completed and updated on February 17, 2020)
Mercedes-Benz is the oldest active car manufacturer in the world. From the start, the brand had the ambition to reach the highest levels of automotive perfection. Whether it is to recruit engineers of great talent, to acquire modern and efficient production tools, or to resolutely engage in research and development, the manufacturer has always given itself the necessary means. In the mid-twenties, the merger of firms created at the end of the 19th century by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz came to definitively consolidate its sustainability. Consequently, and in spite of the troubled context of the interwar period, a decade would have been enough for the Stuttgart firm to rise to the highest level. And let her stay there:nowadays the greats of this world are often not immortalized aboard an elegant limousine bearing the three-pointed star.
Many great Mercedeses have marked contemporary history. From the 600 Typ W100 making its first laps in September 1962 for the triumphant voyage of General de Gaulle Outre-Rhin, to that of the marriage of the heir to the throne of Belgium, they were of all the significant events until this that sometimes, the name of an illustrious user makes one forget the official name, such as the 300 Typ W186, called "Adenauer", as it was inseparable from the first Chancellor of new Germany.
Happy or exceptional events, but also dramatic when the star compromises with the most hated characters in the history of mankind.
This was the fate of the most powerful, the most imposing, and the most expensive car of its time: the "Großer Typ W150". It could have remained, in the collective memory of enthusiasts, as one of the most beautiful cars of its time. The tragic sometimes tarnishes the most beautiful human achievements: to serve as fatal designs was unfortunately the fate of the last pre-war "Großer" Mercedes.
1926-1937: paths of excellence
The history of the exceptional Mercedes begins in June 1926 when "Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft" (owner of the brand "Mercedes") and "Benz & Cie" merge to give birth to "Daimler-Benz AG". As soon as it was born, the new brand had to face the risk of losing its position in the highly strategic high-end segment. The competition sharpens its weapons, such as Maybach which prepares a twelve cylinders of 150 cv, its future DS7, when Mercedes has only the 630, a six cylinders already obsolete since it is only a 24/100/140 PS born in 1924 and renamed.
The response will wait until the fall of 1930 and the presentation of a new car that will push the standard to such a high level that we will no longer be able to speak of high-end but of an exceptional car.
The Großer Typ W07 (1930-1938): first step in a little explored segment
Thursday, October 2, 1930, under the vaults of the Grand Palais opens in Paris the 24th Motor and Cycle Show and in a euphoric atmosphere as the economic situation of France is excellent compared to those of other major industrialized nations . On the other side of the Rhine, it is not the same. There is not even a living room anymore and it is therefore in Paris, the largest event of its kind in Europe, that Mercedes was forced to withdraw to reveal its new flagship.
(According to the new internal nomenclature in force since 1926 and still used today, it is designated as being the "Typ W07". A few months before marketing and in order to clearly mark the new positioning of the new car at the top of the range , the agents of the mark had been informed that its trade name would be "Großer Mercedes" ie "Grande Mercedes" or for the English-speaking countries "Super Mercedes". In this respect, the mark itself, specifies that l '770' or '770K' is improper, even if it may have appeared on certain commercial documents.)
Under the arches of the Grand Palais, Maybach presents its DS8, even more powerful and faster than the DS7, and whose 200 horsepower drive it at 170 km / h. However, at Mercedes, we remain confident, even if the W07 is not a great leap forward neither aesthetic nor technological.
Indeed, the newcomer does not provide very original technical solutions. At Daimler-Benz we preferred to be cautious so as not to compromise a well-established reputation and to secure the loyalty of a rather conservative clientele which accepts developments but not really revolutions. There are therefore no forays into unexplored areas, but particular attention is paid to reliability and above all to road qualities. In the same way the W07 is satisfied with an eight cylinders of 7.7 liters whereas the vogue is with the twelve cylinders, supernumerary cylinders moreover perfectly useless insofar as the road aptitudes and the handling of these monsters are impeded by the archaism of technical solutions.However, the Mercedes Großer is nevertheless the first production car available in a supercharged version and also has a brand new ignition system with two spark plugs per cylinder, provided jointly by high voltage magneto and battery.
From the start, the brand intends to occupy all spaces in the segment. Also, the W07 is available in six different body variants: convertibles B, C, D and F, Pullman Limousine and Offener Tourenwagen.
Of heavy appearance, square and without grace, the W07 will fortunately benefit from the interest of great designers of the automobile. Some chassis will be happily dressed by coachbuilders such as Erdmann & Rossi, Jos.Neuss, Auer, Reutter, Voll & Ruhrbeck in Germany but also abroad at Rollston in the USA, Castagna in Italy or Lajos Zupka in Hungary. More specific orders are processed within the "Sonderwagenbau", the special order unit at the Sindelfingen factory, from which will be produced, among others, the copies intended for the Emperor of Japan and the former Kaiser. William II.
