By J.A. Ackley
Mar 6, 2024
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mercedes,
Gooding & Company,
Mercedes Simplex,
Mercedes Simplex 60 HP
Photography Courtesy Gooding & Company
Gooding & Company said this 1903 Mercedes Simplex 60 HP “Roi des Belges” broke a record when it sold for $12-million dollars. Its biggest claim to fame? Being built for Alfred Harmsworth, the founder of British tabloids “Daily Mail” and “Daily Mirror.” But that’s just scratching the surface of what makes this car special.
This particular Sixty has some motorsport history to it. In fact, Harmsworth seemed to love the smell of exhaust fumes as much as the smell of print. Either way, this Mercedes was fast for its day. It set the fastest times during Nice Speed Week and the Castlewellan Hill Climb in 1903.
Of the 102 examples made of the Sixty, only five are believed to still exist. This one, however, has one more incredible attribute. This car has remained in the same family’s care for 121 years. Through that time, there’s been six British monarchs, 21 U.S. presidents and three generations of Harmsworths.
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