Mercedes-Benz SSK “Black Prince” 1934 CMC M-225
Description
With this model, CMC Classic Model Cars returns to the roots of its own company history. The first self-developed model by company founders Shuxiao Jia and Herbert Nickerl was this very historic one-off in 1995, reproduced at a scale of 1:24. Immediately after its debut, the CMC miniature was named "Model of the Year 1995" by a trade magazine—the young company couldn't have had a better start.
The prototype vehicle, considered one of the world's most valuable Mercedes-Benzes, is just as fascinating as the CMC model. Of the approximately 30 SSKs ever built, chassis number 36038 has one of the most interesting stories to tell. It was initially delivered to Japan in 1930 as a chassis without a body. From there, the chassis was sent to Italy, where it received its first body. The new owner, private racing driver Carlo Felice Trossi, initially used the SSK in races. But then he pursued the idea of giving the car an aerodynamic-optimized roadster body in the style of the time. Scientific aerodynamics was still in its infancy in the early 1930s. Many of the streamlined vehicles of this era looked sleek without offering any demonstrable dynamic advantages. One could say that it was a fashion of the time for even everyday objects to be streamlined.
Trossi himself put his idea for this unique special body on paper.
Striking features include the teardrop-shaped fenders on all wheels, the tapered rear end, and the curved connecting plates between the rear fenders and the rear end. The work is attributed to a British coachbuilder named Willie White, but sources are scarce. What is certain is that Trossi commissioned the bodywork in 1933, and the SSK was delivered to him the following year. The unique piece was painted in a deep, glossy black, the reflections of which give the bodywork curves an almost magical appearance. Today, the original vehicle belongs to one of the most important private classic car collections in the world. At the time, CMC gave one of the models to the car's owner, fashion designer Ralph Lauren. In his letter of thanks, he praised how beautifully it turned out.
In 2020, the "Black Prince" will, of course, be released in a collector's scale of 1:18 and with a level of detail that only a CMC miniature can achieve, assembled from over 1,000 parts. At the Nuremberg Toy Fair, CMC will be showing an unpainted development sample of the roadster's spectacular body.
Notice
With this model, CMC Classic Model Cars returns to the roots of its own company history. The first self-developed model by company founders Shuxiao Jia and Herbert Nickerl was this very historic one-off in 1995, reproduced at a scale of 1:24. Immediately after its debut, the CMC miniature was named "Model of the Year 1995" by a trade magazine—the young company couldn't have had a better start.
The prototype vehicle, considered one of the world's most valuable Mercedes-Benzes, is just as fascinating as the CMC model. Of the approximately 30 SSKs ever built, chassis number 36038 has one of the most interesting stories to tell. It was initially delivered to Japan in 1930 as a chassis without a body. From there, the chassis was sent to Italy, where it received its first body. The new owner, private racing driver Carlo Felice Trossi, initially used the SSK in races. But then he pursued the idea of giving the car an aerodynamic-optimized roadster body in the style of the time. Scientific aerodynamics was still in its infancy in the early 1930s. Many of the streamlined vehicles of this era looked sleek without offering any demonstrable dynamic advantages. One could say that it was a fashion of the time for even everyday objects to be streamlined.
Trossi himself put his idea for this unique special body on paper.
Striking features include the teardrop-shaped fenders on all wheels, the tapered rear end, and the curved connecting plates between the rear fenders and the rear end. The work is attributed to a British coachbuilder named Willie White, but sources are scarce. What is certain is that Trossi commissioned the bodywork in 1933, and the SSK was delivered to him the following year. The unique piece was painted in a deep, glossy black, the reflections of which give the bodywork curves an almost magical appearance. Today, the original vehicle belongs to one of the most important private classic car collections in the world. At the time, CMC gave one of the models to the car's owner, fashion designer Ralph Lauren. In his letter of thanks, he praised how beautifully it turned out.
In 2020, the "Black Prince" will, of course, be released in a collector's scale of 1:18 and with a level of detail that only a CMC miniature can achieve, assembled from over 1,000 parts. At the Nuremberg Toy Fair, CMC will be showing an unpainted development sample of the roadster's spectacular body.