In these politically difficult times, the W07 is also available in a so-called "high protection" version, an area in which the brand had already made a foray with its armored version of the 460 Typ W08. By taking possession of his W07s, the Tennō Hiro Hito becomes the first head of state to use a secure vehicle. In Spain the three successive presidents of the republic, Niceto Alcalá Zamora, Diego Martínez Barrio and Manuel Azaña, use an armored Großer Mercedes ordered in 1935 during the Barcelona Motor Show and it is on board that the last two will gain France shortly before the defeat of the Republic, on February 5, 1939. Previously, Azaña will have used it several times to go around the front in Valence, Castille and Catalonia. In Portugal,the Presidents of the Republic and of the Council, General Oscar Carmona and Professor Oliveira Salazar have two armored W07s from 1938. The austere Salazar, who had not been consulted on the purchase of these cars, quickly expressed his dissatisfaction, refusing to use the Mercedes that had been given to him, not only because he believed it to be an ostentatious car, but also because it was rumored that it was a personal gift from Hitler.he thought it was an ostentatious car, but also because it was rumored that it was a personal gift from Hitler.he thought it was an ostentatious car, but also because it was rumored that it was a personal gift from Hitler.
The reception of W07 by the specialist press from across the Rhine is enthusiastic. "Motor und Sport" underlines " that its top speed is comparable to that of a racing car " adding " that while it would be unwise to exceed 70km / h with other cars of the same category, with There are no limits to this Mercedes. We do not know of any car that allows you to drive at such a high level of safety, at breathtaking speeds and in exceptional comfort. "The existence of such a car. In our view, for Daimler-Benz, it is an illustration of what we can do best with today's means ."
As for the editor-in-chief of the "Allgemeine Zeitung" he does not hesitate to write "that with this model the German automobile industry regains its place, at the highest level and at the forefront of this very exclusive segment in which it has excelled since the beginnings of the automobile . " The tone is set: eleven years after the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles, Greater Germany is back!
The year 1938 marks the end of production of the W07, whose lines have become less austere and more pleasant over time. With only 119 copies, one could nevertheless estimate that the bet of Mercedes had been won. The brand was now firmly established at the forefront of manufacturers of representative cars, a place it still holds today. "New times" were coming and not only at the political level ...
The thirties: a new deal for the automobile.
The mid-thirties marked a turning point in the history of the automobile. The bodies from the horse-drawn car tradition are starting to fade under the effect of "streamlining", this aesthetic trend born in the USA and inspired by aerodynamic principles. The shapes are rounded, the rear is truncated, the car is lower, longer, more tapered, more homogeneous. The 1934 Chrysler Airflow by engineers Carl Breer, Fred M. Zeder, and Owen R. Skelton is the archetype. The same year, Citroën created the event with its 7 with unusual lines and in which, for the first time, the most modern technical solutions were brought together. Front wheel drive, monocoque structure, hydraulic brakes, and independent wheel suspension on all four wheels,give it exceptional road qualities without equal in mass production, even in the upper segment.
Luxury cars cannot remain behind. He must find a subtle balance between modernity and affirmation of social status. In fact, the line of the car must be sculptural and aerodynamic, combine tradition and modernity while retaining a dignity inherited from the past.
At Daimler-Benz AG, we are all the more aware of the need to move forward, as there are "friendly pressures" on the part of government circles to obtain vehicles whose appearance and technology would be a kind of showcase of the power of the new Germany. In other words, the W07 born in 1930 no longer meets these requirements, any more than the 500 "Nürburg" whose design dates back more than ten years. In fact the decision is made: the W07 will have descendants.
Nevertheless, and this is a paradox, while everywhere in Europe and especially in France, the prestige car manufacturers are in agony were they illustrious like Bugatti or Hispano-Suiza, optimism reigns in Stuttgart. The strength of Mercedes is to be a generalist manufacturer which has an extensive range covering all segments, produces heavy goods vehicles, public transport vehicles, marine and aircraft engines, sells its patents and does not settle no limits in terms of research and development. The brand derives substantial profits which allow it to invest in exclusive products without consideration of costs. Such isis not the case with the plethora of small brands that compete fiercely and try to sell obsolete and outdated products by relying on a reputation unfortunately plagued by the ramp-up of mass production. Failing to have sought alliances to pool their innovations and establish their profitability by controlling costs, they will quickly disappear from the automotive landscape.
In 1934, the Mercedes range was bloated. It includes twelve models with four, six and eight cylinders, supercharged or not, with engine at the front or at the rear, and a large number of chassis and ground connection systems, without counting a multitude of parts fittings. In fact, the design offices are in constant tension due to the number of projects carried out simultaneously and the complexity of the logistics chain. We are far from the organization chosen in the United States where a project team draws on an organ bank, which allows us to offer a wide range at a lower cost. It is on this observation that Daimler-Benz is embarking on the path of rationalization, via the W24 project which consists in simultaneously replacing the W07 and the 500 "Nürburg" by a single and same model.
