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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: Pebble Beach-Winning Mercedes
Striking Saoutchik-bodied 1928 roadster ruled Concours with rakish elegance along with a performance chassis and engine designed by Ferdinand Porsche.
The 1928 Mercedes-Benz Saoutchik Torpedo handily won the acclaimed Pebble Beach COncours d'Elegance. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
Arguably the most desirable prize in the classic-car world, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best of Show award was won last week by this 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Saoutchik Torpedo Roadster.
Combining the sophisticated chassis and engine developed by Ferdinand Porsche with the ever-striking lines of Jacques Saoutchik, it was certainly a well-deserved winner.
The car was one of about a dozen built with this style and was originally ordered by an American who did not take delivery. To add to its appeal, Mercedes-Benz had the car repainted, and it had been yellow until the recent restoration by Paul Russell.
For a vast majority of that period, the car was owned by the same family. The current owner only very recently acquired the car and is the fourth custodian. During the Concours d'Elegance and earlier Tour d'Elegance, we captured every angle of the Saoutchik Torpedo. This has allowed us to create this 30-shot gallery, which illustrates a detailed article covering both the type's and the chassis' complete history.
Ferdinand Porsche moved from Daimler's Austrian subsidiary to company headquarters in Stuttgart to replace Paul Daimler as chief designer in 1922. His first task was to develop a new supercharged engine for Mercedes' top-of-the-range models, which at the time were still powered by big and heavy airplane engines. Following his brief, Porsche created a new six-cylinder engine that was available with a displacement of either 4 or 6.3 liters.
The new engines' first application was in big, heavy chassis that really were no match for the powerful sixes in terms of handling or braking. A racer at heart, Porsche was eager to develop a chassis that did his engine more justice. Although resources were limited, he did manage to create the 630 K (for Kurz, German for short). As the name suggested, this combined the largest of the two engines with a shortened version of the chassis that in its original form had been large enough to carry seven-passenger limousine bodies.
Additional funds finally became available following the merger of Daimler and Benz in 1926. Porsche wasted no time and set about developing a brand-new chassis that would better complement “his” engine.
The new car was based around a pressed-steel ladder frame that kicked up over both the front and rear axle. This allowed for a much-lower ride height than the earlier Mercedes models. The suspension itself was of a conventional design with leaf springs and friction dampers on all four corners. Stopping power was provided by large, servo-assisted drum brakes.
For this new application, the straight six was further developed and enlarged to just shy of 6.8 liters. The sophisticated engine featured an aluminum-alloy block with a cast-iron head. A single overhead camshaft was fitted, which was driven by a shaft at the rear of the engine.
Mounted vertically at the front of the engine was a Roots-type supercharger. This was only engaged when the accelerator pedal was pressed to the floor. It was advised to use the supercharger for no more than 15 seconds for reliability reasons. Once applied, it freed up about 180-225 horsepower, depending on the tune of the engine.
Dubbed the 680 S for Sport, the new Mercedes-Benz debuted at the June 1927 opening race at the Nürburgring. Fitted with a simple four-seater body and a high-compression / high-boost engine, the 680 S proved a race victor straight out of the box, winning the first-ever race at the now legendary circuit as well as the German Grand Prix soon after.
The new Mercedes-Benz not only impressed with its undeniable pace but stood out from the rest of the field thanks to the glorious whine produced once the supercharger was engaged.
Combining the sophisticated chassis and engine developed by Ferdinand Porsche with the ever-striking lines of Jacques Saoutchik, it was certainly a well-deserved winner.
The car was one of about a dozen built with this style and was originally ordered by an American who did not take delivery. To add to its appeal, Mercedes-Benz had the car repainted, and it had been yellow until the recent restoration by Paul Russell.
For a vast majority of that period, the car was owned by the same family. The current owner only very recently acquired the car and is the fourth custodian. During the Concours d'Elegance and earlier Tour d'Elegance, we captured every angle of the Saoutchik Torpedo. This has allowed us to create this 30-shot gallery, which illustrates a detailed article covering both the type's and the chassis' complete history.
Ferdinand Porsche moved from Daimler's Austrian subsidiary to company headquarters in Stuttgart to replace Paul Daimler as chief designer in 1922. His first task was to develop a new supercharged engine for Mercedes' top-of-the-range models, which at the time were still powered by big and heavy airplane engines. Following his brief, Porsche created a new six-cylinder engine that was available with a displacement of either 4 or 6.3 liters.
The new engines' first application was in big, heavy chassis that really were no match for the powerful sixes in terms of handling or braking. A racer at heart, Porsche was eager to develop a chassis that did his engine more justice. Although resources were limited, he did manage to create the 630 K (for Kurz, German for short). As the name suggested, this combined the largest of the two engines with a shortened version of the chassis that in its original form had been large enough to carry seven-passenger limousine bodies.
Additional funds finally became available following the merger of Daimler and Benz in 1926. Porsche wasted no time and set about developing a brand-new chassis that would better complement “his” engine.
The new car was based around a pressed-steel ladder frame that kicked up over both the front and rear axle. This allowed for a much-lower ride height than the earlier Mercedes models. The suspension itself was of a conventional design with leaf springs and friction dampers on all four corners. Stopping power was provided by large, servo-assisted drum brakes.
For this new application, the straight six was further developed and enlarged to just shy of 6.8 liters. The sophisticated engine featured an aluminum-alloy block with a cast-iron head. A single overhead camshaft was fitted, which was driven by a shaft at the rear of the engine.
Mounted vertically at the front of the engine was a Roots-type supercharger. This was only engaged when the accelerator pedal was pressed to the floor. It was advised to use the supercharger for no more than 15 seconds for reliability reasons. Once applied, it freed up about 180-225 horsepower, depending on the tune of the engine.
Dubbed the 680 S for Sport, the new Mercedes-Benz debuted at the June 1927 opening race at the Nürburgring. Fitted with a simple four-seater body and a high-compression / high-boost engine, the 680 S proved a race victor straight out of the box, winning the first-ever race at the now legendary circuit as well as the German Grand Prix soon after.
The new Mercedes-Benz not only impressed with its undeniable pace but stood out from the rest of the field thanks to the glorious whine produced once the supercharger was engaged.
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