1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR news, pictures, and information

Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the individual responsible for the 300 SLR racer, or rather his new 'company car' which he appeared in for the first time at the Swedish Formula 1 circuit, provided a fascinating side-show to the race itself. Spurred on by Mercedes' success in 1955, the Stuttgart engineer had spend the time between races mulling over the idea of fitting the open-top 300 SLR racing sports car with an enclosed cockpit for endurance events in the future.

His musings had now reached fruition in the shape of an awe-inspiring coupé with the technology of a racing sports car, the gullwing doors of the 300 SL and performance which no other road-going sports car could match. The two-seater recorded a speed of 290 km/h during a test conducted for 'Automobil Revue' magazine at four o'clock in the morning on a closed section of motorway outside Munich.

'We are driving a car which barely takes a second to overtake the rest of the traffic and for which 200 km/h on a quiet motorway is little more than walking pace. With its unflappable handling through corners, it treats the laws of centrifugal force with apparent disdain,' scribbled the lucky test reporter after a total of 3500 kilometres. His only regret was that this was a sports car 'which we will never be able to buy and which the average driver would never buy anyway.' Only two examples of the SLR Coupé were ever built.

For the Coupé's bodywork, the Mercedes engineers used Elektron, an easily-to-work-with magnesium alloy which is even lighter than aluminium. The driver's area had much in common with an aircraft cockpit and the semicircular windscreen generated very little wind resistance. As in the 300 SLR racing sports car, the engine in the 'Uhlenhaut Coupé' was turned around its longitudinal axis. Again, the driver had to control the pedals with his legs apart behind the steering wheel. The massive brake drums on the driven axles were moved further in, in order to minimise the effects of the road on these unsprung masses. For anyone not already in the know, opening the boot lid was something of a mystery, with the in-conspicuous 'D' (for Germany) sign serving as the release lever.

Smouldering under the sweeping bonnet was the eight-cylinder engine taken from the racing sports car. This prestigious power unit developed peak torque of 234 lb-ft at 5950 rpm and its maximum output of 310 horsepower at 7400 rpm.

Only 2 300SLR Coupes were ever built.

Source - DaimlerChrysler

Legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Bids U.S. Farewell

Mercedes-Benz will present a memorable motorsports display at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concour D'Elegance on August 21. The 300 SLR sports-racing car driven to victory by legendary driver Stirling Moss in the 1955 Mille Miglia, Italy's classic road race, will make its final appearance in the United States before retiring to the new Mercedes- Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. The transporter that carried the 300 SLR to Europe's famous racetracks during the 1954-1955 racing season will pay its first U.S. visit in almost fifty years.

Considered one of the most beautiful racecars of all time, the Mercedes- Benz 300 SLR was based on the company's dominant W 196 Formula One racer using fully enclosed bodywork with a navigator's seat and a trunk. The inline-eight cylinder Grand Prix engine, with displacement enlarged from 2.5 to 3.0 liters, produced 310 horsepower at 7,500 rpm.

The 300 SLR body was likewise advanced in that it was made from a tough yet malleable form of sheet magnesium, which was lighter than aluminum. Top speed depended on the transmission and final drive gear ratios used for a particular race and could be as high as 185 mph.

In the hands of racing legend Stirling Moss, who will be reunited with his victorious racing car at the Pebble Beach event, the 300 SLR set a course record in the 1955 Mille Miglia that would never be broken. Moss and his navigator Dennis Jenkinson won this challenging and dangerous race in just 10 hours, 7 minutes, and 48 seconds for an average speed of 97.96 mph -- nearly 10 mph faster than the previous course record.

Built as the world's fastest racecar transporter, this one-of-a-kind Mercedes-Benz was powered by the same engine as the legendary 300SL 'Gullwing' sports car. Unfortunately, the original was scrapped in 1967 after serving as a workhorse vehicle in the company's test department.

