The Mercedes Simplex 60. Purchased directly from the company's Jewish agent Emil Yelink, who convinced the Germans to name it after his daughter/Gooding & Kopenny
There are only five like her left in the whole world.
It has a 4-cylinder engine with a modest volume of 9,236 cc, a power of 60 hp and a 4-speed gearbox, manual, of course manual.
When it was new, it was the world's fastest mass-produced car, which was still entirely handmade, with a top speed of 130 km/h.
121 years after its grandfather, the British publisher and motor sports enthusiast Alfred Hemsworth (The Daily Mail, The Times and The Sunday Times) purchased His granddaughter, Elizabeth Hemsworth, decided to sell this Mercedes 60 Simplex.
It will be auctioned by Goodwing & Company in Amelia Island, Florida on February 29.
The teeth of time/Gooding and Kopenny
Hemsworth purchased the Simplex 60 directly from Mercedes' agent in France, the Jewish Emil Yelink, who convinced Messrs. Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach to name their car after his daughter.
Yelink was also the man who encouraged the two to give more interesting design to their reliable but boring cars, first the Simplex 40 and then the 60.
The car participated in several races when it was new, winning some of them.
Although not a racing car by definition, its rear seats and rear fender could be removed, and its long wheelbase and relatively light weight made it nimble enough for those days.
The cars in those days were built on top of a ladder chassis, and the chassis was sometimes made by dedicated chassis builders.
That of this Mercedes was supplied by the venerable Parisian atelier Rothschild & Fils, and was nicknamed the King of the Belgians.
In 1902 Hermsworth edited the book "Motors and Driving a Motor Vehicle", which contained a collection of articles on various aspects of driving, and one of its chapters was written by his close friend Charles S.
Rolls, one of the founders of Rolls Royce.
Hermsworth himself published a chapter on "Choosing the Engine" in it, in which he shared his opinions on various vehicles, as well as practical advice on car ownership.
"Personal experience has taught me that in 1902 a good gasoline engine is infinitely the best for all-round work. That is, if a person intends to have only one car, and wants occasionally to go on long trips, there is no doubt in my opinion that a gasoline engine, with a Daimler or similar engine, is the wise purchase the most," he wrote.
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Of the 102 chassis produced, only 4 survived/Mercedes
Hemsworth died in 1922, leaving behind a handsome inheritance and an impressive car collection.
The simplex was inherited by his 12-year-old son Alfred.
It was well preserved in the bosom of the family, who in 1956 transferred it to display in the British National Automobile Museum founded by Lord Bewley and named after him.
The car was originally purchased for 25 thousand gold marks, which is worth about 200 thousand euros today.
But the auction house expects to get at least 10 million dollars for it.
The most expensive classic cars in history
Manufacturer and model
Price
Mercedes 300 SLR from 1955 |
135 million euros
Ferrari 250 GTO from 1962 |
€61.1 million
1963 Ferrari 250 GTO TIPO |
€48.4 million
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO |
35.9 million euros
Ferrari 355 Sport Skate from 1957 |
33.6 million euros
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