Revolutionary Mercedes 60 Simplex from 1903 to be Auctioned
At the end of the month, a previously revolutionary Mercedes 60 Simplex will be offered at auction, which was the fastest mass-produced car in the world when it was produced in 1903. Now, the granddaughter of the original owner has decided to sell it.
There are only five of them left in the world. It has a four-cylinder 9.23-liter engine with 60 horsepower and a four-speed gearbox. When it was new, it was the fastest car in the world, completely handmade at the time, with a top speed of 130 km/h.
Now, 121 years after her grandfather, British publisher and motorsport enthusiast Alfred Hemsworth, bought this Mercedes 60 Simplex, granddaughter Elizabeth Hemsworth has decided to sell it and Gooding & Company will sell it at auction in Florida on February 29th. Hemsworth bought the Simplex 60 directly from the Mercedes dealer in France, Emil Jellinek, who allegedly convinced Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach to name the car after his daughter Mercedes.
The car participated in several races when it was new, and won some of them. Although by definition not a racing car, its rear seats and rear bumper could be removed, and its long wheelbase and relatively low mass made it agile enough. Hemsworth died in 1922, leaving behind a beautiful legacy and an impressive collection of cars. Alfred, his first son, inherited the Simplex. The family preserved it well, and in 1956 it was displayed at the British National Motor Museum, which Lord founded and after which the museum was named.
The car was originally purchased for 25,000 gold marks, which would be equivalent to about 200,000 euros today. But the auction house expects to receive at least 10 million dollars in return. The car is in decent condition but requires restoration, agencies report.
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