SKU: M-055
1931 Mercedes Benz SSKL Mille Miglia White Elephant

By 1931 Alfa Romeo and Bugatti had become serious opponents for Mercedes-Benz on the race track. Professor Ferdinand Porsche, head of Mercedes-Benz�s racing car development, responded by reducing the weight of the SSK, known as �White Elephant� because of its mighty appearance, overwhelming power and white painting. Over 125 kg were shed after holes were drilled in the frame and every other possible place that was not safety-relevant. As a result, the SSK transformed into the SSKL (Super Sport Kurz Leicht = Super Sport Short Light). With this new racing car, Afred Neubauer (head of the racing department) and his very small crew, undertook their greatest racing adventure ever at the Mille Miglia in 1931. 11th of April, 3:20 pm: Rudolf Caracciola and his co-driver Wilhelm Sebastian started off with the number 87 against their Italian competitors. They appeared unbeatable from early on. The 1,635 km roadway stretched from Brescia to Bologna, Florenz, and Rom and finally Brescia. After 16 hours, 10 minutes and 10 seconds, the victor of the Mille Miglia crossed the finish line. He set an outstanding new track record, averaging101.1 km/h. To make the sensation complete, it was the first time in the history of the Mille Miglia that the championship was won by a non-Italian driver in a car of foreign make: Rudolf Caracciola, the titan of the steering wheel in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL. It was a time when economic depression was plaguing the world. There was little support that Mercedes could have granted to its racing team. The team didn�t even had enough men for all the refuel stops. So the small crew had to take shortcuts so that they could reach the next refuel stop before Caracciola. We are celebrating the 75th anniversary of this terrific victory in 2006. CMC observes the occasion of this event with a perfect replica of the unforgetable champion car. This all-metal model is composed of 1,885 parts.