The 540k Lang Typ W24 experimental: the forerunner
It was during the years 1934 and 1935 that the W24 was developed on the basis of the 540k "Typ W29", whose wheelbase was increased to 3.88 meters against 3.29 meters. This car, built in six copies, which does not appear in the official nomenclature of the brand and of which little is known, used an eight-cylinder supercharged engine with 5.4 liters of displacement developing respectively 115 horsepower and up to 180 horsepower compressor engaged, for a top speed of 140 km / h. Its dimensions, 6000 x 2070 x 1800mm, gave it a much more elegant silhouette than its predecessor and a considerably enlarged interior space for the benefit of the 6 or 7 passengers it was supposed to accommodate. With a center of gravity lowered by 150 mm, an anti-roll bar suspension, an improved gearbox, its road qualities,comfort and handling were undoubtedly improving. At least, were these the points that the brand wanted to highlight when in April 1936, it split a letter to the Reich Chancellery and in which it detailed all the advantages of the new car, advantages which , no doubt pure luck, included a gearbox layout suitable for winding roads leading to the Obersalzberg…included a gearbox layout suitable for winding roads leading to the Obersalzberg…included a gearbox layout suitable for winding roads leading to the Obersalzberg…
Was the Führer seduced? We don't know. The fact remains that he used one, registered IA-103708 from November 1936 until the spring of 1938 and that the low profile of the W24 means that even today, we like to confuse it with a W150.
It is also unclear why this project was not followed up on beyond the six cars built, none of which have appeared since 1939 unless one of them reappears from the secret reserves of Daimler- Benz…
1938: the pinnacle of art
W150: the ultimate Grosser
In 1936, Daimler-Benz realized that the W24 was not the right proposition to follow up on the W07. To launch the W150 project, a team of highly talented engineers was gathered, including Max Sailer and Max Wagner, both from Benz et Cie, who brought with them the experience acquired during the design of the Silver Arrows Typ W25. All the conditions therefore seem to be in place to deliver a masterpiece, especially since at Mercedes there are already major technological advances like the suspension with independent wheels. with trapezoidal arms and coil springs that the American automotive industry doesn't even have. It will be Max Wagner's challenge to apply the technique resulting from competition to a long haul. In fact the W150 hasa chassis made of thin oval tubes whose high rigidity combined with low weight and a suspension with coil springs, independent wheels at the front and Dion axle at the rear, predict exceptional road qualities.
If not only the design of the chassis and the running gear makes all the difference with the W07, it is the increase in dimensions which also characterizes the W150. The wheelbase increases by 130 mm, the front and rear tracks respectively by 100 millimeters and 150 millimeters and the overall length by 400 millimeters. Under the direction of Hermann Ahrens, the engineers designed a light and spacious body available in several variants. Six meters long, the new car offers a stretched, lowered and balanced silhouette, much more elegant than that of its predecessor. However, it is not without impact on the weight of the vehicle. When the W07 reached 2700 kg, the W150 weighs from 3400 kg to 3900 kg, and will reach up to 4320 kg for the armored versions.
Naturally, the engine power is increased by 5 hp (3.7 kW) and 30 hp (22 kW) when the Roots compressor starts up. The total power reaches 155 hp (114 kW) and 230 hp (169 kW) respectively. It should be noted that the axes of the exhaust valves are treated with sodium to avoid overheating and ensure better cooling. Thus motorized, the new car reaches a top speed of 170km / h which constitutes a record for this category of vehicle. However, on the armored versions, a sign affixed on the dashboard, invites the driver not to exceed 80km / h because of the limits imposed by puncture-proof tires with 20 Continental brand chambers.
The three-speed transmission with overdrive of the w07 is replaced by a four-speed transmission with a Maybach overdrive which will be followed later by a real five-speed totally Mercedes gearbox. The fuel tank capacity is increased to 195 liters plus a reserve of 20 liters against 120 for the W07.
Launched for IAMA 1938, the W150 promises to be a promising commercial success. However, when the war broke out in September 1939, few cars were delivered to civilian customers. In fact, it will be produced almost exclusively for the Government of the Reich and its allies.
Excellence had a price! It took 30,000 Reichsmark (214,500 euros) for a bare chassis, 44,000 RM (314,600 euros) for a Pullman Limousine, 46,000 RM (328,900 euros) for the D convertible, and 47,500 RM (339,625 euros) for the convertible F. As for the convertible B and especially the armored versions, the price has remained unknown to this day, but we can think that it was astronomical… (1WD in 1938 is worth 7.15 € in 2019)
A car à la carte
Obviously the newcomer, like its predecessor, comes in multiple body variants: D convertible (4 doors, 4 windows) F convertible (4 doors, six windows, 5/6 seats), Offener Tourenwagen (4 doors, open, 7/8 seats), and Pullman Limousine (4 doors, six windows). This for what was to be the offer intended for private customers.
The convertible F stands out for the rounded shape of its hood with external compasses, the driver's partition with downward glass and storage spaces, the glove box covers, and the luxury of its fittings, both in the choice of interior trim and by the woodwork that adorns the dashboard and the partition. Some F convertibles presented themselves as landaulets with the hood covering only the passenger cell. The driver's compartment was either in the open air or protected by a tent. In fact the F convertible is more like a master car just like the Pullman Limousine.
