1910 Benz 21/80 Prinz Heinrich

1910 Benz 21/80 Prinz Heinrich

This 21/80 horsepower 1910 Benz racer comes directly from the Mercedes-Benz Museum collection in Stuttgart, Germany. Newly restored by Mercedes-Benz Classic, the dark green 1910 21/80 Prinz Heinrich car wearing race number '38' is considered by many automotive historians to be 'the first true sports car.' It is one of just ten Prinz Heinrich racers constructed between 1908 and 1910.

With its 5.7-liter, 16 valve, 4-cylinder engine, even in 1910 it was capable of approaching 100 mph. At the dawn of motorsports in the early 1900s, one of the most significant motoring events was the Prinz Heinrich Tour, named after Prinz Albrecht Wilhelm Heinrich of Prussia, brother of German Emperor Wilhelm II and an ardent motoring enthusiast. Fritz Erle won the first race in 1908 in a 50-HP Benz and to commemorate the victory Benz produced a limited run of Prinz Heinrich models with various engine configurations. For the Prince Heinrich Tour in the summer of 1910, Benz entered ten of these special Tourers, four of them with a displacement of 5.7 liters and six with 7.3 liters.

This Benz 21/80, wearing number 38 was driven by Carl Neumaier while carrying two passengers per regulations.

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