Protos 17/35 PS History

The 17/35 PS was the first Protos automobile built in series, entering production in 1905. Its 4,560 cc four-cylinder engine produced 35 hp and was capable of approximately 85 km/h — strong figures for the era.

Sternberg's patented 'Kompensmotor' design used a counterbalance arrangement to damp vibration, giving the car a notably smooth ride compared with rivals. The refinement attracted an elite clientele including members of the Prussian imperial court.

Production ran to 1908, when the model was superseded by the longer-lived Type E1. It was the 17/35 PS — in a specially prepared race variant — that carried lieutenant Hans Koeppen and the Protos team in the 1908 New York–to–Paris Race.