The 'new' transporter is a near-exact replica -- 'near exact' since it was recreated without the benefit of blueprints of the original -- because they did not exist. The reconstruction project supervised by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center encompassed seven years working from old photos, internal memos and reports and other descriptions to build the 'new' transporter.

Weighing nearly 7,000 pounds with a racecar on its bed, the Mercedes-Benz transporter was capable of achieving high speeds. 'Max. Speed 105 mph' was painted on its rear fenders to answer the frequently asked question -- 'How fast will it go?'

Following its appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours, the 'new' 1954 transporter will return to Germany with its priceless cargo -- the 300 SLR. The pair will be permanently displayed together in the new Mercedes-Benz Museum scheduled to open in March 2006.

Source - Pebble Beach Concours

Mercedes-Benz has one of the oldest and most storied histories of any auto manufacturer. Its cars have dominated on the race track and introduced new technologies to the street. The company's name and unmistakable three-pointed star have come to stand for automotive excellence and for an ability to innovate while maintaining an inextricable tie to tradition and heritage. Many Mercedes-Benz models have become classics, and a few have become outright legends.

Of those legendary cars, one sticks out as being instantly recognizable for its engineering perfection, aesthetic greatness, and fabled past. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, along with the tales of dominance and disaster surrounding it, has become one of the most important models to ever be created by its infinitely influential parent company.

The early racing cars of Mercedes-Benz were revered for their durability and competence. From their menacing bully the Blitzen Benz to the streamlined Silver Arrows, Mercedes-Benz racers went into races with great technical advances and came out with victories.

The story of the 300 SLR begins with the 300 SL. First brought to the racetrack in 1952, the 300 SL was a modern design that proved almost unbeatable in competition. In its first race, the car placed 2nd in the Mille Miglia with Karl Kling behind the wheel. Kling lost to a Ferrari by just four minutes—a mere hair given the event's 1,000 mile length. Most manufacturers would have been more than content with such a superb finish in one of the most challenging and dangerous races in the world, but Mercedes-Benz didn't want their new car finishing second to anyone. Every other race in which the 300 SL was entered saw Mercedes-Benz take a 1-2 finish with its brilliant racer. The cars were raced only for the 1952 season, but overt success at such challenging races as the Carrera Panamericana sparked interest in a production version which was to go in sale in 1954.

With its 300 SL racer, Mercedes-Benz carried on a tradition of perfection. The advanced construction of the car used a precisely fabricated tubular frame as a rigid chassis. The engine, which was tilted 40 degrees to fit beneath a low hoodline, was mounted within the frame along with the rest of the driveline, the steering and suspension pieces, and the gas tank. Over this frame was a clean and streamlined body designed by Karl Wilfert. When tested in a wind tunnel, the 300 SL's body was shown to have a shockingly low coefficient of drag of just 0.25. Instantly recognizable with its gullwing doors, the 300 SL race and street cars were some of the most remarkable cars to come from Mercedes-Benz.

Taking a break from racing in 1953, Mercedes-Benz instead took time to develop new cars for the 1954 season that could continue their strong racing success. Thus, the W 196 was developed. There were 10 produced, all Grand Prix cars. Using an engine completely different from the 300 SL's, the W 196 was powered by a 2,496cc straight eight. The powerful engine made 280hp at 8,700rpm in final form. To reduce vibration and place less stress on the engine's crankshaft, a radical design was implemented that placed the crankshaft drive in the center of the engine allowing for a power takeoff from the middle of the unit. There were four cylinders ahead of the power takeoff, and four cylinders behind. The design worked well, and the W 196 cars went on to win 11 of the 14 races in which they were entered in 1954 and 1955.

It was the W 196 that would form the basis of the 300 SLR. The basic engine design and chassis layout were to be shared between the two, and the lean bodywork of the 300 SLR owed more to the W 196 than to the 300 SL. Still, the 300 SL of 1952 was instrumental in fostering the design of the tubular chassis that was to underpin both the W 196 and 300 SLR. The 300 SLR was a culmination of lessons learned through the 300 SL, W 196, and other famously successful Mercedes-Benz racecars of the company's proud past.

