1938

28 January 1938
On the Frankfurt - Darmstadt motorway Rudolf Caracciola reaches a speed of 432.7 km/h for the kilometre with flying start. This is the fastest speed ever achieved on a normal public road - a record that remains unbeaten to this day.

18 February - 6 March 1938
An extensively reworked version of the 7.7-litre Grand Mercedes 770 (W 150) is presented at the International Automobile and Motorcycle Show in Berlin. Its supercharged 7.7-litre eight-cylinder in-line engine develops 155/114 kW, and with the supercharger engaged even 230 hp / 169 kW. Among its new features are an oval tubular frame, front axle with double wishbones and coil springs, and a De Dion rear axle (known internally as the parallel wheel axle). Another new product is a special cross-country vehicle with four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. It is shown in chassis form and a short time later comes on the market as Mercedes-Benz G 5 "colonial and hunting car".

15 May 1938
Mercedes-Benz scores a triple victory at the Tripoli Grand Prix with the new W 154 3-litre formula racing cars: Hermann Lang wins the race, with Manfred von Brauchitsch and Rudolf Caracciola placing second and third. The French Grand Prix in Reims on 3 July and the Swiss Grand Prix at the Bremgarten circuit near Bern on 21 August also end in triple triumphs for Mercedes-Benz.

24 July 1938
British driver Richard "Dick" Seaman, a member of the Mercedes-Benz grand prix racing team since the 1937 season, takes victory in the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, setting an average speed of 129.8 km/h. Rudolf Caracciola and Hermann Lang finish second.

7 August 1938
Hermann Lang wins the Coppa Ciano in Livorno, Italy, in the best track and lap time. On 14 August Rudolf Caracciola posts another win for Mercedes-Benz in the Coppa Acerbo in Pescara, Italy.

11 September 1938
With a third-place finish in the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Rudolf Caracciola in Mercedes-Benz takes the European Championship crown for the third time, repeating his successes of 1935 and 1937. He is regarded as the most successful racing driver of his day.

September 1938
The racing department begins work on the new W 165 1.5-litre racing car for the Tripoli race in 1939. The development of the vehicle to race readiness is completed in a record time of under eight months.

September 1938
The Untertürkheim plant launches production of the Mercedes-Benz 320 as a bucket-seat "Kübelwagen". The 170 V "Kübelwagen" goes into production in November.

31 December 1938
Commercial vehicle production becomes the most important business segment of Daimler-Benz AG in the 1938 tax year, accounting for 38 % of sales. The commercial vehicle division retains this top position until 1941.