Mercedes Simplex: which version to buy

There is one catalogued Mercedes Simplex to buy: the 5.3 MT Speedster of 1 generation (1902-03-01 to 1909-12-31). The data list 1 generation, 1 body type (Speedster), and 1 version.

There is one catalogued Mercedes Simplex to buy: the 5.3 MT Speedster of 1 generation (1902-03-01 to 1909-12-31). The data list 1 generation, 1 body type (Speedster), and 1 version. There is no second engine, no restyle split, and no automatic alternative, so a “which trim” decision is not a choice between listed cars — it is whether this 5.3 MT matches the job: 32 hp (24 kW) at 1200 rpm, 5322 cc Gasoline, Manual 4 gears, RWD, kerb 1250 kg, gross 1650 kg, top speed 60. Torque, 0–100, mpg, tank, ground clearance, and wheel size are not measured.

Which version to buy and why

Buy 5.3 MT if you need the only Simplex the catalogue records. Arithmetic on the given numbers explains what that one car actually is.

Power per litre: 32 hp ÷ 5.322 L = 6.01 hp per litre. That is the specific output of this Gasoline 4 Inline engine as listed — not a second, hotter map. Peak power is quoted at 1200 rpm, so the figure is early-era output, not a high-rev peak.

Weight per horsepower: kerb 1250 kg ÷ 32 hp = 39.1 kg per hp. Gross 1650 kg ÷ 32 hp = 51.6 kg per hp. The gap between those two ratios is the 400 kg between kerb and gross (1650 − 1250). Loaded, each horsepower carries 12.5 kg more than at kerb (51.6 − 39.1).

What a second version would have to beat: there is no second version in the data, so nothing in this catalogue buys more hp, a different gearbox, or another drive layout. 5.3 MT is Manual, 4 gears, RWD. Boost is not measured. Fuel type on the tank line is not measured; engine fuel is Gasoline.

What the extra money cannot buy here: with modifikaciy = 1, there is no listed upcharge for more cylinders, another displacement, or a different body. Body is Speedster only.

If the question is “which Simplex generation,” the answer is the same car: 1 generation only, 1902-03-01–1909-12-31.

Generations compared for a buyer

1 generation (kluch in source: production 1902-03-01 to 1909-12-31): Speedster, 1 version (5.3 MT). No restyling is listed as a separate generation, and none should be counted as one.

Buyer arithmetic across generations is empty: there is no later Simplex generation in this dataset to compare hp, weight, or top speed against. The generation that changed what is 1 generation introducing this 5.3 MT package and then ending on 1909-12-31. Years in production from the given dates: from March 1902 through December 1909.

Do not expect a post-1909 Simplex row, a second body, or a second gearbox in these figures.

Engine and specs of the version you can actually specify

Exact version name as in the database: 5.3 MT.

VersionhpkWrpm (power)NmDisplacement (cc)FuelCylindersLayoutBoostGearboxGearsDrive
5.3 MT32241200not measured5322Gasoline4Inlinenot measuredManual4RWD

Further engine facts for 5.3 MT only (still the buyable row):

24 kW is the listed electrical-equivalent of 32 hp for this version; do not treat kW as a second state of tune. Cylinder count is 4, layout Inline — not a format invented outside the table.

For a buyer, the spec sheet is a single column: large 5322 cc, modest 32 hp, Carburetor, Manual 4, RWD. There is no 5.3 automatic and no smaller-displacement Simplex in these data to trade against.

Performance, mpg, and what is not measured

5.3 MT top speed: 60. 0–100: not measured. City / highway / combined consumption: not measured. CO2: not measured. Eco class: not measured.

Say it plainly for search and for a purchase list: mpg is not measured, so this article cannot rank 5.3 MT on fuel use against a phantom second version. Reliability and “common problems” are not in the launch data; they are not measured here, not omitted as if the car had no such topics.

What you can rank: top speed 60 is the only performance number given. Combined with 39.1 kg/hp at kerb, the listed car is a heavy, low-output Speedster on paper, not a second, lighter Simplex.

Dimensions, weight, and payload for the one version

Ground clearance: not measured. Tank: not measured. Wheel sizes: not measured.

Weight is measured:

Payload is 32% of kerb (400 / 1250) and 24% of gross (400 / 1650).

Chassis as listed for 5.3 MT (same for the only generation):

A buyer looking for independent suspension, disc brakes, a stated tank, or a tyre size will not find a different Simplex version that adds them — those fields are this layout or not measured.

5.3 MT versus a version that does not exist in the data

Comparisons that would normally pick a winner (more hp, shorter 0–100, AWD vs RWD, automatic vs manual) have one side only.

Allowed arithmetic still describes 5.3 MT:

“What the extra money buys” cannot be priced: prices are not in the data. Mechanically, extra money cannot buy another listed Simplex engine, because versions contains only 5.3 MT.

Problems, reliability, and buyer caveats from the numbers we have

No failure-rate, service-interval, or problem list is in the source. Reliability is not measured.

Caveats that are numbers or labels:

1. One version name: 5.3 MT. Do not rename it. 2. Torque not measured — you cannot size a trailer or a hill by Nm from this catalogue. 3. 0–100 not measured. 4. Consumption not measured — no mpg claim. 5. Tank, clearance, wheels not measured — no range or tyre shopping from these fields. 6. Brakes Drum / Drum; suspension Dependent, leaf spring both ends. 7. Production window 1902-03-01–1909-12-31 for both generation and 5.3 MT.

Verdict: the version to specify

Specify Mercedes Simplex 1 generation Speedster 5.3 MT: 32 hp / 24 kW at 1200 rpm, 5322 cc Gasoline 4 Inline, 2 valves per cylinder, Front, longitudinal, Carburetor, Manual 4, RWD, kerb 1250 kg, gross 1650 kg, top speed 60, bore × stroke 110 × 140.

That is the only version the data allow you to choose. There is no second Simplex generation and no second modification to spend “extra money” on inside this catalogue.