Mercedes-Benz was an active participant in various racing events in Europe, but had never made an attempt to break speed records. And so the development of a new car began, with the sole objective of breaking world record for speed. 

Using the M154/11 type 3.0 litre engine, the Mercedes Benz W154 Rekordwagen had the lowest drag coefficient body that it ever produced until then.

Trying to clock record speed with both the options i.e. with/without wheel covers, this car with a Cd (drag coefficient) of 0.587 (with wheel covers) and 0.406 (without wheel covers) set a new record on 14th Feb, 1939 when it clocked 177.43 km/hr on the Dessau-Bitterfeld autobahn (highway).

The original car had a 'swastika' symbol painted, but because of it's negative connotation (it was Adolf Hitler times), most of the images in books of this car are without this symbol.