It was a bright early Spring day in March 1901, when the
Nice-Salon-Nice race was won by the new Daimler 35 hp, one
of the first 'modern' motorcars, with Werner at the wheel.
It was a bright day, too, for the daughter of Austrian
banker Emile Jellinek. Her beauty was famed throughout the
Cote d'Azur, and she received a warm ovation from the
grandstand.
The name of the new automobile was chosen not by the man
who built it, but by Jellinek, who was contracted to sell
it. He made the radical decision to drop the name
'Daimler', which up until then had been applied to all cars
produced by the Cannstatt factory.
To the Austrian Jellinek, 'Daimler' sounded too Germanic
and ugly.
The new car owed much to Jellinek, the Daimler
representative for the Cote d'Azur. He wanted to strengthen
his position as a car salesman, and requested the new design
in time for the Nice motor race, hoping to cash in on the
publicity of winning the race.
To win the race, however, something better than the 24 hp
Phenix currently being turned out of the Cannstatt factory
was needed. A new 35 hp motor was the answer. Jellinek took
a considerable risk, contracting to buy 36 of the new cars
and undertaking distribution in France, Belgium,
Austria-Hungary and America.
Maybach was by now the most important figure in Cannstatt,
though he was always overshadowed by the aging Daimler.
Maybach rose to the challenge and produced a vehicle full
of innovative ideas, which was to set the standard for many
years to come.
This was the first use of a pressed steel chassis. The
engine was front-mounted, with a real bonnet, and one of
the first honeycomb radiators in front.
The car boasted magneto ignition, mechanical valves,
selective gate gearchange, and a four-cylinder in-line
motor of close to six-litre capacity.
The resulting 35 bhp was sufficient to ensure a good chance
in the Nice-Salon-Nice race and many races to come.
When the first models were already in production, the
question of what to name the car remained undecided.
There was some opposition to dropping Gottlieb Daimler's
name at a time when he was seriously ill, but Jellinek's
resolve won the day. In fact Daimler died soon after, so
further embarrassment was spared.
Maybach's white jewel was soon to become
synonymous with prestige amongst rich Europeans.
The car that won the day at Nice in that far-off Spring
shared the name of the daughter who was the jewel of her
father's eye and the toast of the Cote d'Azur - Mercedes.
Colin Lloyd is a regular contributor to http://www.diecast-vintage-cars.com
For precision diecast models of Mercedes-Benz cars, visit http://www.diecast-vintage-cars.com/mercedes-benz.html
