One of the major classic car events is currently being staged in Salzburg: the sixth Mercedes-Benz Classic Days from 4th September to 11th September, 2005. This is the fourth time that Salzburg has hosted the international Mercedes-Benz club event, having attracted more participants this year than ever before. For the one-week event, 220 Mercedes-Benz classic teams registered, plus 23 historical racing and sports cars from the Alfa Romeo, Delahaye, Porsche, Bugatti, La Pintat, Bentley, BMW and Mercedes-Benz brands, which will compete in the Paul Daimler Trophy on Wednesday, 7th September.

The lineup comprises 36 automotive gems built before 1940; the oldest car is a rare 10/40/65 hp two-seater Mercedes sports car from 1923 entered by Richard Graf from Germany in the Paul Daimler Trophy. The Classic Days will be attended by participants from 18 nations, among them three teams from Australia, two from North America and six from Russia.

The programme

As before, the programme consists of two parts and begins with sporting competitions (Monday – Wednesday), i.e. practice and regularity trials on the Salzburgring and on the Gaisberg mountain. Some 100 Mercedes-Benz classic teams have registered for these competitions. For visitors, Wednesday, September 7, 2005, is likely to be one of the most interesting days, with trials on the Gaisberg mountain and on the Salzburgring, as well as with the Paul Daimler Trophy.

Another 120 teams will exclusively participate in the tourist programme on Thursday and Friday. They will arrive on Wednesday afternoon and enjoy the 250 kilometre outings to Salzkammergut and Steiermark together with the “sporty group”. The highlight will once again be the Concours d’Élégance on Saturday, 10th September, 2005, staged with all the 220 Mercedes-Benz classics on Salzburg’s Residenzplatz (Residence Square) from 11 am until 2 pm.

The evenings are dedicated to culinary and cultural delights, culminating in the DaimlerChrysler gala evening at the Salzburg Residence on Saturday.

Paul Daimler Trophy on the Gaisberg mountain

For the first time, owners of brands other than Mercedes-Benz accepted the invitation extended by the organiser, Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Club International, to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Days 2004 – to mark the 75th anniversary of the Gaisberg race.

The positive feedback from Mercedes-Benz Classic Days participants, media and spectators were a clear vote in favour of staging the “hill-climb duel” once again – in the form of the 2005 Paul Daimler Trophy.

Nine different brands compete in the Paul Daimler Trophy: Porsche (again with two works vehicles), Alfa-Romeo, Delahaye, Bugatti, La Pintat, BMW, Triumph, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz. Special rarities are the 10/40/65 hp Mercedes already mentioned, the Alfa Romeo 8C Monza of Peter Reck, the Mercedes SSKL of Peterheinz Kern, the Bugatti 51 of Rudolf Geray, the La Pintat monoposto of Klaus Reichenberger, the works Porsche 356 B Carrera Abarth driven by Klaus Bischof and the Bentley Le Mans of Horst Thome.

The programme for the Paul Daimler Trophy begins with the participants’ arrival on Tuesday afternoon and a convivial evening in an alpine hut. On Wednesday (7th September, 2005), the participants compete in three heats – one on the Gaisberg mountain and two on the Salzburgring. The winners’ ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday evening as part of the drivers’ evening in the Classic marquee.

The programme in detail

Sunday, 4th September
Arrival of Classic Days participants, group 1

Monday, 5th September
10 am – 12 noon: Regularity trials on Salzburgring
2 pm – 5 pm: Regularity trials on Salzburgring

Tuesday, 6th September
9 am – 12 noon: Regularity trials on Salzburgring
2 pm – 5 pm: Regularity trials on Salzburgring
In the afternoon: Arrival of participants in the Paul Daimler Trophy

Wednesday, 7th September
9.30 am: Start of Manfred von Brauchitsch Memorial and Paul Daimler Trophy in Guggenthal
2 pm – 5 pm: Paul Daimler Trophy: trials on Salzburgring
In the afternoon: Arrival of Classic Days participants, group 2

Thursday, 8th September
9.00 am – 4 pm: Tourist outings to Salzkammergut and Steier-mark (Start: Salzburgring)

Friday, 9th September
9 am – 4 pm: Tourist outings to Salzkammergut and Steier-mark (Start: Salzburgring)

Saturday, 10th September
10 am: Departure from Salzburgring
11 am – 2 pm: Concours d’Élégance on Residence Square

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