The most forward-thinking car of all time?
When the Mercedes Simplex hit the market in 1901, almost all other automobiles of the time suddenly looked really outdated. The Simplex was perhaps one of the first high-performance sports cars ever. While most other cars were still equipped with single-cylinder engines producing just a few PS, the Simplex featured a four-cylinder engine ranging in size from one to nearly seven liters, delivering 35 to 45 PS.
For the first time in history, the four gears were shifted using the H-pattern that is still standard today.
A large water cooler—similar to those still in use today—ensured proper temperature regulation for the powerful four-cylinder engine. The chassis was made of steel sections, which made the car lighter but, above all, much more stable.
A skilled driver could reach truly high speeds in the Mercedes Simplex—speeds exceeding 100 km/h were possible. And anyone who purchased one of the truly expensive Simplex models still had, even 20 years later, a car that was faster than most other vehicles on the road. For many years, this Mercedes Simplex served as a blueprint for many other fast cars, not only in the U.S., where it was also marketed. Hardly any other vehicle in automotive history combined so many innovations in a single new model as the Simplex did.
RM Sotheby's calls the Mercedes Simplex, with good reason, the “first true driver's car.” No wonder—the 1904 model set to go under the hammer in Monterey on August 13, 2026 , is expected to fetch between USD 5 and 6 million . The new owner will need strong upper arm muscles, though, since the Simplex is, of course, started with a crank.
It's worth watching the video (in English) about it.
P.S. We published an article about another Mercedes-Simplex some time ago.