The Offener Tourenwagen version is more spartan: painted dashboard, open storage compartments, half partition wall, convertible top without compass in roadster style… and absence of side windows.
Cabriolet D, which incorporates the luxurious fittings of Cabriolet F, is more like the car driven by its owner. Note that all 770s were built on the same wheelbase and that from one car to another, body details could vary, such as the appearance of the front fenders and the shape of the running board.
Unlike its predecessor, no W150 chassis will be dressed by an exterior bodybuilder. All cars will be produced in Sindelfingen, under the direction of Hermann Ahrens, in the “Sonderwagenbau” (production line of special vehicles separate from mass production) and according to artisanal methods. Many will bear the signature of Friedrich Geiger, who, after the war, will become the first boss of the newly created Mercedes style department. The best known example is the only produced example of the sublime Cabriolet B, (two doors, four windows) intended for the heir to the throne of Persia and for which one can use the term of “masterpiece”. The Sonderwagenbau will also produce armored versions. Note that in advance for the time,green tinted glass is offered, as is a Becker radio.
During its brief career, the W150 will experience few aesthetic changes. The pre-series models can be recognized by the large Zeiss headlights, the two-leaf bumpers inherited from the W07 and the absence of a boot lid. From the ninth chassis, the Bosch brand headlights of smaller diameter but more efficient replace the Zeiss, the car is equipped with new chrome bumpers trimmed with rubber fixed on vertical supports themselves chrome, as well as a door of trunk. On the Pullman Limousine, the spats that cover the rear wheels disappear. On the mechanical side, the complex fuel system is unsatisfactory and it underwent four major modifications between 1938 and 1943 before being reliable. Finally from 1942,the hole for the crank disappears from the grille.
Press reception
As previously mentioned, the new Großer has exceptional performance, as highlighted by the British automobile review "The Motor" in its issue of May 23, 1939: " the quarter-mile (400m) stopped start is shot in 21 seconds, the zero at 50 mph (80 km / h) is reached in 12.2 seconds, starting the compressor over 400m increased the speed from 75 mph (120 km / h) to 87 mph (139 km / h). mile, the vehicle reached 100 mph [160 km / h] accelerating effortlessly and with four people on board, on the straight line of the Brooklands circuit. The top speed obtained, 108 mph [173 km / h] is truly amazing for an eight-seater sedan weighing almost three tonnes …
Much later, in April 1965, Didier Charvet of the Auto-Journal who had the privilege of testing the car kept at the Henri Malartre Museum, enthusiastically gave his driving impressions: "We are very good at the wheel but we admit that we fear the reactions of this monster of almost five tonnes. At the start, we are a little disappointed: the car seems to lack power. However, we appreciate the softness of the clutch and the perfect handling of the gearbox. All reports happen at your fingertips. After ten kilometers, hot engine, forgotten apprehensions, we really get to know this Mercedes. If you don't have any particular impression of power, you quickly realize, compared to other cars, that the accelerations are actually brilliant. We forget that the machine is armored! We did not climb to more than 130 because the age of the original tires prohibited it and the compressor practically did not work.However, our tests allowed us to get an idea of the effect that we should feel when the car jumped at over 200 an hour! We took small winding roads and this is where our surprise was the greatest. The weight didn't count and this six-meter monster is as easy to handle as a Renault Dauphine! The comfort is exceptional. The body does not move at all, and you really need very bad cobblestones to feel the vibrations. The consumption is also amazing. Over 50 liters per 100! The rather low outside temperature, allowed us to appreciate a heating of a rather rare efficiencyWe took small winding roads and this is where our surprise was the greatest. The weight didn't count and this six-meter monster is as easy to handle as a Renault Dauphine! The comfort is exceptional. The body does not move at all, and you really need very bad cobblestones to feel the vibrations. The consumption is also amazing. Over 50 liters per 100! The rather low outside temperature, allowed us to appreciate a heating of a rather rare efficiencyWe took small winding roads and this is where our surprise was the greatest. The weight didn't count and this six-meter monster is as easy to handle as a Renault Dauphine! The comfort is exceptional. The body does not move at all, and you really need very bad cobblestones to feel the vibrations. The consumption is also amazing. Over 50 liters per 100! The rather low outside temperature, allowed us to appreciate a heating of a rather rare efficiencyOver 50 liters per 100! The rather low outside temperature, allowed us to appreciate a heating of a rather rare efficiencyOver 50 liters per 100! The rather low outside temperature, allowed us to appreciate a heating of a rather rare efficiency… "So despite the progress made by the automobile in twenty five years, the W150 remained at a level that few cars of the sixties were able to reach.
