Benz 20 hp racing car, 1900

As early as the turn of the century, the development of vehicles intended for use in competitive motorsport was moving towards specialisation. In order to do justice to the growing diversity of the individual tests, Georg Diehl, who had been head of the design department at Benz & Cie. since 1899, created the 20 hp racing car in 1900. This was a vehicle specially designed for competing in short-distance and track races.

The centrepiece of the vehicle, based on the 16 hp model, was a four-cylinder boxer engine - or, in Benz's nomenclature, a "contra engine" - which was responsible for the increased output of 20 hp/14.7 kW. The higher output level was accompanied by a further improvement in cooling performance thanks to modified cooling tubes at the front of the vehicle. The higher achievable speeds were also taken into account by supplementing the hub brakes on the rear wheels with additional block brakes that acted directly on the rear tyres, which were wider than on the predecessor model.

Another significant innovation concerned the operation of the vehicle. Instead of the previously used vertical steering column, an inclined version was now used, with a steering wheel attached to the upper end. In view of the improvements to the performance, the driver was able to control the car much more sensitively.

In the 48-kilometre international track race in Frankfurt held on 29 July 1900, a 25-year-old foreman at Benz & Cie., Mathias Bender, won the race in 1:00:38 hours at an average speed of 47.5 km/h. Fritz Scarisbrick's second place in the 16 hp racing car with two-cylinder engine made the double success of Benz & Cie. in this race perfect.