Stuttgart. – At the Historic Trophy Nürburgring 2014 (30 May to 1 June 2014) Mercedes-Benz Classic is set to steal the limelight with an impressive range from 120 years of motor sport history. Numerous cars from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection will be entering the starting blocks in the Eifel region, and in all likelihood there will be seven former racing drivers at the wheels of legendary racing touring cars.

After six years of the “ADAC Eifel Race” the proven concept has a new name: the classic event is called the “ Historic Trophy Nürburgring”. The Nürburgring, one of the most popular racetracks in the world, has close links with the motor sport history of Mercedes-Benz. Even in the inaugural race on 19 June 1927, Rudolf Caracciola emerged victorious ahead of team mate Adolf Rosenberger in a Mercedes-Benz model S. The legendary Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows were also born in the Eifel: at the beginning of June 1934, the W 25 came to the starting line in silver livery after – legend has it – the racing cars were first stripped of their white paint at the Nürburgring for weight reasons. Manfred von Brauchitsch promptly won the prestigious International Eifel Race in a new record time.

“As a long-term partner and the main sponsor of the event we can look back over a 120-year motor sport history brimming with successes. With exciting original vehicles and former racing drivers we want to rekindle the historic motor sport of bygone eras in an authentic way and thus conjure up further magic moments. This works especially well on the Nürburgring,” says Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic.

The current commitment to historic motor sport demonstrated by Mercedes-Benz Classic started back in 2011, when the traditional division of the Stuttgart-based brand built a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE (W 111) to take part in the Dunlop FHR Long-Distance Cup. Since 2013, in addition to this vehicle which is affectionately referred to by fans as the “Racing Tailfin”, a Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II (W 201) has also been taking to the starting grid of the Youngtimer Trophy.

The Dunlop FHR Long-Distance Cup and the Youngtimer Trophy represent two different eras of touring car motor sport – and yet at the same time also complement each other in an ideal manner. While the FHR Long-Distance Cup organised by the Fahrergemeinschaft Historischer Rennsport e.V. (FHR) pits GT vehicles and touring cars manufactured from 1947 to 1975 against each other, the Youngtimer Trophy is for vehicles dating from 1966 to 1990. The regulations for both race series are essentially geared towards the standards applicable to the homologation of the original historic models. This helps to ensure the maximum authenticity and originality of the racing cars which take part. In the “Historic Trophy Nürburgring” races are held for both series.

In the three-hour race as part of the Youngtimer Trophy on Saturday, 31 May 2014, Brand Ambassador Bernd Schneider will be lining up on the starting grid in a Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II (known as the EVO II for short). The EVO II is honouring the 120-year motor sport anniversary of the brand in a very special way. For its second season as the works racing car competing in the Youngtimer Trophy, the motor racing touring car built in line with Group A regulations has been kitted out with special body stickers: historic photo motifs tell the story of motor sport from its origins 120 years ago, through the first triumphs in the DTM to Mercedes-Benz’s current racing activities.

The 220 SE “Tailfin” Saloon (W 111) is already enjoying its fourth season competing in the Dunlop FHR Long-Distance Cup. In the three-hour race also to be held on Saturday, 31 May 2014, the “Racing Tailfin” will be piloted by Jörg van Ommen. Sporting an authentic grey paint finish, the car complies with the provisions of Appendix K to the international sports law issued by the FIA (Féderation Internationale de l’A utomobile). The major successes achieved by the 220 SE in the 1960s include victories at the European Rally Championships in 1960 and 1962, as well a win for Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth at the VI Argentinian Touring Car Grand Prix of 1962.

On Sunday, 1 June 2014 the 166 kW (225 hp) Mercedes-Benz SSK (W 06) invites enthusiasts on a journey to a particularly glorious era in motorsport history. Brand Ambassador Jochen Mass will be competing in the supercharged sports car dating from 1928 in the “Elephant Race”. The race for cars of the 1920s and early 1930s alludes back to the era which also witnessed the Nürburgring’s inaugural race in 1927. That race’s victorious Rudolf Caracciola, who was later to become the idol of the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows era, laid the foundation for his honorary title of the times, that of “Master of the Nürburgring”, with his win.

