1923 Mercedes-Benz 2-Litre Supercharged Grand Prix Car
- Engine
- 2.0L inline-four, twin overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, roller-bearing crankshaft, supercharged
Chassis 26913 is one of four supercharged two-litre four-cylinder Mercedes Grand Prix cars prepared by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft for their sole factory assault on the 1923 Indianapolis 500. Designated the spare, it was pressed into service after chief engineer Max Sailer damaged his own car in qualifying; Karl Sailer drove it to 8th place overall, the best result for any European car that day. After the race it passed through a sequence of notable American owners — including Alec Ulmann, co-founder of the Sebring 12 Hours, and the Long Island Automotive Museum of Henry Austin Clark Jr. — before reaching Japan's Hayashi Collection and subsequently passing to Bernie Ecclestone before entering the Aumann Collection in 1996. The car retains its original crankcase and gearbox, along with a period body presented in bare metal.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €3,605,000 (≈ $3.97M)
- 1923 → 1924-03-31Acquisition unknownAmerican Mercedes Company of New Yorkpartial documentation
Car retained by the US importer following the Indianapolis race.
- 1924-03-31 →Private saleE.J. Schroderpartial documentation
Resident of Summit, New Jersey; first private individual to own the car after the race.
- → 1978Acquisition unknownBen Moserpartial documentation
Collector based in Santa Barbara, California; sold the car in 1978.
- 1978 → 1995Private saleYoshiyuki Hayashipartial documentation
Part of Hayashi's well-known collection at Gotemba, Japan; the car was exported to the United Kingdom in 1995 when a number of Hayashi's vehicles were acquired by Bernie Ecclestone.
- 1995 → 1996Private saleBernie Ecclestonepartial documentation
Kept the car for a brief period after importing it to the UK before selling it to the Aumann Collection.
- 1996 →Private saleAumann Collectionpartial documentation
Current ownership; car has been displayed at events and used on rallies. A thorough engine rebuild costing approximately €150,000 was carried out by Capricorn Engineering in 2011.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownMike Carusopartial documentation
Owner of Hicksville Auto Wrecking Co. on Long Island; modified the bodywork by the mid-1930s and entered the car in competition. Period photos from this era show the same body that accompanies the car today.
- Date unknownPrivate saleJosef Reutershanpartial documentation
New Jersey resident who acquired the car from Caruso; fitted road-going equipment including headlamps and a windscreen for street use.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownAlec Ulmannpartial documentation
Former president of the Veteran Motor Car Club of America and later co-founder of the Sebring 12 Hours; used the car in competition at Bridgehampton.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownCourtney Rogerspartial documentation
Acquired from Ulmann; won the best vintage car prize at the 1951 Bridgehampton event.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownHenry Austin Clark Jr.partial documentation
Housed the car at his Long Island Automotive Museum in the early 1950s; allowed friend Charles Addams to race it on two occasions before eventually selling to Lew Schaefer.
- Date unknownPrivate saleLew Schaeferpartial documentation
Began a restoration but made slow progress and subsequently sold the car.
Competition
- 19231923 Indianapolis 500Driver: Max Sailer8th overall
Max Sailer qualified in the spare car (chassis 26913) after damaging his primary entry; he started but handed over to nephew Karl Sailer after 72 laps due to a wrist injury. Karl Sailer completed the remaining distance to achieve the best finish for any Mercedes or European entry.
- 19361936 Vanderbilt CupDriver: Mike CarusoDNS — deemed too slow by organisers
Car entered under the designation 'Mercedes-Ford'; period photographs confirm the original twin-cam engine was still fitted. Caruso was excluded from the start as organisers considered his pace insufficient relative to top-line competitors.
- 19491949 Bridgehampton racesDriver: Alec Ulmann
- 19511951 Bridgehampton racesDriver: Courtney RogersBest vintage car award
- 19521952 Bridgehampton racesDriver: Charles Addams
Addams, creator of the Addams Family and a noted New Yorker cartoonist, drove the car on behalf of owner Henry Austin Clark Jr.
- 19591959 Bridgehampton racesDriver: Charles Addams
Second occasion on which Addams drove the car at Bridgehampton, again at the invitation of owner Henry Austin Clark Jr.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2011Engine rebuildCapricorn Engineering
Comprehensive engine rebuild undertaken to a high standard, with documented expenditure of approximately €150,000.
Commissioned by the Aumann Collection during the current period of ownership.
- —Modification
Body modified from its original racing configuration; the altered bodywork visible in mid-1930s photographs is the same period body that accompanies the car today.
Modification occurred by the mid-1930s during Caruso's ownership.
- —Modification
Headlamps and a windscreen were added to adapt the car for road use.
Carried out during Reutershan's ownership, likely prior to the late 1940s.
- —Restoration
A restoration was begun but not completed; work advanced slowly and the car was sold before the project concluded.
Initiated by Lew Schaefer after acquiring the car from Henry Austin Clark Jr.
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