Portento Blu, the Mercedes bisarca gives 170 km / h

It was 1954: Mercedes-Benz took part in a difficult one. Formula 1 Championship... The cars during the test days, before the Grand Prix, remained in the hands of the mechanics until the end, under no circumstances. technical changes.

Even then, teams have always achieved this. something more it could make a difference. Mercedes sporting director, legendary Neubauer, he had a great idea: he built a mini-car transporter capable of carrying one car, but as quickly as possible, from Stuttgart to the circuit.

Engine 300 SL

To give him the right sprint, 300 SLR engine192 hp inline four-stroke six-cylinder engine capable of lifting the Transporter up to 170 km / h... It was painted blue and immediately became for everyone "Portento Blue".

Withdrawal and write-off

Alla late 1955when Mercedes-Benz got out of 1 formula it's time to say goodbye to two Transporter world titles; unfortunately it was too heavy for the construction of the upper floor Mercedes-Benz Museum and in 1967 thanks to criminal decisionthen Foreknowledge has come scrappingagainst the wishes of thousands of fans in the Mercedes world and beyond.

Rebuild it, crazy idea

The idea of ​​restoring it was born. piano pianoit seemed like sheer madness. Do not there were more projects, drawings or technical specifications. All test documents were destroyed; it was not in the archives of Stuttgart not even a memory this car.

There are only a few faded photographs left and memory (few) of those who almost forty years ago worked on Mercedes-Benz Racing Division... It was in the early nineties, painstaking research began; slowly Portento Blue came out fogs of time, there were a few more photographs, a couple of passports, a greatly reduced drawing.

7 years and 6 thousand hours of work

La cabin, in a very low and advanced position, it was the component that presented fewer problems, since it was based on one Pontoon 180; for many other parts, such as the engine and gearbox assembly, they just had to to practice, we go by trial and error. Finally, in 1993 Mercedes Museum entrusted the complete reconstruction to one small craft companyspecializing in the restoration of vintage cars.

He exactly redid everything, both outside and inside, redid some parts from scratch, redid the sheets, reinvent small or large mechanical parts. In the end, as soon as Phoenix rose from the ashes, Blue Portento was reborn from the memory of those who even glanced at him.

It was good seven years and more than 6 thousand hours of work to bring it back to play the role for which it was conceived and built: transporting wonderful racing cars, vintage this time, to rallies across Europe.