The Streamliner Case - Mercedes-Benz original

no one is supposed to see yet but for the very first time is driving on a public road may 7 2014 in the netherlands reconstruction of a technical masterpiece it all begins in june 2001 with a coincidental find in a warehouse workers find auto parts which shouldn't really exist the guessing begins the chassis is of a very rare car type from the 1930s but something's different the parts we found there were unusual those were not serial parts this was the chassis and some auto parts from a time when car development was rapidly evolving the building of the motorways in the 1930s made it possible to drive long distances at high speed car manufacturers reacted to that the special vehicle production is opened at mercedes-benz factory in zindalfingen near stuttgart it could be compared to today's special design and development departments what was developed and built here in the 1930s is today worth millions on the motorways in the 1930s that's a rather relaxed affair most cars are driving 80 to 90 kilometers per hour maximum not so the vehicles of the special vehicle production these supercars of their time are sometimes twice as fast but which car is this is it a lost prototype that's part of the body that's metal from the body aluminum 38 that's rare they didn't really build cars in aluminum so even at that time aluminum bodywork was only for sports and racing cars traces of color give more hints about the car and leave but one conclusion weekend of an awesome we're assuming on the information we have that this is a one-off it's unique to be absolutely sure about the origin of the car yeah goes to the company archive of daimler ag we've got the biggest company archive of any car manufacturer so if we're looking for something we'll find it there here in books and on microfilm the experts can find any car ever built in the company's history prototypes too are filed in the books but some information got lost during the war can the car be identified nonetheless indeed the archive contained several pictures and plans of the car sensational it's a car which was developed in the late 1930s to compete in a long-distance race so naturally one feels like rebuilding it you want a car again not just a frame a couple of months later that's exactly what it's all about gert lange and ralph hettis present their results with them are jurgen bittman director of the archive and the car collection klaus kaiser director of the workshop and the parts section of mercedes-benz classic and michelle bach director of mercedes-benz classic it's a great project go ahead let's see this product mercedes products are created here we've developed them we've designed them and that's why we've got the responsibility to rebuild them to the same standard as they were once made and delivered to the customers more than 70 years earlier this special vehicle production is tasked to build a car for the 1938 berlin rome rally in 1934 mercedes-benz had already successfully participated in the 2000 kilometers through germany rally the secret sauce a streamlined body based on this experience a unique car with a revolutionary shape is created more than seventy years later ralph petty hang up the original plans of the car vice versa what we're seeing is a plan a historical plan from 1938 and this plan is an exact description of the surface of the build of this car the plan shows the ideas and thoughts of the designers and engineers back then the question today is is it possible to rebuild this car exactly like that just according to plans and photos and using exactly the methods that were employed in the 1930s a gigantic task with unknown result in italy the unusual body is to be rebuilt to its original condition artistically handcrafted the plan and the chassis of the car have already arrived in italy the frame was made of ash wood which because of its elasticity is the favorite material of wheel rights and coach builders for this one-off every wooden piece had to be elaborately hand-carved this italian family company is specialized for several generations now on exactly this managing director paolo supervises the project i started from a drawing from a 2d drawing of the mature bands and then i made a new drawing in one 101 scale i made all the pieces of this wooden frame after that i should i have checked 100 times that all fit perfectly and this is the the hardest job to do already the very first impression shows that an extraordinary form is being created here is no ein this car is unique so it's pretty hard to get some orientation which of course makes it even more difficult it's this demanding attitude to come as close as possible to the original just a little example since there were no phillips screws in the 1930s they're replaced by december this car offers a great opportunity we have material from the archives historical plans a chassis and other original parts we didn't have to start from scratch just having a vague idea of a car that once was the engines of the compressor cars back then were real beasts having up to 180 horsepower at that time absolutely top notch for road cars and another lucky coincidence mercedes-benz stored an engine which corresponds exactly to the one used in the newly discovered car we don't know what we'll see when we open up the engine for the first time it's an exciting moment especially since the engine wasn't used for many years we'll disassemble the engine completely the worst case scenario is if galling occurred in the pistons that you can't see from the outside it'll take almost a whole year to get the engine up and running the car isn't used for its intended purpose as the berlin roam rally is postponed then abandoned the future of this gem is uncertain and the search for additional traces commences the life of a car doesn't end after delivery that's actually more when it starts and if you want to tell or understand the story of such a car you should look outside the archives of daimler ag as well the forensic car experts leave no stone unturned even documents from other companies are checked after weeks of searching they finally find something during our research a brochure regarding dunlip's 50th anniversary turned up and it was referring to a streamlined car which was clocking 170 on the motorway could that be the mysterious car there's evidence but doubts remain too much is yet unknown at this stage you can't be sure as maybe you read too much into something even though you really wanted that actually in june 1938 the