Silver Arrows (German: Silberpfeil) was the name given by the press to Germany's dominant Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix motor racing cars between 1934 and 1939, and also later applied to the Mercedes-Benz Formula One and sports cars in 1954/55.
For decades until the introduction of sponsorship liveries, each country had its traditional color in automobile racing. Italian race cars are still famous for their rosso corsa red color, British ones are British racing green, French blue, etc.
German cars like the Blitzen Benz were white, as were the three Mercedes that won the 1914 French Grand Prix 1-2-3. On the other hand, in 1922 (Giulio Masetti) and 1924 (Christian Werner), Mercedes won the Italian Targa Florio with cars painted red, blending in with the local competitors. The big supercharged 200 hp Mercedes-Benz SSK with which Rudolf Caracciola won the 1931 Mille Miglia was called White Elephant.
Read more about Silver Arrows: Performance, Other Car Companies, Further Reading
Famous quotes containing the words silver and/or arrows:
“When I from black and he from white cloud free,
And round the tent of Godlike lambs we joy,
I’ll shade him from the heat till he can bear
To lean in joy upon our father’s knee;
And then I’ll stand and stroke his silver hair,
And be like him, and he will then love me.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
““That rough tooth of the sea,” Kineo, great source of arrows and of spears to the ancients, when weapons of stone were used.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)