Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz had a commanding hold over pre-war Grand Prix racing, with Mercedes taking three championship titles and Auto Union one from 1935-’38.
Video: Mighty 200mph‑plus pre‑war Silver Arrows at Goodwood
Neither team went without competition, with stiff opposition from the likes of Delahaye, ERA, Alfa Romeo, Bugatti and Maserati, but it was the German teams that triumphed.
At the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard in 2009, we gathered together as many of these mighty pre-war monsters together as we could, and were duly over the moon when we saw them fired up the Hill by the likes of Jochen Mass, David Coulthard and Nick Mason.