A particularly colourful and exciting chapter in the motor sport history of Mercedes-Benz will be opened on Saturday and Sunday (31 May/1 June 2014) by the Brand Ambassadors and former DTM racing drivers Roland Asch, Bernd Schneider, Ellen Lohr, Klaus Ludwig, Kurt Thiim and Jörg van Ommen: the DTM commitment of the brand with the three-pointed star. At the “30 years of the inaugural race at the Nürburgring GP track” revival with the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16, the original winning car from 1984 of the then 24-year-old Brazilian Ayrton Senna, plus rides on the Grand Prix track exclusively for members of the official brand club, all eyes will be on the racing versions of the Mercedes Benz 190 (W 201) model. In 1988, Mercedes-Benz commenced its involvement in the German Touring Car Championships with the model 190 E 2.3‑16 (W 201). Since then the brand has been continuously active in the series, which was conducted in its original form until 1996 and revised as today’s German Touring Car Masters (DTM) in 2000. Since 1994, Mercedes-Benz has competed in the DTM with racing touring cars derived from the C-Class cars current at the time.

The “Historic Trophy Nürburgring” weekend offers lovers of historic racing a multitude of training runs and races plus a colourful supporting programme. Highlights on the agenda in 2014 are once again Mercedes-Benz Classic’s presentation of numerous vehicles from the officially recognised Mercedes-Benz brand clubs in the paddock area and the gathering of brand clubs. The colourful supporting programme also includes opportunities for the club members: exclusive parking in the paddock, taxi rides with former DTM cars on the Grand Prix track at the Nürburgring, autograph sessions, meetings with the Brand Ambassadors, and more.

The SSK is the most exclusive and fascinating of the six-cylinder supercharged sports cars belonging to the Mercedes-Benz S-Series. The model designation stands for ”s uper-sports-short” (in German), alluding to both the car’s particularly sporty character and its shortened wheelbase.

Technical data
Production period: 1928-1930
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 7,065 cc
Output: 123 kW (170 hp), with a supercharger 166 kW (225 hp) at 3,300 rpm
Top speed: 192 km/h

Staying true to the 1960s, this competition vehicle is technically extremely close to the series-production model. The customary modifications include the reinforcement of chassis elements and body components, an increase in the size of the fuel tank and optimisation of the engine characteristics.

Technical data
Production period: 1959-1965
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 2,195 cubic centimetres
Output: 88 kW (120 hp) at 800 rpm
Top speed: approx. 170 km/h

For the official inaugural race at the new Nürburgring race track on 12 in May 1984, Mercedes-Benz provided 20 identical Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 (W 201) cars. The most striking difference from the thoroughbred production car was the integrated roll cage. The inaugural race was won by Ayrton Senna, then 24 years of age, who had already made a name for himself as an outstanding up-and-coming Formula 1 driver.

Technical data
Production period: 1984
Cylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 2,299 cubic centimetres
Output: 163 kW (185 hp) at 7,200 rpm
Top speed: 230 km/h

The use of this racing touring car in 1988 marked the return of Mercedes-Benz to racing, in parallel with its involvement in Group C.

Technical data
Production period: 1988
Cylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 2,299 cubic centimetres
Output: 220 kW (300 hp) at 9,000 rpm
Top speed: approx. 260 km/h

In 1989, the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution model was developed from the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 series-production car as a new variant specifically designed for competition in the German Touring Car Championship. In order to reach the weight of 1,040 kilograms prescribed by the rules, virtually the entire interior was removed, and a roll cage installed. For numerous body parts, such as the bonnet, boot lid and spoiler, the plastic Kevlar was used. The new model with the cumbersome model designation became “EVO” for short and from 1990 it was also known as “ EVO I” to distinguish it from its successor.