The unique Cabriolet B
Of majestic and elegant line, it would have been commissioned especially for the heir to the throne of Persia, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, future Shah of Iran, just 19 years old at the time. It is known that Hitler had a tendency to serve his own interests by offering a car to anyone who was able to satisfy them. Political gesture in order to ensure a supply of Iranian oil, precious fuel that was so lacking in Germany? A sign of recognition in the direction of the Persian court after having entrusted German companies (like Ferrostaal AG) with the task of developing its infrastructure via large orders? We will probably never know.
Government versions
The majority of W150s produced for the Government were discoverable. They combined the exterior appearance of the Cabriolet F, without the exterior hood compasses, however, and the more austere finish of the Offener Tourenwagen. They were characterized by the presence of a flashing red headlight to the left of the driver and a passenger side research light.
The models intended for the close protection of the rulers were of the roadster type without side windows, with integrated door handles with "zipper" inserted in a casing, prominent lanterns of W07 at the crown of the wings (allowing to better grasp the '' congestion of the car in night convoy), and the absence of covers for the spare wheels.
The armored W150
Like its predecessor, a version called "high protection" is available. But unlike the W07s which had been exported, the armored W150s were produced, from 1939, only for the Government alone and some Allied leaders of Germany. Indeed, it was on the particular insistence of his driver, Erich Kempka, that Hitler, who until then had been totally opposed to this idea, had finally resolved to accept an armored vehicle. The attack of November 8, 1939 at the Bürgerbräukeller in Munich was undoubtedly not unrelated to this reversal.
On these models, the peripheral and floor shielding was ensured by 2mm thick steel plates. The glass meanwhile had a thickness of 30mm. Heavier than 400kg, the car could withstand the fire of a Mauser 8.20 at ten meters.
An additional stage will be crossed with the Plan Aktion P (P for "panzerung" which means armor) in June 1942 following the attack perpetrated in Prague against the assistant of Himmler, Reinhard Heydrich, who was mortally wounded. As the threat increased, certain versions were fitted with 40mm thick glass, a floor reinforced with plates from 5.5mm to 8.8mm, and peripheral armor from 3 to 3.3mm. On the convertible versions, a 3.3mm steel plate neck guard is installed and the 40mm thick quarter glass is extended. However, this protection has a limit and not least: it is almost ineffective when the hood is lowered. It should be noted that within the framework of Aktion P,some government cars already in circulation returned to the factory for processing.
The running board is modified so that a possible attacker cannot climb on it. A thick chrome frame surrounds the glazing, a frame that will be found almost three decades later on the 600 W100. The doors have an electromagnetic lock and the spare wheels themselves serve as armor plates. Thus rigged, the weight of the car increases by almost a ton and to try to compensate for the negative effects, the wings are made of light alloy.
Externally, the Aktion P cars present some notable visual differences. If the wheelbase, 3.88m, and the length, 6 meters, remain unchanged, the front and rear tracks increase by 30mm as well as the overall width which reaches 2.10 meters. The height is increased to 1.90m or an additional 10 cm. Additional external slots connected to the heating device appear at the base of the windshield to ensure defrosting and demisting, the conventional device not being indeed adapted to the exceptional thickness of the reinforced glazing. The doors are supported by three short hinges instead of two long ones. The quarter window is elongated and partially covered by the hood. The latter is more voluminous in the form of a cap at the back instead of being rounded.This verticality results from the installation on the back of the rear seat of a 30 mm armored steel neck guard which can be raised or lowered from the cockpit. It has two lateral extensions in the style of a shepherdess with Louis XV ears. On the Pullman Limousine, the roof is itself reinforced by 3mm plates and raised and the height of the side windows is increased.
But it is with the Innenlenker Limousine version that protection reaches its peak. This sedan with a driver separation and offered in an extremely luxurious execution, is a real rolling fortress. 40mm glass, 8.3 to 8.8mm floor, and 3 to 3.3mm peripheral and roof shielding provide maximum protection. The rear window, reduced to its simplest form, can be hidden from the driver's seat. The wheels weigh a hundred kilos and two men are necessary to handle each of them. Placed in the trunk, the spare wheel is installed on a support which allows it to be extracted effortlessly to place it on the ground. The Innenlenker Limousine will be used among other things by Goering to try to flee in the spring of 1945, by Himmler,certain personalities such as the Reich Commissioners in the occupied territories, as well as the Spanish Franco and the Norwegian Quisling.
According to specifications exhumed by the brand in the sixties, it was envisaged to produce an even more efficient variant called "W150 II" equipped with two carburetors bringing the power to 400hp at the speed of 4000 rpm for a speed of 180 km / h peak. Breathtaking performance for a 5.47-ton vehicle equipped with a 300-liter tank! This project went unheeded.
The Reich car and its accomplices
"The automobile gave me Germany" said Hitler as it is true, as his driver Kempka later reported, that during his march towards power he traveled up to 100,000 kilometers per year, distance staggering for the time. In 1923, he only drives Mercedes since the brand agent in Münich, a certain Jakob Werlin, convinced him to trade his Selve 20cv for a Mercedes 28/95, which will be followed by a 15/70/100 (Typ 400) in 1929. In December 1931, Hitler swears eternal loyalty to the brand, believing that it is his Mercedes that has just saved his life after an accident, and as soon as he comes to power we will see often in W07 registered IIA-19357 and IIA-19356 bodied by Voll & Ruhrbeck. From 1936 to 1938 and until the exit of the W150,it has one of the experimental W24s, registered IA-103708.
