Mercedes Simplex 60 hp ‘Harmsworth 60’
One of the earliest true high-performance touring cars could carry its owner across countries—and had already competed before receiving the body it still wears.
1903 Mercedes 60HP (20758376105).jpg · Dave S. from Witney, England · CC BY 2.0
$12,105,000
Based on a completed sale at Gooding & Company on March 1, 2024, an estimated value for this vehicle is $12,105,000.
Why this sale: Exact profiled car: engine no. 2924, ordered new by Alfred Harmsworth, later fitted with the surviving J. Rothschild et Fils Roi-des-Belges body. It has the 9,236 cc F-head inline four and four-speed manual transaxle with dual-chain drive. Highly original, with much original leather upholstery, the surviving period Rothschild body, 121 years of continuous Harmsworth-family ownership and more than six decades on display at Beaulieu. It also has documented 1903 competition history and is one of only five original 60 HP Mercedes known to survive.
Gooding reports an $11,000,000 hammer price and a $12,105,000 all-in result including buyer's premium. Taxes, transport and post-sale work are excluded. One auction result is a reference, not an appraisal; condition, history, options, location and market timing can change value. Accepted only because the profile itself is for this unique engine-no. 2924 Harmsworth car. The exceptional provenance and competition history make this unusable as a generic Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP value, but they are intrinsic to the exact profile identity.
More than a set of wheels.
British newspaper publisher Alfred Harmsworth ordered this German-built Mercedes-Simplex 60 hp new. Delivered to Nice in April 1903, it took part in early speed and hill-climb events and served as a Gordon Bennett reserve car. Afterwards, coachbuilder J. Rothschild et Fils fitted the open Roi-des-Belges body that survives today. Harmsworth then used engine no. 2924 as a personal touring car across Britain and Europe, so this profile keeps its road-going identity separate from the different 60 hp that Camille Jenatzy drove to victory in Ireland.
Look a little closer.
Its body is younger than its first races: the Rothschild touring coachwork was fitted only after the car’s 1903 competition outings.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Why the 60 hp looked modern
The Simplex placed its large engine low in a pressed-steel chassis and used a honeycomb radiator instead of the towering shape common on earlier cars. A four-speed gated gearbox, smooth scroll-type clutch and dual-chain final drive made this 9.25-litre machine a usable touring car as well as a very fast one.
Source: Gooding & Company · 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP ‘Harmsworth 60’ ↗One chassis, two carefully separated chapters
The Harmsworth car set a speed record at Nice, was a Gordon Bennett reserve and won the Ballybannon hill climb before receiving its touring body. The famous outright Gordon Bennett victory belongs to Camille Jenatzy in another customer-delivered 60 hp. That distinction matters because bodywork, competition history and surviving provenance are all chassis-specific.
Source: Gooding & Company · Harmsworth 60 provenance ↗Where these facts come from
- Gooding & Company · 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP ‘Harmsworth 60’
- Mercedes-Benz Public Archive · 60 hp Gordon Bennett race specification and model context
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.