After a 30-year break from endurance racing following the tragic 1955 Le Mans disaster, Mercedes-Benz decided that enough time had passed to make a triumphant return. In 1989, drivers Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter, and Stanley Dickens secured an overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with their Sauber-Mercedes C9.
It was a memorable day for both Mercedes-Benz and Sauber, as the winning #63 car finished ahead of its sister car, driven by Mauro Baldi, Kenny Acheson, and Gianfranco Brancatelli. Two laps behind them, the third-place Joest Racing Porsche 962C, a car that had previously won Le Mans six times, completed the podium.
The Sauber C9, a Group C prototype, made its debut in the 1987 season. Developed by Peter Sauber, the car was built on an all-aluminum monocoque chassis with a rear steel subframe to house the Mercedes-Benz engine.
Due to the fuel restrictions of that era, the engine had to be highly efficient. Swiss engineer Heini Mader developed a production-based block that delivered a peak power of 720 bhp, though it was capped at around 650 bhp to save fuel.
During its initial 1987 season, the C9s were fielded by Kouros Racing with limited success. However, when Mercedes-Benz made it an official factory team in 1988, the car secured five victories, even under intense competition from the Silk Cut Jaguar team.
In 1989, the C9 was refined to its ultimate form, featuring a new DOHC-head M119 V8 engine. That year, the C9s dominated the racing circuit, winning every event but one. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the car set a record of 247 mph (398 km/h) on the Mulsanne Straight.
Following their remarkable run, including winning the 1989 World Sports Car Championship, the Sauber-Mercedes C9 was named Racing Car of the Year by Autosport. The team then moved on to the next chapter, introducing the C11 model for the 1990 season.
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