extraordinary car is delivered to tire manufacturer dunlap in hanau as the order book kept in the archive shows in the summer of the year 2013 a fascinating experiment begins the experts from near venice know their trade which like that is rarely executed anymore hand-crafted aluminum slowly the car gains a recognizable shape the challenge is though handcrafted the work still has to be exacting a deviation of a millimeter is already too much just a little error in the calculation and all was for nothing we've got historical plans and they're pretty detailed and then the car was built and that in a short time so maybe the worker saw some things from a different vantage point and said well i could do that differently and maybe talk to the developer our goal is to come as close to the original as possible so we're using these plans in the photographs that's researching it's quite an effort you can't just concentrate on one part we're using everything we have at our disposal and trying to find our way through dunlap it seems wanted the car for some trials in the 1930s they wanted to test how much their high performance tires could stand it would be the ideal car for that another indicator foreman at the garage and driver at dunlip at that time car hummus another piece of the puzzle which either leads to nothing or closer to solving it are there any remaining witnesses who could tell more about the car that's one of those pieces you don't count on it you're thinking of all sorts of things put together some system how you do your research with which together with the archive you look for traces when you hear something like that that's like winning the lottery foreman carl hummus has a son who likes to hang out at the garage of his father my technical contact at dunlop was ingo hummus who is director of tire testing the thing is his father and also his grandfather were at dunlop and knew the car they were actually sitting in it that's the breakthrough it's possible to get information which only witnesses can give and mercedes-benz is lucky the little boy from back then is now a sprightly 82 year old if you're so lucky to have a witness who could contribute to this project so that this story becomes even more informative and even more fact-based then that's a real gem a lucky strike a journey in time for the first time in more than 70 years the elderly gentleman is sitting in one of his favorite cars mercedes-benz is expecting some tips regarding the interior and the engine to this day hamas is fascinated by the impressions from his youth because these huge garages is dunlop it always smelled of oil petrol and exhaust fumes that was the smell and we liked it the powerful eight-cylinder engine should provide for high speeds top speeds could be reached by switching on the compressor the fader is only father wasn't driving as fast as he could i think the car could reach top speed of 186 kilometers per hour when the compressor was switched on well i don't really know that it's licensed to know the weight of the car is thought to be 2.4 tons enormous can this colossus be propelled to such high speed well we do demand from ourselves to do the job properly and then we would like to see the 185 on the test track to show that the idea the concept was absolutely correct and feasible anchored in reality change of location putin near amsterdam in the netherlands june 2013 here too specialists are at work to prepare the next steps teal is here our goal here is to get a rolling chassis ready in the coming weeks in principle a frame on axles and wheels to give to the coach builders the problem is the work on engine body and chassis are done in parallel it's fantastic that mercedes-benz gives you the opportunity to realize such a project at such a high level that's extraordinary and that under time pressure the schedule demands a parallel execution by now it seems certain that dunlip used this unique car for testing tires the goal was to test the maximum strength of the tires and that leads directly to the next hurdle how can you make sure that attire has the exact same build as in the 1930s today dunlop is still producing tires for valuable vintage cars among them some special types which fit into that time and to our car a real test begins with unknown results basically the tire is constructed the same way as 70 80 years ago and again a member of the hamas family is working in a pivotal position at dunlip ingo hamas grandson of the then foreman of the garage the mood is tense if the tire doesn't stand the strain the whole project will be questioned the latest technology should help answer that question this forbidden street vision the tire is the link between road and vehicle and especially in this case where we have a very heavy and fast car with a historic tire it's important that the tire will be able to cope with these demands the start of the test isn't very spectacular the tire handles the increasing speed without problem but those aren't yet peak values it goes very smooth great when the tire approaches its limits you'd hear a noise which wasn't there before that's exactly what we don't want to do today we just want to find out whether the tire works with the streamlined car carefully the velocity is nudged towards the top speed everything seems okay it's it's a bursting tire at 185 kilometers per hour would be catastrophic and the consequences can't really be estimated the coming minutes are decisive failure would delay the project for months the car wouldn't be allowed to drive 185 kilometers per hour and then it happens first moment at first you flinch and think really project goal 185. yeah not foreign everybody in the room knows we've got to find the fault as quickly as possible the test stand just switched itself off which means there was a problem coming the problem was obviously not the tire but an angled valve and because of its inertia it virtually ripped off the tube a dicey situation and there's the delinquent so if we'd been driving at that speed then we would have experienced a sudden pressure loss so the inner tube would there would just be no air so the tire would have lost its side traction and then well at final test second chance another trial begins is the experts analysis correct these are test cycles this trial shows in a wonderful way how it all is the sum of its parts the whole system and everything has to work in order for the car to function safely as that is the precondition given all passion safety still comes first and for that you need the perfect