Mercedes-Benz thrills with historic parade on the hill climb circuit at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024 [Photo Gallery]

Racing cars from 100 years: Mercedes-Benz thrilled audiences with a historic parade at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. The “Blue Wonder” racing car fast transporter, who led the 130 Years Motorsport Convoy, was very popular with visitors to the “largest motorized garden party in the world” as well as on social media.

In 1955, the “Blue Wonder” drove at up to 170 km/h, as fast as some racing cars of the era. On its loading area in Goodwood: a Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Formula 1 racing car. With a Silver Arrow of this type, Juan Manuel Fangio became Formula 1 World Champion in 1954 and 1955.

“The unique motorsport history of Mercedes-Benz begins as early as 1894. The first automobile challenge in France is won by vehicles with Daimler two-cylinder V-engines manufactured under license. At Goodwood we showed an original engine of this type. In addition, we have brought milestones from different decades to the island, all with outstanding racing successes. Thanks to our Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, motorsport fans at Goodwood were able to experience these racing cars driving in a parade on the Hillclimb. This stood for 130 years of successful racing history and the breakthrough technologies associated with it to this day. No one else can offer that as a manufacturer. We are proud of this – competition and racing have been the driving forces of our brand from the very beginning.”
Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH

On the hillclimb in the Targa Florio racing car from 1924
Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, started a demonstration drive in the 100-year-old Mercedes 2-litre Targa Florio racing car as co-driver of Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH. The Duke has hosted the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the family’s country estate in Sussex, England, since 1993. After an extensive restoration at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, the 1924 racing car is back on the racetrack.

“It was fantastic for all of us here to see the cavalcade of 130 years of motorsport by Mercedes-Benz going up the hillclimb as a timeline. Illustrating such an important anniversary so perfectly and so well expressed was a big highlight. I also loved being a passenger in the 1924 Targa Florio car. It was a great experience. The Targa Florio has been one of the great races of the world for many years, a crazy race around Sicily. I’ve always admired the drivers that took part in it. It was a fantastic era, I think, for motorsport – especially those early years and those early cars. So being in that actual car being driven by Marcus Breitschwerdt up the hill was a big treat!”
Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, Duke of Richmond and Gordon, host of the Goodwood Festival of Speed

These were the vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz parade:

• Mercedes-Benz racing car express transporter, 1955. Its engine comes from the 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198). Nickname of the transporter for racing car logistics: “Blue wonder”.
• Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Formula 1 racing car, 1955. With this new Silver Arrow, Mercedes-Benz made a successful return to Grand Prix racing in 1954.
• Mercedes 2-litre Targa Florio racing car, 1924. 100 years ago, it won the Targa Florio, the legendary, tough road race through Sicily.
• Mercedes-Benz 750-kilogram W 25 formula racing car, 1934. The first Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow. Premiere in the 1934 Eifel race, which Manfred von Brauchitsch won.
• Mercedes-Benz C 11 Group C racing sports car, 1990. Built for the 1990 World Sportscar Championship, it secured the second consecutive double title for the team and drivers.
• Mercedes-Benz GT racing sports car CLK LM, 1998. It won all the races in the FIA GT Championship in which it started.
• Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 (C 197), 2012. The customer sports racing car lead a one-two-three victory in the 24 Hours of Dubai in 2012.
• Mercedes-AMG GT3 “RAW SPEC”. The spectacular version of the customer sports racing car is designed together with RACE SERVICE.
• Mercedes-AMG GT3 “130 Years”. The performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach is celebrating “130 years of motorsport” with this Mercedes-AMG GT3.

This is what the Mercedes-Benz brand ambassadors say about their starts at the Festival of Speed

“The C 11 is not a car that you drive very casually. You have to get involved with it, with the brute force of almost 750 hp. Of course, this awakens emotions and memories of the demanding racing sport over 30 years ago. At Goodwood, the companions of that time meet – the drivers, teammates, mechanics, engineers. The Festival of Speed always inspires me with its unique atmosphere and diversity.”
Jochen Mass drove the Mercedes-Benz C 11 Group C racing sports car, among other things

“These 100 and 90-year-old race cars have fantastic engines, great responsiveness and a lot of power for their time. To drive it in front of the enthusiastic spectators and in the field of so many outstanding vehicles is just great.”
Karl Wendlinger drove the 2-litre Targa Florio racing car and the W 25

“At the Festival of Speed, motorsport and automotive history come together in an incredible environment. This is an outstanding experience for car enthusiasts of all generations. I enjoyed immersing myself in the motorsport of that era in the W 25. I have the greatest respect for the drivers from back then.”
Bernd Mayländer drove the W 25 and the SLS AMG GT3

“To drive the CLK LM again today at Goodwood was simply world class! With this car, I won the FIA GT Championship in 1998 together with Ricardo Zonta and AMG-Mercedes took the team title with ten wins in ten races.”
Klaus Ludwig drove the Mercedes-Benz CLK LM from 1998

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