The Mercedes-Benz W165 is a racing car designed in late 1938 to voiturette, or Formula 2, rules. It was built to enter and win the non-championship Tripoli Grand Prix of 7 May 1939 and to be ready for possible future rule changes.
Mercedes-Benz W165 at a glance
| Designed | late 1938 |
|---|---|
| Built in | eight months |
| Class | voiturette, Formula 2 |
| Engine | 1,493 cc supercharged V8 |
| Bore and stroke | 64 mm × 58 mm |
| Race | Tripoli Grand Prix, 7 May 1939 |
| Result | first and second with Hermann Lang and Rudolf Caracciola |
| Races after that | none |
| Planned 1946 Indy 500 | private entry by Caracciola, not realised |
| Planned 1951 Formula One cars | five cars considered, not built |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz W165.
History of the Mercedes-Benz W165
Since 1934 Grand Prix cars had been restricted only by weight, and supercharged engines had grown to over 600 hp in the 1937 W125 and 500 hp in the Auto Union Typ C. For 1938 the Grand Prix cars were limited to 3,000 cc supercharged, and the V12 W154 was built to those rules. The Italian organisers of the Tripoli race had held Formula Libre events connected with a state lottery, but after four consecutive dominant wins by German Silver Arrows they changed the rules to attract more entrants and give the smaller Alfa Romeo 158 and Maserati 4CL a chance.
After learning of the change in September 1938, and believing Grand Prix rules might change in a similar way, Daimler decided to develop a voiturette, essentially a scaled-down version of the current racer. The W165 was built in eight months for the prestigious north African event. It had a 1,493 cc supercharged V8 of 64 mm by 58 mm, an engine that would also have been eligible for the post-war Grand Prix period from 1946 to 1951.
The car won the 1939 Tripoli Grand Prix with Hermann Lang and Rudolf Caracciola first and second, Mercedes’ greatest surprise. It was never raced again: the bigger and more powerful W154 was the main Grand Prix car of 1939, leaving little use for the small one. A private Caracciola entry in the 1946 Indianapolis 500 was intended but did not happen, and in 1951 Daimler briefly planned to build five new cars for Formula One racing.
Design and features
- Scaled-down racer: a 1.5-litre supercharged V8 in a small chassis.
- Rapid development: designed and built in eight months.
- Tripoli win: first and second on its only appearance.
- Rule change: built because the Italians changed the Tripoli rules.
Mercedes-Benz W165 versions
- W165 (1939): the only version built.
The W165 was the voiturette companion of the W154 and followed the ideas of the W125. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Video: Mercedes-Benz & Friends engine starts
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz W165, English Wikipedia: rules, engine, Tripoli race, later plans
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