On February 18, 1938, a whole crowd of personalities gathered for the inauguration of the Internationale Automobil- und Motorrad-Ausstellung (IAMA) in Berlin, in the presence of the Führer who, once his speech delivered, headed for the Mercedes stand where the await Wilhelm Kissel, Director of Daimler-Benz AG, Max Sailer, Technical Director of Daimler-Werke. and a Jakob Werlin who, by protection, became a member of the firm's board of directors. Alongside the chassis on which Hitler is looking with interest, we brought the future state tank, an Offener Tourenwagen, which as soon as the ceremony was over will return to the workshop to be finished.
Consequently, the nine W150s that the dictator will use until his fall will be of all ceremonies as evidenced by the abundant photographic and cinematographic archives of this period.
The beautiful Mercedes then becomes one of the instruments of propaganda orchestrated by Joseph Goebbels, who leaves nothing to chance. "The procession leaves the Chancellery in a roar of engines" is it written in an organizational document ...
Hitler is not outdone. He savored the decorum of the parades, because passionate about ancient history, he was not unaware of the ritual of triumph, this Roman ceremony during which a victorious general paraded in Rome at the head of his troops, perched on the chariot triumphal drawn by four horses and to the cheers of the crowd.
Contrary to popular belief, Hitler was never the title owner of the vehicles. Administratively, the order was placed with Daimler-Benz AG in the name of "Führer and Chancellor of the Reich" by its private secretariat on prescription of Erich Kempka, driver of the dictator and responsible for the quarantine of cars which constituted the governmental automobile fleet. Only the latter and not Himmler or Bormann as we have read, defined the specifications and controlled from start to finish the execution of the order until delivery both for government cars and those offered by the dictator to certain leaders strangers.
The first two will be pre-series copies respectively registered IA-148764 and IA-148768. On April 20, 1939, the 50th anniversary of the dictator, a third, registered IA-148485 joined the Chancellery fleet. On July 6, 1940, during the memorable parade following the victory over France, the dictator entered Berlin aboard a pre-series plate IA-148461. Two days later, on July 8, 1940, the Reich Chancellery received a new car, this time armored, ordered from Daimler-Benz on November 3, 1939 and registered IA-148697. That same year 1940, we will see Hitler in Munich in another w150 registered IA-148655. If in the middle of the war the Führer will circulate more often in G4, three other Offener Tourenwagen will ensure its service.The latter are not registered in Berlin (prefix IA) but in Upper Bavaria (prefix IIB): IIB-215190, IIB-215289 and IIB-215043. These nine cars, still in Offener Tourenwagen, and in which the master of the Reich was invariably installed alongside the driver, all had the same specific arrangements. To allow it to be seen and to stand comfortably, the right front seat had a raised seat of 13 cm and foldable, a pedestal to ensure the flatness of the passenger pit, and a grab handle located in top of the windshield. Standing in the Mercedes, Hitler thus peaked at almost two and a half meters! A tenth car, a closed and armored Pullman Limousine can be added to the list. Registered IA-148696 it transported Hitler and theAdmiral Horthy during the interview with Salzburg, at the Klessheim Palace, March 15, 1944.
Goering also had a Mercedes Großer, the luxury of which contrasted with the relatively spartan character of the dictator's cars: full-grain light leather, dashboard and partition in marquetry, Reich coat of arms painted on the rear doors. It was a convertible D, registration IA-125521 painted first in the iridescent blue dear to fat Marshal before adopting a camouflage paint. We recently found a handwritten note in which Goering expressed his wishes (orders, etc.) regarding the specifications of his car.
Two Offener Tourenwagen respectively registered IA-111 and IA-611 were allotted to Goebbels and Ribbentrop, while other dignitaries like Hess and Ley as well as the Commissioners of the Reich in the occupied territories were equipped with these splendid cars.
As soon as the war broke out, the government Großers Mercedes sported a Notek lighthouse, a night walking system used to illuminate vehicles that were to circulate in the context of a curfew or passive defense, situations in which cars should be able to move without attracting enemy fire to them, or avoid being spotted, from the ground or by aircraft. In addition, the headlights were obscured using textile sleeves
Other W150s were ordered for foreign leaders who were friends of the Reich, such as the Croatian Ante Pavelic or the Finnish Marshal Mannerheim, who were both thanked for the contribution of their countries to the German invasion of the Soviet Union. In Spain, a Pullman Limousine and an Innenlenker Limousine were added to the G4 that Franco had received as a gift from Hitler. On July 12, 1942, the President of what was then called "Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia", Emil Hacha, who is celebrating his seventieth birthday on this day, receives the present from the Führer, a 770 W150 version Pullman Limousine. As it should be, this present aims to "reward" the President for the services rendered to the Reich, services which are somewhat constrained ...Turkish President İsmet İnönü and his Iraqi counterpart Choukri al-Kouatli will also take advantage of Adolf Hitler's interested generosity, as will Romanian Antonescu and many others.
