The car is capable of generating 32 horsepower and reaching a top speed of 37 mph.
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run will return next week with over 400 slow but spectacular historic cars, including bicycles. One of the participants will be Mercedes-Benz, and the German automaker will bring a Mercedes-Simplex 28/32 hp from 1904.
For the uninitiated, the car run is held in the United Kingdom to celebrate the Locomotive on Highways Act of 1896. The act raised the speed limit to 19.2 km/h (12 mph) from 4 mph in the said year and removed the need for a person with a red flag to walk ahead of vehicles to warn other road users.
As one of the oldest car manufacturers in the world, along with Peugeot, the Mercedes brand was able to participate in the event, which was revived in 1927.
The Mercedes-Simplex 28/32 hp will arrive with a flat vehicle design that allows the engine to sit low in the frame. The mill generates 32 horsepower from a 5.3-liter inline-four engine. For reference on how the industry has evolved since then, the latest Merc engine with over five liters of displacement was the M157, good for over 500 hp. It was used on AMG models from the 2010s, like the sixth-gen S-Class.
There was also a 60-hp version of the Mercedes-Simplex, which managed to win at Austrian hill climb Semmering in 1903.
Mercedes’ entry to the Veteran Car Run can reach a top speed of 37 mph. That may sound slow, but it is still faster than some of the slowest modern-day vehicles like the Aixam Coupe.
“Our more than 1,000 collection vehicles bring the history of Mercedes-Benz to life. Many are ready to drive and are used at events all over the world. The specialists at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center have used their expertise to get the Mercedes Simplex 28/32 hp in shape for participation in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run,” said Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage.
“Mercedes-Benz, the world’s oldest car manufacturer, simply cannot be absent from the LBVCR. The more so in view of our extremely close association with the Royal Automobile Club since its inception, and with the first ‘Emancipation Run’ from London to Brighton in 1896.”
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run will happen on November 5. Participants, including Peugeot and Renault classic cars, will complete the historic event by enduring 60 miles.
