Before the “space race” defined a country’s technological ambition and competence, the Grand Prix races were considered the most accessible index of world-leading technological dominance. The ambition for these major motor racing teams (and their respective home countries) to excel on the track was nearly palatable. Mercedes-Benz achieved the benchmark for engineering prowess when it introduced the W125 for the 1937 season. The monoposto achieved almost total domination that season and continued to excel for the next three decades. The 1937 Donington Grand Prix was an exceptionally memorable race that did not end as expected. Mercedes Benz was up against it’s biggest rival and specifically the talented driver Bernd Rosenmeyer. Mercedes Benz entered four W125 type race cars with drivers Rudolph Caracciola (with starting number 1), Herman Lang (with starting number 2), Manfred Brauchuitsch (with starting number 3), and Richard Seaman (with starting number 4). The five drivers monopolized the lead for a heated and thrilling competition. Herman Lang and Seaman were initially at the front of the pack but both dropped out early, and unfortunately Caracciola was not on the top of his game either that day. Eventually Brauchuitsch and Caracciola finished in second and third places respectively, while Rosenmeyer finished first.