Technical data
Production period: 1989
Cylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 2,490 cubic centimetres
Output: 245 kW (333 hp) at 8,500 rpm
Top speed: approx. 280 km/h

Work on this second development stage of a DTM racing car based on the compact-class W 201 started in August 1989. The vehicles were developed by the in-house Mercedes-Benz sport technology (st) department. The Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II celebrated its racing debut on 16 June 1990 on the North Loop of the Nürburgring. In the years from 1990 to 1992, Mercedes-Benz achieved a triple victory with this vehicle in the overall DTM rankings in 1992 (Championship title for Klaus Ludwig, ahead of Kurt Thiim and Bernd Schneider) as well as 2nd place in the overall rankings in 1993 (Championship runner-up title for Roland Asch in the 190 E AMG Class 1).

Technical data
Production period: 1990
Cylinders: 4/in-line
Displacement: 2,490 cubic centimetres
Output: 274 kW (373 hp) at 9,500 rpm
Top speed: approx. 300 km/h

What was then the new C 55 AMG has been the official DTM Safety Car since 2004. The powerful C-Class ensures safety on the race track in case of any incidents or unclear situations. For this special application modifications have been made, amongst other things, to the chassis, braking system, and engine cooling.

Technical data (production version)
Production period: 2004
Cylinders: 8/V
Displacement: 5,439 cubic centimetres
Output: 270 kW (367 hp) at 5,750 rpm
Top speed: 250 km/h (limited)

Roland Asch
Born on 12 October 1950 in Altingen

Trained as a master automotive mechanic, Roland Asch began his motor racing career as a hobby, but achieved victories like a professional: after winning the German Hill-Racing Championship in 1981 and the German Motor Racing Trophy in 1983, he had his debut in the German Touring Car Championships (DTM) in 1985. In 1988 he became DTM Vice-Champion with the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 of the BMK team. In the late 1980s, he won the overall rating in the Porsche 944 Turbo Cup three times and in 1991 the Championship title in the Porsche Carrera Cup. In the early 1990s, he achieved a total of five wins and various good placings in the DTM for Mercedes-Benz. In 1993, he became DTM Vice-Champion for the second time, and in 1995 moved to Ford in the Super Touring Car Cup. Roland Asch remains very closely associated with Mercedes-Benz as a Brand Ambassador.

Ellen Lohr
Born on 12 April 1965 in Mönchengladbach

Ellen Lohr came to motor sport from the kart racing scene, where she was active from 1979 to 1983. Her greatest successes were participation in the Junior Kart World Championships and a 1st place in the North-West German Kart Championships. After competing in the German Formula Ford 1600 series (German Champion in 1987), and first participating in the DTM (BMW) and German Formula 3 Championships with VW in 1989/90, she was engaged for the German Touring Car Championships by the AMG-Mercedes team. For the 1995 season, she moved to the Mercedes-Zakspeed team, and in 1996 drove for the AMG-Mercedes team Persson MS. Ellen Lohr is the only woman to date to have achieved a DTM victory, which she won in May 1992 at the motor racing festival in Hockenheim with an AMG-Mercedes 2.5-16 Evolution II. In 1997, she competed in the European Truck Racing Championships, driving a Mercedes-Benz racing truck. Subsequently Ellen Lohr was active in numerous other race series, including the Paris–Dakar Rally from 2005 and has been back in truck racing since 2012.

Klaus Ludwig
Born on 5 October 1949 in Bonn

Honoured with the title of “King Ludwig” by his fans, the outstanding racing driver and three-time DTM Champion Klaus Ludwig began his motor racing career in the early 1970s, with slalom races, orientation rallies, and touring car racing. His first major successes included the German Motor Racing Championship (DRM) title in 1979 and 1981, and victories in the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1979, 1984, and 1985. Ludwig came to the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) in 1985, where he first competed for Ford and won his first title in 1988. In 1989, he moved to the AMG-Mercedes team, for which he achieved two Championship titles (1992 and 1994, Vice-Champion in 1991) with a total of 19 race victories in the years up to 1994. In 1995 and 1996, he competed in the ITC (International Touring Car Championship) for Opel Team Rosberg. He subsequently returned to AMG-Mercedes, winning the driver and team trophy in the International FIA GT Championship with Ricardo Zonta in 1998. He then announced his official retirement from motorsport, but in 2000 he once again competed in the new German Touring Car Masters (DTM), ending the season and his motor racing career with third place in the overall rating in a Mercedes-Benz CLK-DTM.

