One-off vintage Mercedes that survived WWI hits the market for £7MILLION complete with 17L engine & original exhaust

A CENTURY-OLD Mercedes that survived the First World War is set to sell for £7 million - and it still has some original parts.

The unique racer was "purpose-built" for one of the toughest events in motorsport.

Uber-wealthy petrolheads will have the chance to bid for the stunning 1908 Mercedes 'Brookland' Semmering Rennwagen.

Only one was ever produced as it was created solely to enter the fearsome Semmering Hill Climb.

Indeed, the original four-cylinder engine was larger than was allowed for the Grand Prix of its era, effectively disqualifying it from other top-class championships.

The listing states: "It was described as a “one only” car, purpose-built for and entered into the Semmering Hill Climb in Austria.

"This was one of the most prestigious competition events on the European continent at the time, a no-limits, proto-Group B clash of the titans with essentially no rules.

"Driven by Otto Salzer, this car claimed victory at Semmering, while achieving a new record speed for the event of 81.2 km/h."

Internal records from Daimler-Benz show that, following its win, the car was taken back to the factory to be fitted with a new, 17-litre engine which would allow it to go racing around the world.

But not before Salzer took it back to Semmering in 1909 to claim a second victory and break his own record by 2km/h.

The car then took third place in the Champion du Monde (World Champion) event in Belgium that same year, under the control of Camille Jenatzy, nicknamed the 'Red Devil'.

After its retirement from competition, the motor was privately sold to an 18-year-old who had just inherited a £4 million fortune from his late father.

It stayed Down Under until 1965 when it was sold to the Californian heir of a major Ford investor, before eventually finding its way to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

Now, the museum has partnered with luxury auction house to sell off some of its lesser-spotted exhibits.

Set to go under the hammer at the firm's Miami auction in February 2025, it is expected to sell for around £7 million.

That includes the original exhaust system, engine and bodywork, all of which have been painstakingly restored.

The listing added: "Recently mechanically recommissioned in preparation for sale, it starts easily, unleashes utterly outstanding power, and is a fantastically remarkable machine to drive.

"Most significantly, it boasts utterly incredible originality.

"This represents the ultimate, most potent, one-off development of the original Mercedes design, one that produced a remarkable leap in performance that established its maker as a force to be reckoned with, on road or track."