Mercedes Benz Targa Florio #32 Christian Lautenschlager Targa Florio (1924) Ltd Ed to 600 pcs 1/18 Diecast Model by CMC

Brand new 1/18 scale diecast car model of Mercedes Benz Targa Florio #32 Christian Lautenschlager Targa Florio (1924) Limited Edition to 600 pieces Worldwide die cast model car by CMC. Brand new box. Real rubber tires. Adjustable windscreen. Dashboard with all gauges. Exhaust side pipes made of metal. Both seats upholstered in real leather. Made of diecast with some plastic parts. Engine subshell made of metal in body color. Detailed interior, exterior, engine compartment. Rotatable starter crank handle done in metal. Grille and rock guard in high-quality metal finish. Hinged fuel filler with a cap made of stainless steel. Movable levers for ignition and mixture preparation. Dimensions approximately L-8, W-3.5, H-2.75 inches. Brake lines for front and rear wheels made of steel wire. Authentic multiple metal-leaf springs with real suspension. Friction dampers mounted at the front axle fully functional. Spare wheels mounted with authentic leather-belt fastening. Steering wheel with metal spokes and a leather-covered rim. Fully functional metal spring latches for fastening the bonnet. Hand-crafted metal precision model built from more than 1,000 parts. Openable mid-hinged split bonnet made of copper, hinged side panel. Starting numbers 32 printed by the elaborate tampon printing method. Hand brake lever mounted outside with fully functional ratchet and a lever cloaked in leather. Detailed in-line four engine with supercharger, peripheral components, piping, cabling and leverage. Authentic replication of the cockpit with manual pump for pressuring the fuel cell and a grease gun for the water pump bearings. Perfectly crafted wheels with alloy rims, stainless-steel spokes and nipples, painted and mounted by hand, detachable with a central locking nut. In 1923, the great era of supercharged racing cars began. The Daimler factory in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim did not sit idle on this trend, and the development of a new supercharged vehicle soon got under way. It was the preparation of a race car for the 1924 Targa Florio, and Ferdinand Porsche had become the new chief designer at Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. Under his personal direction, a team of engineers took an in-depth look into the 1923 M7294 compressor engine and came up with some ground-breaking upgrades. As a result, the mximum output was pushed up to 126 hp (even to 150 hp in late 1924). This was made possible by relocating the compressor – Roots blower – to the front of the engine. When power was required, the driver could now activate it by a forceful step on the gas pedal. It would trigger mechanic action or movement to bring the output from a normal 68 hp up to 126 hp. The Targa Florio and the Coppa Florio were two of the toughest and most difficult road races in Europe. Running on the extremely narrow and winding mountain roads of the so-called Madonie Circuit near Palermo on Sicily, one lap lasted 108 km long. Four laps were to drive for the Targa Florio, totaling 432 km. For the Coppa Florio, another lap was added, extending the race to a total of 540 km. In either race, entrants had to deal with a grueling circuit full of the dangers known as “7000 curves”. Whoever won the Targa Florio was not necessarily going to win the Coppa Florio, because the odds to negotiate the last lap successfully were not always very good. Mercedes would dispatch three vehicles to this prestigious race event, and preparations were made well in advance. Two T-cars were sent to Sicily for test drives three months earlier. Various rear axle ratios were tried out, and an optimal maximum speed of 120 km/h was found for the racing locally.