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Monday Mystery – Veteran motoring workshop

This is an intriguing picture, if we may say so ourselves. The scene depicted is pretty much involved in the very earliest form of motor manufacturing and we think most of you will know the story behind it. In fact it is one of the all too often told tales from veteran motoring history.

But have you ever come across an image to illustrate just that, such as this one? Feel free to fully enlighten us on the subject if you know what we see here. Good if you can recognize the cars, great if you know more about its surroundings. And if not, don't worry. But brace yourselves for some self-kicking afterwards, when you’ll definitely think – ‘really?!’

Words and picture by Jeroen Booij.

 

Gepubliceerd:
maandag mei 13th, 2019
Chris
14 Mei 2019, 21:59
What a great photo - would any have any idea if the original would be about to make a high quality copy of for enlarging? Or indeed of similar photos of early race cars please?
Many thanks,
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Jeroen Booij
16 Mei 2019, 10:24
We only have this copy Chris, but it comes together with many more pictures all from the De Caters family.
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Jeroen Booij
14 Mei 2019, 16:25
Well done A. Bos! It is Jellinek's Mercedes workshop in Nice indeed. The picture comes from the De Caters family.
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A. Bos
13 Mei 2019, 19:31
Some additional info on the photo comes from the book Mercedes and Auto Racing in the Belle Epoque by Robert Dick, in which the same image can be found on p.83: the location was the backyard of Villa Mercedes in Nice. About the cars: I didn't mention 16-MM, but at the moment I have to guess who drove that car. There were three other drivers, Werner, Braun and Degrais (who would be the person in the centre of the photograph). Werner seems to have driven a car with registration 17-MM, leaving Braun and Degrais. At the moment I have a preference for Degrais for 16-MM, because of the looks of the car (Jules Beau has made a photo of the side of his car).
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John Davies
13 Mei 2019, 09:27
I think the picture is from an early Nice speed week.
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A. Bos
13 Mei 2019, 00:51
The photo shows the Mercedes team, assembling their cars for the Semaine the Nice of 1903. All cars have French registrations, which was obligatory for foreign cars in France (MM was issued in the departement of Marseille, to which Nice belonged). One of the events during this week was the Turbie hill climb, during which Mercedes driver Count Zborowski would be killed. The car he used carried the registration 37-MM, so his car must be one of the cars in the background. 12-MM was the car of Hieronymus, the eventual winner. 14-MM was the car of De Caters.
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