Legendary Mercedes-Benz W 154 Silver Arrow Makes Historic Track Run during Labor Day Weekend Vintage Festival

MONTVALE, N.J., Sept. 5 -- The 75th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz famed Silver Arrows continues at Lime Rock Park in Lime Rock, CT during the Labor Day weekend when a 1939 W 154 Silver Arrow takes a historic track run for the first time in 70 years.

The Collier Collection, owner of the W 154, has gone to great lengths over several years to restore the legendary Silver Arrow with ongoing assistance from Paul Russell and Company, Crosthwaite & Gardiner and the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Germany and Irvine, CA.

"The restoration of this W 154 is considered one of our proudest achievements," said L. Scott George, President and Curator of the Collier Collection. "To finally hear the engine start was an amazing sound and an intensely gratifying experience."

The Mercedes-Benz W 154, one of the world's greatest race cars, has not run on a track since September 3rd, 1939. Manfred von Brauchitsch finished second and set a record fastest race-lap in the Yugoslavian (Belgrad) Grand Prix in this exact race car.

In 1938, the W 154 won six of the season's nine Grand Prix races and one year later featured a revised body on the existing 1938 chassis. The car was heavily modified for the 1939 season to include increased fuel capacity, redesigned brake drums, and a new radiator which gave the W 154 a smaller nose. During the season, multi-stage supercharging was introduced with a larger primary blower and a smaller secondary blower. A further engine modification enabled the carburetor to be programmable with extra jets that opened at specific throttle settings. The 1939 Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow won five of the season's seven races.

The Mercedes-Benz W 154 will make its way on to the track during the 27th Annual Vintage Festival at Lime Rock Park on Saturday, September 5th and Monday, September 7th from 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm. Vintage Festival Chairman Murray Smith will drive the W 154 with assistance from engine specialist, Dick Crosthwaite.

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Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse line-up in the luxury segment with 12 model lines ranging from the sporty C-Class to the flagship S-Class sedans and CL coupes. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.maybachusa.com.