'The Blue Wonder': Replica of Iconic Race Car Transporter Spotted Near Vienna (3 Photos)

Spotted cruising the roads outside Vienna, this striking, low-slung blue Mercedes-Benz recreates one of the most famous race transporters of the 1950s—the legendary "Blue Wonder."





The original was custom-built for the 1955 racing season to haul cars at high speed between the factory in Stuttgart and European circuits. Beneath its futuristic bodywork was an assembly of production parts: the 3.0-liter straight-six engine was sourced from the iconic 300 SL, while several cab components came from the "Ponton" sedan. Tuned for hauling duties, the engine produced 192 hp, pushing the hauler to a staggering top speed of 170 km/h (105 mph).



It lacked a hydraulic liftgate; race cars were loaded and unloaded using lightweight ramps supported by struts. At the circuit, those very ramps could be converted into an improvised service ramp for quick repairs.

The original "Blue Wonder" is no more, having been tragically scrapped in 1967. Mercedes-Benz later reconstructed the vehicle from archival blueprints and photographs, completing the project in 2001. The vehicle seen in these photos is a modern replica, though the author did not specify who built it.