1939 MERCEDES-BENZ W165 Rudolf Caracciola #24 Tripoli Grand Prix CMC M-074 1:18 - $250 - (Napa, CA)

1939 MERCEDES-BENZ W165Rudolf Caracciola #24Tripoli Grand Prix CMC Model Number M-074 Limited Edition The Tripoli Grand Prix marked a notable exception among the Mercedes-Benz victories of 1939. The competition was not held according to the 3-litre formula dominated by the German racing cars, but according to the 1.5-litre category (voiturette formula), for which the Stuttgart team; up until then, did not have any entrants. With this trick, the Italian motor racing authorities responsible for organizing the prestigious Tripoli Grand Prix in Libya; at that time an Italian colony, hoped to undermine the dominance of the Silver Arrows and ensure once and for all, victory for the Italian cars. The Italians’ last win in this race had been back in 1934, since then the German cars had repeatedly triumphed on the Mellaha circuit: Caracciola had won in 1935 and Auto Union in 1936, while in 1937 and 1938 it had been taken by Hermann Lang at the wheel of the winning Mercedes-Benz.Mercedes-Benz; however, was not to be so quickly deterred from competing in one of the most important races of the Grand Prix world of the 1930s. When the new regulations were issued; in September 1938, the Stuttgart team proceeded to take less than eight months to develop a completely new racing car, the W165. The key drawings were soon provided by engine specialist Albert Hess and chassis expert Max Wagner, so that the first vehicles were ready to be tested by Caracciola and Lang at Hockenheim as early as April 1939. It was therefore with considerable astonishment that the international racing world saw two Mercedes-Benz W165 cars with a displacement of 1.5 litres appear in the list of contenders for the Gran Premio di Tripoli.The new racing car bore a distinct similarity to the existing W154 racing car but appeared; at first glance, to be a scaled-down version of the 3-litre racer. The struts of its oval tubular frame were made out of nickel-chrome-molybdenum steel, with the five cross-members…

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