The 23 hp Phoenix was Daimler’s most powerful racing car in 1900. Its high center of gravity, heavy 660-pound engine and short wheelbase – which was extended for the variant shown here – made it difficult to control. Following a serious accident in the Nice – La Turbie race in March 1900, Wilhelm Maybach set about building a new racing car: the first Mercedes.

• Cylinders 4
• Displacement 336 cu in
• Output 27 hp (20 kW)
• at engine speed 900/min
• Top speed 50 mph