Mercedes Celebrates 75 Years of 432.7km/h Public Road Record

Seventy-five years ago today, MercedesMercedes-BenzGermany, 1924 > present197 models
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set a record that still stands today. Unfortunately, later the same day, Bernd Rosemeyer lost his life trying to break the record. 

On what is today the A5 autobahn between Frankfurt and Darmstadt on January 28, 1938, Rudolf Caracciola set the world record for the fastest time ever on a public road at 432.7 km/h (268.87mph) over a kilometer in an average of two runs in the Mercedes-Benz W125 Motort...Germany, 1937 > 19371 photo
Rekordwagen. 

The W125 Rekordwagen was based on the Mercedes grand prix car of the time but was not hindered by any racing regulations. It received a unique aluminum body and its inline eight-cylinder engine was replaced by a twin-supercharged 5.6-liter V12 with a reported 725hp. The front of the car was packed with 500 liters of ice for each run because the air inlets were actually too small to properly cool the engine. 

The aerodynamic body had a coefficient of drag of 0.157, which is impressive even today. 

The car is on display now at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

"Time and again our visitors talk about the spectacular presentation of the Mercedes-Benz W 125 record-breaking car, which is hanging on a vertical wall. Together with six other record-breaking vehicles, the streamlined car adds the impressive finishing touch to the high-bank curve in Legend Room 7‚ 'Silver Arrows – Races and Records'. Acoustically, there is even an atmosphere similar to that found on the race track", said Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic.

Later the same day, Auto Union hoped to break Mercedes' record and put Rosemeyer behind the wheel of an Auto Union Type CAuto-Union Type C Record CarGermany, 1937 > 19371 photo
. He completed his first run and managed 429.49km/h (266.87mph). On his return run, a gust of wind pushed the car across the road and into a line of trees. He was thrown from the car into the forest and died immediately.