A most confidential production
Of the 117 copies envisaged, only 88 copies will have been produced when the hostilities end: the bare chassis of the IAMA 1938, a convertible B, five convertible D, seven convertible F, forty-six Offener Tourenwagen, some of which are armored, ten Innenlenker Limousine all armored, and eighteen Pullman Limousines, including some armored cars.
The production which spans from autumn 1937 to spring 1944 begins with 8 copies of pre-series (N ° 189737 to 189744) followed by a series of 25 copies (N ° 189774 to 189798). Four orders will not be honored (N ° 397364 to 397367). Next will come 50 other copies including 25 products (N ° 429311 to 429335) and 25 canceled (N ° 439408 to 439432). The last series, thirty copies, has a new numbering: 150006/0001 to 150006/0030. The government order dated September 17, 1943 for ten additional W150s (Offener Tourenwagen and Pullman Limousine) was never apparently honored. In detail, 13 copies were built in 1938, 44 in 1939, only one in 1940, one also in 1941, followed by ten cars in 1942 and the last 19 in 1943.These figures are nevertheless to be put into perspective because the vintage Mercedes of the time corresponds to the year of manufacture of the chassis and not to the year of completion of the complete vehicle. For example, the car ordered and delivered in 1941 to the Finnish Marshal Mannerheim was produced on a 1939 chassis, and the last W150 of 1943 was manufactured and delivered in 1944.
Survivors
Whether in the rubble of the Chancellery garage or in what was left of the Sindelfingen factory, many W150s were destroyed during the war. The Offener Tourenwagen of Seyss-Inquart was dismantled in 1955 after having served in the crown of the Netherlands, just as it seems the Innenlenker of the Norwegian traitor Quisling. Recently the debris of a Tourenwagen was found on the edge of the Vistula and a few cars in too bad condition served as an organ bank for other Großer Mercedes.
Nevertheless, around thirty W150s have reached us. The figure of 35% of survivors is all the more remarkable since in comparison, in France, only three Renault Reinastella have survived out of the 405 produced, ie 0.007%. Nevertheless, could the same be said if the Großer Mercedes was not so intensely connoted historically? Sheltered by nostalgics or taken for war by the Allies, their symbolic value saved them from rust and oblivion sometimes at the cost of an extraordinary destiny like the car of the Croatian dictator Pavelic. Seized by the Red Army, this Tourenwagen which Stalin did not want, served for a time to the leader of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan before being transformed into a utility vehicle for transporting pumpkins to the markets!It was a miracle that the owner of a private Moscow museum recovered it before destruction and started (for 14 years!) Which is more a long reconstruction than a restoration.
Tout le monde ou peu s’en faut affirme détenir la Mercedes d'Hitler...Il en est des W150 comme du chapeau de Napoléon pour lequel des sommes astronomiques sont demandées lors des ventes aux enchères au prétexte que le vendeur a l'intime conviction que le dit couvre-chef est celui de l'Empereur! Pour l'heure, on ne connaît que trois W150 survivantes dont on peut affirmer avec certitude qu'elles ont effectivement été utilisées par le Führer. C'est bien peu mais plus que les seules encore existantes des très rares voitures vendues à des clients privés comme Gustav Krupp, l’avionneur Heinkel ou la Couronne suédoise.
Of the 88 examples produced, the sublime B convertible remains, one D convertible, three F convertibles, fourteen Offener Tourenwagen, six Pullman Limousine, and five Innenlenker Limousine, plus one F convertible "massacred" in the fifties after having passed through the bodybuilder's workshops. Czech Karosa.
In the hands of private collectors or museums, in the USA, ex-USSR, Germany, Spain, Jordan, as far as New Zealand and even in France, most are in excellent condition or have benefited from careful restorations at Mercedes- Benz Classic or Fahrzeugrestaurierung Rosenow. All are authentic as evidenced by the "Zertifikate" issued by the manufacturer. I would venture to say that I am certain that the list is not closed. Recently two more cars have resurfaced and it is certain that the "Heiligen Halle", the secret collection of Mercedes contains at least one copy of these superb machines. It is only to see the ambiguous answer of the manufacturer when I asked if the Pullman Limousine black, that same as thewe exhibited in 1962 alongside the new 600 W100 was still in its collection. It is true that even at the Stuttgart museum, there is no W150 on the horizon, while the W07s of the ex-Kaiser William II and the Emperor of Japan are exhibited and highlighted there.
