1938 Mercedes-Benz Speed Record by European Drivers’ Champion Rudolf Caracciola

On January 28, 1938, Rudolf Caracciola (the 1935 and 1937 European Drivers’ Champion) broke Bernd Rosemeyer's speed record in a a heavily modified Mercedes-Benz W125 Grand Prix racer with a 725 horsepower, twin-supercharged 5.6-liter V-12 engine, and the ability to race a mile in just 13.4 seconds. He broke Rosemeyer's record by 17 miles per hour, clocking in at 270.4 miles per hour.

Caracciola had been under intense pressure to perform. In the months and days prior to the race, he had been dealing with various issues including an engine misfire and the front end lifting. But failure was unacceptable. The race took place on a stretch of a new autobahn, the A5, that Germans now use to commute to Frankfurt.

Bernd Rosemeyer had bested Mercedes the year before, and had been the man of the hour, so he wasn't ready to give up. On his first attempt he shattered his old record, but was still shy of Caracciola's speed. By now the weather had changed and gusty winds made for a treacherous ride. Bernd, however, was determined to beat Caracciola and he set off again. Just past the 9 kilometer mark, a wind gust tossed his 16-cylinder Auto Union out of control, and Bernd Rosemeyer crashed at a speed of 270mph. He died instantly.

Caracciola lived until 1959. Two years later, East Germany laid the first bricks in the Berlin Wall. Caracciola's record of the fastest speed on a public road lasted nearly 80 years. In 2017, Koenigsegg hit a speed of 277.9 mph on a closed section of Nevada Route 160 with a privately owned Agera RS which had "nearly double the power, radial tires, and more electronics than an Apollo spacecraft."

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Ref: SA128