The crux of the matter

Mr Breitschwerdt, you like to explain the significance of motor racing by looking back to its beginnings. Why is it worth looking back right now, in the 140th year since the invention of the motor car?
Because the early days provide a very clear insight into how progress is made. Anyone back then who wanted to know where they stood and what others were doing had to go to the World’s Fairs or the major races. That’s where the results became apparent. That was precisely the nature of motor racing: developing, comparing, drawing conclusions – and then the cycle began all over again. Under real-world conditions, not on the drawing board. For me, the real lesson of that era is that the answer was rarely to do without. Because the question was not whether one should do without the joy of motoring, but how to enable progress and manage risks. That confidence and that drive to shape the future are just as relevant to me today as they were back then.

One of those who had a say at the time was the motoring enthusiast and racing driver Emil Jellinek; he approached Wilhelm Maybach with suggestions.
Yes, and he provided crucial impetus. Emil Jellinek was a Daimler customer and a very keen observer. Drawing on his personal experience in motor racing, he went to the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and told the chief engineer, Wilhelm Maybach, in essence: ‘The engines are excellent, but the cars themselves need to be improved. They must offer more power, safety and reliability.’ The key point was: Maybach took these requirements on board and translated them into technical solutions. With a lower centre of gravity, improved cooling and larger brakes, the Simplex Mercedes 35 PS was initially developed, introducing key features of the modern car for the first time. The subsequent Mercedes-Simplex consistently built on this approach.

And how did the brand name ‘Mercedes’ come about?
Jellinek lived in Nice. When he decided to distribute DMG’s vehicles, he wanted to name them after his daughter, Mercedes. Wilhelm Maybach agreed and, at the same time, secured the right to use the name himself. And so, the name of a young woman became one of the world’s best-known brands. It is worth noting that this name did not originate in a marketing department, but within the immediate world of motor racing. Before Mercedes became a global brand, it was first and foremost the name of a racing car.

In 1908 came the most symbolic moment of this early era: the French Grand Prix at Dieppe. What happened there?
It was far more than just a race win. The French Grand Prix was regarded at the time as the most important motor race of its era. The race took place on a circuit nearly 80 kilometres long, comprising ten laps in total – some 770 kilometres on public roads, partly cobbled and partly gravel. It was a gruelling test for both man and machine. Christian Lautenschlager won in a Mercedes, whilst Benz cars took second and third place. For the French, who saw themselves as the leaders on home soil, this came as a shock. In Dieppe, what had been developed in the preceding years proved its worth under the toughest conditions. The German cars were not only fast, but above all reliable. This demonstrated, on the biggest stage in motoring, just how far this development had come.

What sort of people took part in races back then?
You have to imagine it quite differently from today. The roles of mechanics, engineers and drivers were much more intertwined back then. To say that racing drivers were often originally mechanics doesn’t quite capture the essence of it – they were both at the same time, and the engineers had to be able to build their own tools and prove that their ideas actually worked. People went to these races as if to a small world exhibition for cars – and at the same time, it was a declaration of faith in technology. Incidentally, of all the brands that claim to be sporty, there is only one that has won practically every significant racing series that has ever existed at least once. That is Mercedes-Benz – or its predecessor companies. I say this with all due Swabian modesty.

Motorsport today seems very much driven by marketing and profit. How important is it to keep bringing the original spirit back into play?
Let’s look at this from a more nuanced perspective. The idea of ‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ was, after all, inherent even back then. Maybach recognised early on the appeal that the Mercedes name could generate. That is why he insisted on using it not just for individual racing cars, but to establish it as a brand. We had to build and sell cars to keep the company running. Marketing was therefore important right from the start. With his three-pointed star – which he explained with the motto ‘on water, on land and in the air’ – Gottlieb Daimler created one of the world’s most ingenious logos. But motor racing was always more than just marketing. And that remains true to this day, because it really is all about competition. Racing victories are not just sporting successes; they build trust in the vehicle and in the Mercedes-Benz brand. That is why I believe it is important to keep reminding ourselves of this original spirit. Not out of nostalgia, but because trust is still built on performance today.

Was the joy of early motor racing more genuine than it is today?
The appeal was different. The motor car was new, and many people were experiencing for the first time the potential that this technology held. At the same time, the image of the racing driver has changed. In the early years, it was often the particularly courageous individual who was admired. Today, other skills take centre stage. The sport has become more professional, preparation more systematic, and the technology has advanced significantly. For me, this is not a loss, but an improvement. The focus is not on risk, but on the question of how to enhance performance whilst maintaining control.

Enzo Ferrari associated motor racing with ‘terrible joys’, as he put it. Has this sense of joy changed?
I see it differently. For me, cars are a true cultural achievement – the machine that comes closer to human nature than almost any other. In a world governed by strict schedules, the car offers something different: you open the door, get in, close it and find yourself in your own space. You can start this machine and control it in a well-understood sense. That brings great joy, because there is this hypothetical expectation of freedom: I could drive to Nice right now, or to the North Cape. At the same time, one feels a sense of enthusiasm for the creative achievement of those who built this car – and for the knowledge that technology has proven itself in motor racing, shaping both the brand and the machine. It is not the danger that brings joy. The joy lies in freedom – and in what people have conceived and created.