In France, the National Automobile Museum (Schlumph Collection) in Mulhouse holds two W150s: the convertible D from the aircraft manufacturer Heinkel which is on display there and a Pullman Limousine under restoration. The latter, which I could identify as having served, at the Liberation, at the Minister of Air and Reconstruction Charles Tillon, was also that of Erich Koch, sinister Commissioner of the Reich in Ukraine. The Rochetaillée sur Saône museum has an Offener Tourenwagen attributed to Hitler and to which I will return later. In Spain, the museum of the royal palace of El Pardo houses the G4 and the Pullman Limousine of Caudillo, while its Innenelenker Limousine is visible in one of the army museums located in Torrejon de Ardoz (Province of Madrid). In Germany,three Großer Mercedes are visible at the Automobile and Technological Museum of Sinsheim: an Offener Tourenwagen from the Chancellery, another having served at Ribbentrop and an Innenlenker allegedly intended for Himmler. In Great Britain, the Wheatcroft collection has a Tourenwagen currently being restored by Peter Spillner of Fahrzeugrestaurierung Rosenow, the master in the field. In the former USSR, in private collections, we know of the existence of the Offen Tourenwagen by Ante Pavelic and two Innenlenkers from the Chancellery. Mannerheim's car and convertible B are kept in the collection of General William Lyon while Von Falkenhorst's car is in the Bob Bahre collection. Another Offener Tourenwagen can be seen at the Royal Automobile Museum in Aman, Jordan.Dr. Robert Ley's car is in New Zealand. Finally, the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa has an authentic Offener Tourenwagen "Hitler" in which it was often seen and which was registered IA-148697. Until recently, the IA-148461 from the memorable parade of 1940 reappeared during an auction.
If the other survivors, for their part, are carefully hidden from view, we cannot close this chapter without mentioning again the two W150 seized by the 2nd DB of Leclerc during the capture of Berchtesgaden in spring 1945.
The first is a vehicle authentically identified as a Chancellery car with the number IA-148696 and in which Hitler was seen at a conference in Salzburg. Provided with a fancy registration, Z96 501, to deceive the vigilance of the Americans, she returned to France with Colonel de Boissieu to be offered to her stepfather, General de Gaulle, as a gift from Leclerc. The great man refused it and had it handed over to the Army Museum, which in turn gave it to Victoire, an association which helps prisoners of war and who exhibits it to raise funds. After having been exhibited in France, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland, it leaves for the USA where it will be sold in 1949 to a collector from Philadelphia who will no longer publish it in public.
The second, at the museum founded by the great resistance fighter (he was deported and tortured) Henri Malartre at Rochetaillée sur Saône is an Offener Tourenwagen attributed to Hitler and which has all the characteristics: right front seat raised and foldable, grab handle at the top windshield, and Aktion P armor. This is most likely a vehicle returned to the factory to be armored. Indeed, the car has the engine number 189 789 corresponding to the body number 849 503 and not to 863 802 observed on the museum car. Perhaps one day we will be able to authenticate it as a vehicle used by the dictator, because indeed its registration number IA-103708 is not the right one, but that of a W24 with which it is often confused .
Offspring
Shortly before the start of the war, Daimler-Benz planned to give the W150 a successor in the form of a twelve-cylinder. The studies gave birth to two series of prototypes in 1941 and 1942: the Typ W148 and Typ W157, some of which were built. The Typ 148 or Mercedes 600 V, based on a W150 underbody, had a V12 with overhead valves of six liters of displacement developing 170 hp (125 kW) at 3600 / min driving the car at 160km / h. A supercharged version or Mercedes 600K was also developed. Roots compressor in operation, its engine developed 240 hp (176 kW). Thus equipped, the car reached 170 km / h at peak. As for the type W157 using the same mechanics but built on a shortened base it could reach 190 km / h. But in March 1942, through Minister Albert Speer,Hitler let Daimler-Benz know in a scathing way that the time was no longer for luxury cars but for war productions and the adventure ended there.
In 1951, Mercedes returned to luxury by presenting its new 300 Typ W186 which has remained in the collective memory of the name of its illustrious user, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. But it was not until September 1962 that the star brand returned to the exceptional car. The 600 Typ W100 then made a furtive appearance to welcome General de Gaulle during his triumphant trip to Germany. The real revelation took place a year later at the Frankfurt Motor Show 1963. For the occasion, Daimler-Benz released a photo representing the newcomer alongside its predecessor, a Pullman Limousine, the same one that had been used for press tests and that the British review, "The Motor" had tried in 1939.
Produced from 1964 to 1981 in 2,677 copies, the W100 was the car of many heads of state and crowned heads, but also of celebrities of show business. The last Großer can be, as the Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Typ W222 unveiled in 2015 seems to me to have lost the haughty dignity of those who preceded it in favor of a luxury that borders on the flashy.
But tomorrow is another day ...

brightspice
Member
Posts: 8
Joined: 27 Mar 2021, 11:42
Location: Wales

Re: Hitler's Mercedes W07, W24 and W150

#2

Post by brightspice » 10 May 2021, 18:01

My, this is wonderful! Hats off to you!


Post Reply

Return to “The Ron Klages Panzer & other vehicles Section”