*Historic early Mercedes *Delivered new in France *Restored in the late 1950s/early 1960s *Featured in 'Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines' (1965) '(This) 1911 car is a shaft-drive example of what was commonly known in England as the 50hp Mercedes, the German firm's direct answer to the Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce.' – Autocar .

We have Emil Jellinek to thank for the existence of the 'Mercedes' marque.

Jellinek, a wealthy Leipzig-born businessman, was an admirer of the cars of Gottlieb Daimler, and had won the touring car class at the La Turbie hill climb in 1899 at the wheel of one of Daimler's cars.

Jellinek began selling Daimlers to wealthy enthusiasts on the French Riviera, and it was the death of Wilhelm Bauer at the wheel of one of these cars that prompted Jellinek to demand something better.

Bauer had crashed while competing in the 1900 La Turbie hill climb, and Jellinek believed that the Daimler's top-heavy design had been a major contributing factor.

He demanded s...