A Classic Roars to Life

There is a rare moment that only those talented few classic automobile restorers get to experience. After literally thousands of hours of work, and years of sourcing the rare original parts, the first moments of an engine roaring to life are both thrilling and humbling. After lying dormant in the Arizona desert for nearly 60 years, and after the painstaking process of recreation, Mark Passarelli heard this amazing part of automotive and engineering history come back to life. Caught on video, below, is that magical moment.

Unlike their counterparts at Porsche and Ferrari who had the luxury of designing race cars from the ground up, the re-entry into racing of post-war Mercedes was done on a small budget and based on existing cars and parts. Mercedes engineers used the 3 liter motor from a 300S two door with its triple carburetors, their most advanced engine at the time. Tilting the motor to fit an aerodynamic body provided a number of challenges. In order to accommodate the carburetors on the tilted motor, angled manifolds had to be fabricated along with 42 mm carburetor venturis. The photo at right shows the motor installed in the Passarelli Restorations chassis and the triple carburetor setup.