1915/1919 Mercedes 22 / 50hp open touring car

From the previous possession of Rudolf Lilljeqvist.

1915/1919 Mercedes 22 / 50hp open touring car chassis no.  17-759


Original matching 
5.7 litre 4 cylinder Engine no.  25-546

Around 52.000 kilometres original

Four Speed Transmission

Fully documented



This historically very significant, mint and over the years consistently documented Mercedes was ordered new by the Swedish industrialist and engineer Rudolf Lilljeqvist.


He was the designer of the first hydropower plant in Sweden and a business partner of Alfred Nobel.  As one of two executors of the last mentioned, he was instrumental in the creation of the Nobel Prize according to the will of the deceased and enforced the award against strong opposition from the ranks of the heirs.  Rudolf Lilljeqvist was extremely successful and one of Sweden's wealthiest men.  In 1908 he acquired the Baldersnäs land, about which the Swedish king said: "If I were not King of Sweden, I would like to be the owner“.

Chassis number 17 759 has kept its original specifications, with a cardan shaft drive.  (The first models were still equipped with a chain drive).
In 1905, installed for the first time in the 2.6 liter 15 / 20HP, the cardan shaft was soon adopted by almost all Mercedes vehicles.  Only the larger models retained the chain drive for a certain time.  

As one of the last innovations before World War I, the 22 / 50HP received the 5.7 liter four-cylinder engine with four-speed gearbox.  It already had the typical radiator that characterized automobiles built in Stuttgart for many years.

The Mercedes 22/50 was only produced for a relatively short period of time;  the most famous car is probably the limousine used by Kaiser Wilhelm II.


The car ordered by Lilljeqvist in 1914 through the Stockholm Mercedes agent was ordered with 10 cm more ground clearance and a raised exhaust system.  He wanted to use the car in his hunting grounds, among other places.  In addition, the track should be widened from 142 cm to 154 cm in order to avoid the deep furrows caused by the horse-drawn vehicles.  Other special requests were electrical lighting and lockable exhaust 

The Mercedes was not delivered directly, however, but assigned to General and later Field Marshal August von Mackensen, who was later appointed Governor of Romania. 

On May 29, 1918 another order came from Sweden with the request for delivery "immediately after the end of the war".  Before it was exported, the Mercedes was restored to 'new condition' and delivered to the Stockholm Mercedes dealer on April 8, 1919.  

The original Swedish registration papers are dated June 14, 1919, Rudolf Lilljeqvist must have been very impressed with his Mercedes.  This was driven exclusively by his chauffeur, never 'modernized' or passed on to his children.

 When it became more impractical to drive the car, it was safely stored in a barn.  It was not until 1969 that the current owner, an engineer with a passion for early, historic vehicles, became aware of the car and managed to purchase the 22/50 from Lilljeqvist's.

For many years the current owner drove the Mercedes as unrestored as he had 'found' it.  However, when leather, wood and fabric in particular were finally in a condition that made a restoration of the otherwise complete vehicle necessary, this was relatively easy to carry out and,  as expected, the military gray came out from beneath the layer of red paint.  

The specially structured leather was not easy to find, but a suitable replacement was eventually found.  The original frame of the seven-seater, open touring car and all mechanical components have been retained.  No modifications were made, so that the Mercedes corresponds to the original delivery condition.  Even the chauffeur's hat from that time still exists.  Fully restored, the Mercedes is described by its owner as 'in perfect condition' and, despite its almost 100 years, has only covered around 50,000 km.  

This extremely rare, historical 22 / 50HP is fully documented, many restoration invoices are on file, historical photos,
as well as copies of the original documents, including the factory documents and the Swedish registration papers (Besiktningsinstrument)

We will be conducting a more comprehensive photo shoot in the new year.  This is a world class survivor car in perfect order & might well be descibed as a German Silver Ghost.