tire now we're already one minute above 190. looks really good what was important then was testing testing and testing while the tire problem got solved the mechanics and felbach are working on the engine the motor is completely disassembled every part meticulously cleaned and checked for damage but after repairing and reassembling several hundred parts the whole thing isn't necessarily ready to go and top speeds aren't guaranteed either in order to test whether the machine stands a chance to actually reach the performance that is expected it too is evaluated with the help of modern technology one of the most advanced test stands for engines in the world is at the mercedes-benz factory in unturkheim here every engine from smart to s-class gets a painstaking checkup today the heart of the company is concerned with the past power peace from taking it out to putting it here nine months have passed there's always some excitement and we're giving of course our very best the problem here is is our 70 year old technology compatible with the high tech test stand will they work together we'll find that out within the next minute testing begins the rare interaction between high performance analytics and engineering from the 1930s fascinates everyone involved in power we've been testing a couple of vintage engines here but not this one yet it's always a challenge and there's always respect for the age of the motor we think it's great approaching the essential question the engine is slowly revved up already the first results astonish the project coordinator so what we're seeing here 2000 rpm and 290 newton meter that's at top value and the temperature is optimal which is a precondition to start the last part of the test let's run the compressor test in a moment a sound will signal that the compressor adds 75 horsepower successful what we'd expected regarding the engine and its reliability where we wanted to be right yeah even in retirement in the meantime in italy this powerful beauty takes an ever more concrete shape and it becomes ever more clear this is a milestone in the art of coach building welding aluminum by hand at this level of precision that's a job for this special workshop you can recognize the car as a whole with its gigantic dimensions for the first time you can see how beautifully streamlined how organic the forms are and this part of the process doesn't allow for mistakes either as the connecting of the components is approaching fast by the most impressive this car has charisma a presence it's got real character stuttgart february 22nd 2014 the next phase the half-finished vehicle in the workshop has to show what it's worth laden with weights in wooden boxes it's about to be tested whether everything works as planned the test track next to the factory where new models usually get tested comes in handy for the trials we gain with using auto office we take the car to the test track and we want to reach the originally envisaged top speed of 185. drive that and of course we'll see to it that this car is for unless these auto offseasons the two kilometer long test track with its banked turns is alas not suited to reach top speeds it's precisely moments like these where you question yourself have you thought of everything you've got to be wide awake concentrated and then sensitively step by step inch closer to the situation and everything goes well the car behaves as everybody had hoped for another small step towards the grand final a perfect maiden voyage and that really generates excitement for the whole car we're going to see in a couple of months completely in the netherlands everyone is preparing for the moment which in the automobile business is lovingly called the wedding important components have to fit together now the body is put on the chassis worst case we've got some big measurement error or some tool is made such that the parts won't fit together we'll have to see what to do then but i hope everything fits well and now muscle power again the decisive moment 600 kilograms approaching the chassis the wedding should show whether the teams in different locations have done a proper job solved all the problems under time pressure as well it was so tight all these connections between body and frame that's like two some final moves before the first comparison with the photos from 1938 the car isn't painted yet but everybody is content already when the car stood on its wheels for the first time when it was possible to grasp it in three dimensions that was a great feeling everybody was impressed in august 1945 the car is taken away american officers like this unusual vehicle to the regret of gad hummus dunlop has to part with the car what happens next cannot be completely reconstructed and that's how their car really looked like netherlands may 7 2014 today is the preliminary high point of the project the original from back in the day is about to prove itself the car is being prepared for a night outing no one's supposed to see the result of thousands of work hours yet the technicians want to play it safe now we're checking the proper working of the pedals it's extremely important that everything is running as we expect it to do today's the commissioning of the car and come dusk we'll start the test drive if a pedal wouldn't be working properly became stuck while driving that would be the worst that could happen as the car wouldn't be controllable anymore that's why we ensure beforehand that everything is working one hundred percent who knows it's moments like these which change a situation between pride and doubt between success and failure from a perfectionist's perspective something can always happen don't believe in success too early that's a very emotional moment the car is ready to go on the other hand you've got to concentrate on the task it's not like we've put it together and then deliver 110 usually something happens like now the car breaks down trying to find the fault in the middle of the night am i good i mean okay if an engine fails there are usually two points to look at either electricity ignition or fuel um the reserve tank is empty even though the main tank hasn't been used yet the problem is to be solved during the night after having switched this system it has a reserve tank and the main thing it worked again but in this case it shouldn't have said half an hour to midnight it's back to the workshop apparently a valve in the fuel line has been put in the wrong way if you are always certain that nothing's going to happen then you wouldn't