28/95 Sport-Phaeton

The Mercedes Type 28/95 hp first went into production in 1914. Due to the war, production was interrupted, which is why only 25 examples were produced until 1915. In 1920, production was resumed, but with a slightly modified engine, which was now equipped with light metal valve covers instead of open valves. DMG produced a total of 600 units by 1924.

The Type 28/95 hp falls under the category of DMG’s top-of-the-range automobiles and is less a representative car than an ancestor of the sports car models. It was followed by models such as the K model, the S, SS, SSK and SSKL types and the 500 K and 540 K supercharged models. A distinctive feature of this model was the pointed radiator and the external exhaust pipes, which can also be found on its predecessor, the Type 37/90 PS from 1911. These two features characterized the face of Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz top models at that time for decades.

Another special feature is the technical concept in relation to a series passenger car, because for the first time an engine with overhead camshaft and V-shaped hanging valves was installed. The template for this 6-cylinder engine with 7.2-liter displacement was Daimler’s DF 80 aircraft engine, which took 2nd place in the 1912 Kaiserpreis competition for the best German aircraft engine behind Benz.

For the Mercedes-Benz Type 28/95 hp, turned steel cylinders were used for the first time in series production, which were fitted in pairs with a welded-on sheet steel cooling water jacket. The advantage of the turned steel cylinders in contrast to conventional cast cylinders is the weight advantage and a higher load capacity.

DMG’s top model the Mercedes-Benz Type 28/95 hp Sport Phaeton was first offered in 1921. It featured a 305 millimeter shorter wheelbase and a four-wheel brake. It was the first Mercedes-Benz of a series production offered with a front-wheel brake. In 1923, the model with a normal wheelbase was also equipped with four-wheel drum brakes.