The Mercedes w165 grand prix car is one of my favourite cars of all time. Not only did it have a 100% win ratio (it only entered 1 race) but was built in the incredibly short timescale of 8 months in 1939 due to an Italian rule change to sway the home grand prix in their favour. Not only a beautiful thing, but like many great cars it has an unforgettable story behind it.
In general I’m not a big fan of Mercs but it’s the Germanic engineering brutality and the resourcefulness of a nation in pursuit to withhold national pride that you just have to respect in this car. It’s an example of automotive design at its best!