1937 MERCEDES-BENZ

W 125 GRAND PRIX CAR

Adhering to regulations defined by weight rather than engine displacement, Mercedes-Benz introduced the W 125 in 1937. Well under the race limit of 850 kg (approximately 1,874 lbs), much of the W 125’s 750-kg weight was reserved for its supercharged, inline-eight-cylinder engine. A lightweight, yet extremely sturdy, nickel-chrome-molybdenum oval tube frame was fitted with a streamlined aluminum body. After numerous tests on the Nürburgring, engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut chose a revolutionary suspension design that reversed the conventional balance of suspension and damping, giving the W 125 a soft suspension with firm damping, a precedent for later Grand Prix car designs. Although only raced one season, the W 125 achieved six first-place, nine second-place, and six third-place finishes.

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