This stunning sculpture features the Mercedes-Benz W165 driven by Hermann Lang who won the 1939 Tripolis Grand Prix for the third time in a row, with an average speed of almost 200km/h.
Born in 1909, Hermann Lang's career started like many other drivers, on motorcycles. The economic difficulties that gripped Europe during the early thirties saw Lang unemployed. He fell back on the trade that got him started that of a mechanic. The Daimler-Benz experimental department hired him just as work on the Silver Arrows had begun. After testing the cars at Monza it was recommended that Lang be given a trial as a racecar driver and his new career with Mercedes was launched. Caracciola and von Brauchitsch, Langs teammates were drivers from the old school who did not involve themselves in the mechanical workings of their cars. Lang being a mechanic was very much in tune with his cars and thought nothing of grabbing a wrench in later years when he became successful. For this the mechanics adored him and would think nothing of presenting "their" driver with something extra when they prepared his car.
1939 Belonged to Lang and as the final race approached he was in the lead for the European Championship. The last race was the Swiss GP, which he won after a duel with Farina in an Alfa and Caracciola. Lang also won the German Hillclimb Championship that same year. Lang was at the peak of his career winning five of the eight races entered in 1939 but the war interrupted his career. His last major victory came at the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1952 while driving a new Mercedes 300 SL.
Product Specifications - Mercedes Tripoli
Height: 10 cm 4 inches
Depth: 20 cm 8 inches
Width: 40 cm 16 inches
Weight (incl packaging): 4.3 kilos.
Product made of: Pewter plated resin.