need a test phase that is logic would dictate that everything will run smoothly but if it doesn't work we have to keep searching we believe we're on the right path and they are the 2.4 ton machine is humming calmly and smoothly through the night now all doubts are gone one question however can only be answered with a risky reality check can this design and technology masterpiece attain the top speed it is supposed to to find out the car gets tested in a wind tunnel as drag is not only determining the top speed it is also important for safety the mercedes-benz design chief arrives he seeks inspiration from these classic curves some historical i have to say it's a historical moment to see this car here again in a condition as if it just came new out of the factory it's almost a journey in time especially the beauty the shape almost completely without any edges it really is a drop shape smoothened by the wind so to speak and that's the exciting the aesthetic part tradition and modernity to wagner no opposites that's opening up my heart those indicators at the side those door lines i find these forms so classic that i think they're modern again to me a modern car could go down that design route the designer is interested in the interior too and there's reason for that the color scheme and the equipment are meticulously chosen especially the dashboard sticks out you can see how this power of innovation of the outer skin transcends the interior by looking at the dashboard this curved dashboard really is a continuation of the shape from outside into the interior a stylistic device which years later is taken up again and used to this day in serial production another reason for the detailed reconstruction of the body as far as we know that's how it used to be and that's how we rebuild it the color scheme is muted in order for the driver not to be distracted the comfort is supposed to make for relaxed driving even at high speeds the last test before the reality check the drag coefficient is evaluated how streamlined is the vehicle the previously calculated drag coefficient to get to 185 was approximately 0.36 0.37 0.38 if the coefficient were worse it wouldn't work however it also has to be ensured that the car is still controllable at that speed is the vehicle stable is it prone to lifting somewhere the employees of the wind tunnel are waiting eagerly for the results we've got a drag coefficient of 0.362 that's 0.36 and that's really not bad for this car 0.36 that's super cool a value which underlines the superb aerodynamics of the car at that time a milestone and even more efficient than some modern sports cars additionally an important realization this auto is simple the car is very balanced and also fit for high speeds what follows is the last and decisive act of the project happenborg and lower saxony the high-speed test track of mercedes-benz after three years of hard work the moment of truth the car has an inestimable value even the least risk has to be eliminated the sound is cardinal then we're just checking the wheels again the tires are a big theme here so we'll keep an eye out that's why the experts from dunlop came too this the most important issue at a test like this is safety that's paramount everybody knows that the last moments demand full concentration as the biggest challenge is yet to come the final speed is to be measured precisely with electronic devices we've been on the test track in um with the chassis and we're also clocking speeds well above 100. but what we're doing today is a different cattle to fish warming up the tires the car will now be tested for a speed which it hasn't attained since its rebirth you start highly concentrated then you're slowly going into the speed territory where you want to go you listen is the steering functioning is everything stable no vibrations and when you checked everything and say to yourself well it really does work then you loosen up a bit you show some emotion and say wow really great and then you finish the lap and uh everybody is happy with the result but even now you've got to be careful i don't want to be too euphoric but the conditions are great cars stable let's see step by step after the first test it's important to check the tire temperature so if the tire temperature were too high then we would have to abandon the trial without emotions that would be too big a risk for everybody so how does it look well 40 degrees they seem to feel really comfortable now so at the first high speed trial with the car it was already pretty windy also the side winds we didn't want those we didn't want any sideways acceleration to keep the car on the road was getting more and more difficult the higher the speed so had the wind speed gotten even higher we would have had to abandon the trial headed up now the final moment has arrived my family my friends my family my wife since they know me they are used to my trialing cars and especially that i don't do anything reckless or stupid to realize that with your responsibility towards your family and mine come on let's do it this feeling when exiting the turn and thinking now is the moment now i can accelerate now it could work and then you look and there's 170 175 and you know there's more to go will it be enough right and you realize it's getting a bit viscous ever more viscous fighting against the wind 182 183 driving above 180 and you know there's more it's a relief that's exactly the value from back then electronically measured we made it back to the roots forget thomas as well he's supposed to be the first to take a glance at the car his car a journey back to his childhood the streamlined car testament to the art of engineering and design competence back then as well as today and it can rightly claim one label unique you

Channel: Mercedes-Benz

Views: 540,304

Keywords: Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz cars, Mercedes, benz, Daimler, Mercedes amg, Mercedes trailer, Car technology, Automotive, Official, Trailer, Innovation, modern luxury, Mercedes design, c-class, e-class, s-class, 540 K Streamliner, Mercedes-Benz Classic, restoration, old-timer, Mercedes-Benz Classic collection, special vehicle production, Sindelfingen, exclusive cars, mercedes oldtimer, Mercedes-Benz oldtimer, Mercedes restoration, car restoration, restoration of cars

Id: OZXRAQw9kyE

Length: 45min 1sec (2701 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 24 2015

Reddit Comments

[u/Chatterboxj]

What a great story of bringing an old car back to life. A truly stunning vehicle.