If you’ve ever considered yourself a motor head and you’ve not heard about this ride, then think again because it is mind blowing and I’m going to tell you all about it.

Mercedes-Benz W08 – Origin

The Mercedes-Benz W08 is a 4.6-liter eight-cylinder vehicle produced under Ferdinand Porsche. It was named so because it had been subjected to endurance testing at the Nürburgring, wherein 13 days of driving the car had covered 20,000 kilometers.

The car was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1928 and was the successor to the six-cylinder supercharged 15/70/100 hp, which had been introduced four years earlier and which I already talked about it in an earlier video.

Mercedes-Benz W08 – Overview

This classic featured an engine with a 4,622cc straight-8 side-valve unit with a maximum output of 80 PS at 3,400 rpm, resulting in a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The wheels were suspended from rigid axles, balanced on the front and on the back by semi-elliptical leaf springs. Using a mechanical connection assisted by a Bosch-Dewandre vacuum suction system, braking was applied to all four wheels.

With the new eight-cylinder Mercedes-Benz, the company’s target was to develop a strong competition to the Horch 8.

With that in mind, the development of this car was rushed, and the result was a car with a standard over slung chassis when modern designs leaned towards underslung chassis on which the axles sat directly above the beams of the load-carrying a chassis. Therefore, even at the time of its introduction, the 1928 Mercedes-Benz W08 looked unfashionably high.

Mercedes-Benz W08 – Development

It was then up to the new technical Director, Hans Nibel, to thoroughly redesign the vehicle in 1929. The result was a car with a modern underslung chassis. This made it easier for individuals to enter the car and also possible to suit a variety of stylish car bodies.

Untouched from the 1928 design, the engine and other technical aspects remained unchanged, and an additional “overdrive” ratio was a new transmission option for 1929.

Remember I said if you were a motorhead and had not heard about the Mercedes-Benz W08, you should reconsider your status. Here’s why; the Pope was to be gifted a car, and for Daimler-Benz, it was an easy choice for the popemobile as no other car would have been more suitable than the Nürburg 460 Mercedes-Benz.

The Mercedes-Benz W08 was still easily outsold by the Horch 8, which had a firm standing at the top of the German passenger car market despite the exhaustive refurbishing in 1929.

In 1931, a few changes were made to the vehicle as a wheelbase of 3670 mm became available with an extended 4,918cc engine, which now also includes a dual downdraft carburetor.

The W08 lost the name “Nürburg” in 1932 and was sold simply as the Mercedes-Benz Typ 500. Both the carburetor and the engine remained untouched while its styling was slightly changed.

In 1936, the reported maximum output of the engine increased to 110 PS at 3,300 RPM. The compression ratio was slightly increased, and the claimed top speed increased to 123 km/h. At this time, the main competition, Horch 8, had vanished from the market, and the production of Mercedes-Benz’s 8-cylinder cars took a downturn.

Mercedes-Benz W08 – Production

The W08 was still in production until 1939, with annual production levels dropping to 87, 54, 50, and 51 cars in 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939 respectively.

This classic was never anticipated or set to sell in large quantities, and during its eleven-year period between 1928 and 1939, production reached 3,824 vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz W08 – Price Range

This car saw a lot of changes during its 11year period, and if you wanted to acquire this classic, it would cost you a token of $255000, I know I said a token, but it’s a small price to pay for the classic that is the Mercedes-Benz W08.

That’s all folks, if you have enjoyed the video, it’ll be greatly appreciated if you smash the like button, and stay tuned for another classic car video.