When restoring historic racing cars, you encounter this feat of engineering in a very tangible way.
Yes, in every single detail. Take the pre-war supercharged cars, for example. Paul Daimler first introduced supercharger technology to aviation and later to motor racing. Suddenly, performance levels were achievable that no one would previously have thought possible. Mercedes won the Targa Florio in 1924 with its supercharged racing cars. We spent over two and a half years restoring one of these original vehicles in collaboration with specialists. A colour analysis even made it possible to reconstruct the original paintwork. No one who developed, built or drove this car in racing is still alive today. And yet, from a car like this, you can learn an astonishing amount about how people thought and designed back then. One comes across technical solutions and craftsmanship details that immediately reveal the designers’ commitment to perfection. That is precisely what fascinates me about such projects. You are not merely restoring a car; you also begin to understand why they made the decisions they did and the ambition and meticulousness with which they worked. In this way, you still encounter the people and the timeless set of values behind the car in a very direct way today.

What drove the engineers and drivers back then – and where did their confidence come from?
What still impresses me about this generation is the matter-of-fact way in which they assumed that the major problems of their time could be solved. This was not a naïve belief in progress, but a very practical attitude. If something didn’t work, they kept working on it until a solution was found. This conviction was an enormous driving force. And I believe that this confidence would do us good today.

Could you elaborate on that?
It strikes me that we now take many of the factors underpinning our prosperity and mobility for granted. Yet without industrial value creation and without the ability to solve technical problems, much of it would be almost inconceivable. Sometimes I get the impression that we tend to talk first and foremost about limitations, risks and sacrifices. What impresses me about the early engineers is their confidence in their own ability to shape the future. And it’s not just about technology. Industry gives people the opportunity to build a life for themselves through knowledge, hard work and reliability, regardless of their family background. I consider this to be a great social value. For me, a good nation is one that offers genuine opportunities to those who wish to learn, work and take on responsibility. That is why we should not underestimate technical and industrial expertise, but rather nurture and develop it further.

Let’s move on to Mercedes-Benz Heritage. What does that actually mean?
As the world’s oldest car manufacturer, we bear a special responsibility for our history – after all, we invented the motor car. For me, however, history and heritage are not the same thing. History, first and foremost, describes what has been. Heritage goes one step further. We look back and ask: which ideas, which experiences and which set of values from this history remain relevant today? Which of these do we want to preserve and carry forward into the future? What have we learnt from difficult experiences, and what do we want to do differently in future? That is why our guiding principle is: ‘Heritage Creates Future’. Over 140 years of automotive history, countless technical solutions have been developed and experience gained. We look at this without any romanticisation and distil the positively formative elements as our heritage.

What gives a brand its identity?
Authenticity stems from deep roots. People often associate exceptional achievements with specific places. Behind this usually lies a long tradition of knowledge, experience and craftsmanship. It is precisely from this that credibility and identity grow. This applies in a special way to the automobile. Mercedes-Benz is a global brand, but its roots lie in southern Germany – where the automobile was born. Heritage helps us understand what has shaped this brand and why it continues to hold special significance worldwide to this day. Ultimately, it is about sifting through history to identify what will still be valuable tomorrow. In this way, the core of the brand remains recognisable and relevant. This is precisely what we mean by ‘Heritage Creates Future’.

How is Mercedes-Benz Heritage structured as an organisation?
We brought the various heritage activities together under one organisation for the first time. These include the museum, the Group archive, the workshops, the spare parts business, support for classic car customers, the trade in historic vehicles, and event management. The idea behind this was not to view these areas in isolation. They all deal with the same task: the vehicles, the history and the heritage of Mercedes-Benz. At the same time, we have created an economically viable structure. Today, this division is profitable and can fulfil its tasks under its own steam. For us, engaging with history is not an end in itself. Understanding what has made Mercedes‑Benz strong over the decades helps us make current decisions in the automotive business.

To conclude, what would you say is important – beyond history, for us today?
It is important to me not to view history as something that is complete and finished. The people involved were authentic characters who took on and shaped responsibility. I still consider this attitude to be as relevant today as ever. One of the most essential tasks of Mercedes-Benz Heritage is therefore to capture the essence of the brand. Over the decades, new trends, fashions and the spirit of the times accumulate on every brand. Heritage helps to strip away this icing and reveal the core. This raises a simple question: what actually makes a Mercedes-Benz a Mercedes-Benz? The answer lies in an attitude: taking responsibility and constantly rising to the challenge of competition. Many people today say we can no longer catch up. But a look back reveals something different. When we began industrialisation here, other regions were already significantly further ahead. Nevertheless, people back then said: ‘Here we go, let’s get stuck in, we can do this.’ That is how the South German automotive industry came into being. Mercedes-Benz does not compete just to keep up. Mercedes-Benz competes to win.