Among the Mercedes offerings of 1911 was the 22/40 PS, or in American parlance, a 40 HP model, returning that figure at 1,230 rpm from a 5,623-cubic-centimeter T-head four-cylinder engine with dual camshafts, pressurized cooling, and dual ignition by magneto and battery. Upon its introduction in 1910, the model featured “modern” shaft drive but was soon made available with the romantic dual-chain drive as well, a “Colonial” configuration that offered a higher ground clearance and wider track for less ideal roads. It was the type of automobile that came to define the early Mercedes: An extremely well-engineered luxury machine, beautifully designed and very solidly built, and capable of excellent performance.

Copies of build documents on file list this Mercedes 22/40 HP as constructed with the chassis and engine numbers present to this day for Robert & Co. of Frankfurt. It was intended for an Argentinean client, with the detailed build specifications requesting instruction plates lettered in French, German, and Spanish, as well as larger tires accommodating the “Colonial” specification. The car was shipped to Buenos Aires by Heinrich Rüppel & Sohn, an export company in Bremen.

In the late 1960s, Ricardo C. Bieler of Santa Fe, Argentina, offered the Mercedes to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, with negotiations continuing until the Museum at last acquired the car in the spring of 1971. It subsequently shipped from Argentina aboard the Nopal Progress to the Port of New Orleans, from which it embarked by land to its final destination in the Hoosier State.

Restored under the auspices of the Museum, the Mercedes was occasionally exhibited over the years and frequently brought to events, including the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Acquired recently by the present owner, it remains astonishingly proper for a Mercedes of its era, retaining the original carburetor, ignition system, switch panel, hardware, and fittings, down to the flooring in the driver’s compartment and even its Mercedes coachwork tag. The current caretaker has invested considerably in mechanical restoration to put the car into good running order. Repairs to the wheels and rims, as well as sourcing correct tires, would be recommended for the new owner.

This is a splendid example of the Brass Era Mercedes, a legendary piece of exceptional engineering and design, ideal as a tour machine for its fortunate new owner.