Jochen Mass
Born on 30 September 1946 in Dorfen near Wolfratshausen

Jochen Mass began his varied career in motorsport in 1968, racing in touring cars for Alfa-Romeo and as a works driver at Ford between 1970 and 1975. During this period, he won the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race (1972). At the same time, he also took part in Formula 2 (1973) and in 105 Formula 1 Grand Prix races (1973/74 with Surtees; 1975-1977 with McLaren; 1978 with ATS; 1979/80 with Arrows; 1982 with March). After winning the German Racing Car Championship in 1985 and a stint until 1987 as a works driver at Porsche, he joined the Sauber-Mercedes team as a works driver. He drove for this team in Group C until 1991. In the new Silver Arrow – the Sauber-Mercedes C 9 – Jochen Mass won the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens and came second in the 1989 World Championship. Three years later Mass moved into team management in the DTM. Sir Stirling Moss described him as “a driver with a great feeling for racing cars and a high level of expert knowledge, who is familiar with all eras of racing history”. This explains why Jochen Mass is on the scene for Mercedes-Benz right up to the present day at historic events, such as the ADAC Eifel Race at the Nürburgring. From the W 165 Silver Arrow to the Mercedes-Benz SSK – Jochen Mass knows and drives them all.

Kurt Thiim
Born on 3 August 1958 in Vojens, Luxembourg

The Dane Kurt Thiim began his career in motor sport in 1974 with kart racing (becoming the Danish Karting Champion in 1985) and driving in Formula Ford 1600. The successes brought him into Formula 3. From there Thiim changed to touring car sport and won the DTM in 1986 in a Rover Vitesse. After that he became a consistent presence in Mercedes-Benz vehicles: since mid-season in 1988, he has been driving for AMG-Mercedes. By 1991, he had achieved good positions and individual victories, first for AMG-Mercedes, then from 1992 for Zakspeed-Mercedes (becoming Vice-Champion in 1992). Later he drove an AMG-Mercedes in the UPS team. In 1991, Thiim, driving a Sauber-Mercedes C 11, also took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in a team with Stanley Dickens and Jonathan Palmer, but the car dropped out in the course of the race. He was part of the Mercedes-Benz driver line-up until 1997 and subsequently drove for different teams and in various championships.

Jörg van Ommen
Born on 27 September 1962 in Moers

His father was a touring car driver in the 1960s, and his uncles Hubert and Armin Hahne were famous racing drivers. Like many other racing drivers, Jörg von Ommen started with karting (1976-1980). His early successes included the German Junior Championship, the German Championship, and Vice-Championship plus high placings in the European and World Championship. Following touring car races for Ford and Rover his initial drives for the Mercedes-Marko team came between 1987 and 1989. From 1990 to 1992, he worked in the Mass-Schons DTM team for Mercedes-Benz, celebrating a victory in 1992. In 1993 and 1994, he was in the Zakspeed-Mercedes DTM team and finished the 1994 DTM season in second place. He spent the 1995 season in the UPS-Tabac Original-Sonax team driving an AMG Mercedes.

Bernd Schneider
Born on 20 July 1964 in St. Ingbert

The five-times DTM Champion Bernd Schneider achieved his first motor sport successes in kart racing and in Formula 3, also competing in Formula 1, in the Le Mans 24-hour race and in the FIA GT Championship, which he won in 1997. The DTM was to become the stage where he would celebrate his most spectacular victories: Schneider joined the AMG-Mercedes team in 1992, winning the DTM Championship title for the team in 1995 after having come third in the overall rating in 1992 and 1993. Following the revival of the DTM as the German Touring Car Masters in 2000, Schneider was Champion in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2006. He was also Vice-Champion in 2002. Bernd Schneider is still closely associated with the Mercedes-Benz, and is active for the company as a test driver and Brand Ambassador.