 Software based 1
This is a Mercedes-Benz W196 R from 1954, which, with its impressive streamlined body and 213 kW (290 hp), achieved the fastest lap in Monza in 1955 with 300 km/h with Sterling Moss at the wheel and
won the Argentine Grand Prix with Juan Manuel.
The car has a certain current fame because it was recently auctioned at the Daimler-Benz Museum for 46.5 million euros plus 10 percent fees by Sotheby's. It was not so long ago that one of the two
Uhlenhaut coupes still in existence was sold for a record price of 135 million euros.
For the latter, a long time ago, they didn't even want to accept a blank check in which they could have entered the amount themselves. So it's no wonder that there are rumors that Mercedes is selling its
treasures because it is currently in a difficult situation.
But that is not the case, at least with the W196 R. Because it was previously owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 500 Museum. Incidentally, it was relatively freely accessible to the public. The
museum sold it to generate funds for the redesign and now wants to devote itself exclusively to American racing cars.
They also had a beautiful Alfa. So if you're interested, maybe it's still there. But why the hell are we interested in this Mercedes in our new book about software-defined cars? This car certainly doesn't have a
computer on board, so it can't be primarily software-oriented.
One would have to ask why the car was transported to Stuttgart to be auctioned there. That could have been done quite easily in the USA, right? So what does Daimler-Benz get out of it other than the
publicity?
No, we don't want to discuss financial issues now. In fact, this chapter is going to be quite speculative from now on. What is the deeper meaning of introducing a software-defined car other than that the
Chinese might be able to indulge their passion for games in it?
The car trade has always been jealous of bakeries, for example. Why? Because they could sell their bread rolls every morning. You met car buyers once or twice in detail, then when the vehicle was handed
over, and that was it.
Yes, of course, still for the individual inspections. Back in the Beetle days, there were still quite a lot of inspections every 2,500 km. Unfortunately, this has decreased, at some point only for the MOT
appointments and after all the guarantees have expired, perhaps not at all. Nothing is more dangerous for the trade than losing sight of potential repeat buyers.
And so the desire of car manufacturers to be able to support their customers for much longer became stronger. This was followed by the conversion and storage of winter tires. Bravo, two more appointments
per year. The extension of the body and battery guarantees also helped a lot.
But OEMs are known to be insatiable. There are tendencies, not just isolated ones, to want to establish direct contact with customers. And that is probably the deeper and more important meaning of software-
defined cars.
Just one frequently mentioned example: certain functions could be made subsequently unlockable for money via an over-the-air update.
So, you probably already knew all that. But what you probably haven't thought about yet is the issue of vintage cars. If you take a look at the Speedway Museum's workshop, you'll see relatively young and
dedicated mechanics working there, keeping the various cars in good condition.
But firstly, the W196 R is now going into private hands and secondly, would you leave such an expensive car to two probably still inexperienced general-brand mechanics, where even starting the engine would
probably be a fifteen-minute ritual.
Do they also follow all the instructions from the factory and does the factory not have its own department for further development and perfection of the work on the increasingly valuable classic cars? If the owner
is from Europe, then it would be better to take the car to the manufacturer for inspection.
By the way, inspections are also useful for vehicles that are never or almost never driven. And for vehicles in America, there are probably already specialists of the factory who take care of the vehicles there. If
80 percent of all Porsches are still alive, then the potential for 'software-defined' cars must be enormous.
Just go through car museums when they are not run by manufacturers. There are lots of vehicles there that are roadworthy and registered. They belong to people who don't even bother to build another garage
for their vehicle. It is probably safest in a museum next to something that may be even more valuable.
If you now apply this to the buyer of this W196 R, he/she might come up with the idea of leaving the car in a museum, if only, as is quite possible in Stuttgart, no one is allowed near it. Imagine the significant
structural work and safety measures that would be saved as a result.
And the museum always benefits from this. And so does the public. The car would not disappear from public view, as many fear, and its storage and monitoring would certainly be cheaper. Not that someone
who spends so much money on a car necessarily has to save, but it would be more pleasant.
Well, has the car now become software-based in your eyes, at least from the original manufacturer's perspective? The car would then be closer to Mercedes than anyone could have imagined. And the owner.
Not that they come to get bread rolls every morning, but the assistance they offer is more expensive.
Based on our assumptions, it remains unclear how often a year one would be allowed to 'borrow' such a car, which would be a certain feat of strength in the Mercedes Museum. It will also be difficult to obtain
the necessary fuel in the distant future, but the manufacturer could then be willing to help out with e-fuel.
None of this would be a problem if the car had only been purchased for reasons of profit through increased value. But perhaps it should be driven from time to time. That's where Daimler-Benz could shine. You
see, with classic cars, the OEMs' dream of a software-based car has progressed further than with new cars.
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