Hidden Garages of Mercedes Benz - The Silver Arrow

" The famous 3-pointed star. It's everywhere and stood guard except for 1 secret location off limits to the public. Inside these doors are the hidden garages of Mercedes-Benz. "

" This is the so-called Mercedes SSK built in 1928. At that time, that was the racing car. If you wanted to be successful in races or to win races, you had to drive one of these cars."

" The racing SSKs have a 170 horsepower straight-6. But with a supercharger, the car now known as the White Elephant, is cranking out 310 horsepower. They dominate European automobile racing in the late 20s and early 30s."

" The White Elephant, white because the color of the race cars were white. And elephant because when you activated the supercharger, the engine sound changed dramatically to a sort of a yowling, yelling like an elephant which is actually charging somewhere in the savannas in Africa."

" The certain sound of the White Elephant changed dramatically in 1934 when new regulations limit race cars to 750 kilograms or 1,650 pounds total weight. A new car, the W25, is built. A 3.3-liter straight-8, 354 horsepower, and a top speed of more than 175 miles an hour."

" The event to the first race at the New Brooklyn racetrack. And at that time, the cars were still painted in white because it was a German race color and the rules said the car had to be maximum 750 kilogram. And apparently, just before practice, they put the car on a weight scale and they realized they are 1 kilogram too heavy."

" Already worried about weight, the car shows up at the tracks stripped of every nonessential part. Even the driver seat cushion is missing. Desperate, the race team works through the night with sandpaper."

" The idea came out and to scratch the paint off and that's the story where the Silver Arrow started off."

" The next day, the bare aluminum W25 wins the race. As new models come out, they remain unpainted. The story of the Silver Arrow becomes the growing legend of the Silver Arrow."

" This car is very, quite extremely linked to the famous race driver, Rudolf Caracciola."

" Driving a more powerful W25, a Silver Arrow with 354 horsepower, Rudolf Caracciola wins the 1935 European championship, the equivalent of today's Formula One championship. The Silver Arrow is dominant, winning 9 out of 11 races."

" The drivers from that time, they were really brave men because there were no safety things around them. They didn't have even seatbelts, not even a helmet, maybe only a leather hat or whatever."

" I think the feeling for a race driver like Caracciola must have been one, giving pride. Compared to these times must be a feeling like in NASCAR and Jeff Gordon or all these big shots have when they step into the most competitive car available from the most competitive team."

" The first year of the Silver Arrow ends in 1939. In 6 years, Mercedes builds 4 versions of the car including the company's first V8 and first V12."

" After the W25 which had 8-cylinder engines straight inline, they brought out the W125, also with the 8-cylinder engine. And after that in 1938, we had the W154. This car was limited to a 3-liter engine and that was a V12."

" It is only the late 1930s and these cars eventually reached 445 horsepower and top speeds of 200 miles an hour. They are remarkable and they are rare."