Mercedes-Benz marks the 75th anniversary of its famed Silver Arrows at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance when five original competition racecars, the largest historical display of Silver Arrows in the United States, take center stage at the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge and the Concours’ famed 18th fairway from August 13-16, 2009.

The first races in which the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows competed, in Berlin and at the Nürburgring in late May and early June of 1934, marked the birth of the Silver Arrow legend and signaled a new era in chassis and engine innovation.

Between 1934-1936, the Mercedes-Benz W 25, borrowing from the luxury car model 380, set new automotive standards with its independent suspension and supercharged eight-cylinder in-line engine that produced 354 hp and in further development phases was boosted to 494 hp. The Mercedes-Benz W 25 Silver Arrow scored 16 victories in Grand Prix and other major international races setting off a new era in racing history.

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge feature five authentic Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows including the W 25, two W 154s, a W 194 and a W 196 R Streamliner.
A viewing of the limited-edition 650 hp Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR Stirling Moss at the Concours honors one of the greatest drivers of the Silver Arrow era, Sir Stirling Moss and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Silver Arrow he piloted to numerous victories including the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio. The SLR Stirling Moss V8 supercharged engine accelerates from zero to 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 218 mph.

In addition to the Silver Arrows display, the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge at Pebble Beach features an exhibit of nine generations of the E-Class, starting with generation one, the series 136 model 170 from 1947, to the Ponton of the 1950s and Fintail from the 1960s, up to the current ninth generation 212 series – 2010 E-Class and E63 AMG.

 

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In just five weeks time, a record number of legendary pre-War ‘Silver Arrows’ German racers will gather at the Festival of Speed from 3-5 July as part of Goodwood’s celebrations to mark 75 years since the first appearance of the dominant Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz competition cars.

Recognising this important moment in motor racing history, Goodwood plans to gather together the largest collection of Silver Arrows racers ever seen in one location, with at least a dozen or more Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz cars scheduled to attend the 2009 Festival.

The Silver Arrows name (Silberpfeile in German) was adopted by the press as a mark of respect for the all-conquering Nazi-backed Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix cars that raced pre-War between 1934 and 1939. The Silver Arrows tag was also applied post-War to the Mercedes-Benz Formula One cars of 1954/55.

Famous Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows racers due to appear at Goodwood will include the 1934 W25 and 1937 W125 – both to be driven by Jochen Mass – plus the 1939 W165 and 1954 W196, the latter with Sir Stirling Moss behind the wheel.

A number of Auto Unions will also be on hand, helping to form part of the Centenary celebrations of Audi, as well as 75 years of the Silver Arrows. Audi will be the main featured marque at this year’s Festival of Speed, with an imposing ‘Central Feature’ art installation directly outside Goodwood House. Auto Unions in attendance will include the 1934 Type A and 1938 Type D, the latter due to be driven by Le Mans legend Jacky Ickx and Pink Floyd’s drummer and huge motoring enthusiast Nick Mason.