75 years of racing car carriers for Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows

The Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows are celebrating their 75th anniversary this year, having first blazed to victory on the world's racetracks back in 1934. Their drivers have become legends, with names like Rudolf Caracciola and Manfred von Brauchitsch still ringing in the ears of motor sports enthusiasts. However, neither the Silver Arrows of yesteryear nor those of today rolled to the racetrack under their own power. The sensitive high-performance vehicles, whether for Formula 1 or touring races, need a perfect infrastructure. Races could not be run without racing car carriers, and consequently there could be no racing victories. Some of the Mercedes racing car carriers are no less spectacular than the racing vehicles they transport. Next year the racing car carriers will once again be used in the Formula 1 races by a works team sporting the Mercedes star - the Mercedes Grand Prix.

Comfortable driver lounge in the racing car carriers for the 2009 season

A whole new world opens up to people visiting a racing car carrier when they pass through a glass door in the neck of the semi-trailer. The area serves as a recreation room and a refuge for the drivers of the racing cars. The tidy locker has room for the helmet at the top, while the shoes can be stored at the bottom, and the driver's outfit in between. A cosy round suite is great for relaxing, and cooled drinks are kept in the refrigerator.

Today's racing car carriers are not only a means of transport but also serve as sophisticated lounges. In the past, drivers of the Silver Arrows of the 1930s and 1950s did not have it quite so nice. For them, the 2009 racing car carrier would look like something from another planet.

The rich sound of 18 cylinders

Even though the "orchestra" consists of only three "musicians", the sound gets deep under one's skin. It's generated by a total of 18 cylinders that are distributed among three trucks. The "top note" is the bright and nervous tone of a three-litre engine from the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL sports car of 1955. It is supplemented by the grunting sound of a gnarly four-cylinder petrol engine from the 1930s. In the background can be heard the powerful rumble of the V8 turbodiesel of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz Actros heavy-duty truck. The engine's bass sound is generated by 15.9 litres of displacement. Although the three trucks look very different and were produced at vastly different times, they all share the task of carrying Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow racing cars.

The three generations meeting for the family reunion confirm the observation that children grow bigger than their ancestors. Together with its semi-trailer, the current Actros model is four metres tall and 16.5 metres long. Compared to this giant, the predecessor vehicles appear almost petite and look like little more than toy trucks.

Among them is the Mercedes-Benz Lo 2750 from the 1930s. The vehicle has arched wings, an angular cab, and a flashing chrome radiator grille with a big star proudly placed on top. The vehicle's number "2750" refers to its payload capacity. Back when it was built, the vehicle was designated a 2.75-ton vehicle, in keeping with its payload. Today, the Lo 2750 would be declared a 6.5-ton truck in accordance with its gross vehicle weight.

The third truck at the reunion lacks an official designation but it doesn't need one, as it is known by its nickname of "The Blue Wonder". The reason why this famous racing car carrier of 1955 bears this designation is immediately evident, as the vehicle's crouched blue body, forward-positioned cab and sleek lines show that it's in fact a sports car that has been disguised as a racing car carrier.