Otto Merz

In 1906, Merz, from Esslingen, joined Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) in Untertürkheim as a fitter and driver. At the first Prinz-Heinrich-Fahrt in 1908, which covered 3000 kilometres across Germany, he gained experience in motorsport competition. Later, he worked as a driver for the Austrian brewery owner and sports patron Theodor Dreher and escaped with his life following his fatal accident during a trip to Trieste.

Merz began his actual racing career after the First World War as a member of the DMG breaking-in department. His face bore the marks of several accidents; the physically immensely strong Merz could even cope with serious injuries. He celebrated his greatest victory, including a new track record, at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz Model S on 17 July 1927 in the German Grand Prix for sports cars at the Nürburgring, which had opened just a few weeks earlier. In 1928, Merz almost managed to repeat this success, but a puncture caused him to fall back to second place at the end.

On 18 May 1933, three days before the International AVUS Race in Berlin, Merz set off against the express instructions of Mercedes-Benz racing director Alfred Neubauer on a wet track without special tyres for a training drive with the model SSKL with streamlined bodywork that had been prepared for him and had a fatal accident after a few kilometres.