Looking simply at the 300 SLR's name gave the false impression that the car was simply a racing version of the 300 SL with a similar 3.0L straight six. In actuality, the 300 SLR was a wholly different car with a newer, more technically sophisticated engine design based closely on the power plant of the W 196.

Introduced for the spring of 1955, the 300 SLR used a straight eight with the power takeoff still at the center of the engine but with displacement enlarged to 2,992cc. The larger displacement was used to make the 300 SLR more competitive in the World Championship of Makes where the displacement limit was three liters. The 300 SLR's engine was made up of two blocks. They were constructed of an alloy using aluminum and magnesium for light weight. The valvetrain on the 300 SLR's straight eight was desmodromic. In a desmodromic design, camshafts are used to close the valves as well as open them. A compression ratio of 12.0:1 was used, and maximum engine speed, at 7,600rpm, was lower than the W 196's. Output ranged from 276bhp to a reported 345bhp.

With its centrally located power takeoff, the straight eight of the 300 SLR was uncharacteristically short. It fit snugly into a tubular chassis similar to the W 196 and 300 SL before it. Sheathing the chassis were some of the most elegant bodies to ever clothe Mercedes-Benz racers. Long, dramatic noses featured gills on their sides from which exhaust pipes sprouted. Sheet magnesium was chosen as the body material. The gas tank, mounted as the very back of the chassis, was covered in a panel that featured a swept back bulge behind the head of the driver or, on cars destined to carry a passenger, behind both riders.

The lovely panel that shrouded the gas tank was more than a decorative flourish. It was this panel that was hinged at the rear and could be raised as an airbrake. The use of an airbrake was one of the most interesting technical features of the 300 SLR. The large panel supplemented strong inboard drum brakes. Mercedes-Benz experimented with different means of activating the airbrake. They tried, for instance, using a linkage to activate the brake automatically as soon as 2nd gear was selected. In the end, though, the airbrake was left as a manually engaged item that was most notably taken full advantage of by Juan Fangio. One of the best drivers who ever lived, Fangio was capable of just about anything. His masterful use of the airbrake to improve braking, reduce brake wear, and aid cornering was incredible. He knew exactly how to best handle the Mercedes-Benz racer.

Fangio wasn't the only famous driver on the Mercedes-Benz team during the 300 SLR's tenure. Stirling Moss was also driving for the marque at the time. With phenomenal drivers piloting highly sophisticated machines with awesome performance, success was a given for Mercdes-Benz and its 300 SLR vehicles.

The winning began as soon as the first 300 SLR was first raced. Stirling Moss drove the 1955 Mille Miglia with Denis Jenkinson as his navigator. Jenkinson had mapped out the entire course and noted details on an 18-foot scroll. All of the corners had been rated for severity. Using the terms 'saucy,' 'dodgy,' and 'very dangerous' as the three ratings, Jenkinson and Moss developed a route map that proved their playfulness as well as their commitment to running the race well. The two men made a great team, finishing as victors of the Mille Miglia with a time that would never be beaten.

The drive had been outrageous, with speeds upward of 170mph having been achieved. The brakes worked very well on the car, but by the race's end they had become so worn that not only all of the pads but much of the aluminum on the brake shoes had been ground away. The layout of the 300 SLR placed the driveshaft running between the legs of the driver. This led to the driver's need to straddle the driveshaft tunnel, operating the clutch on the left side with the brake and gas on the right. Worn brakes and an odd driving position couldn't slow the 300 SLR, though, and the Mille Miglia win was a great example of how capable the car was.

Such great success was tempered by what may have been the worst tragedy to ever occur during an automobile race. At the 1955 running of Le Mans, Mercedes-Benz was doing well. The three 300 SLR racers were some of the fastest cars there, and they surely were capable of winning the race outright. Rules had changed for '55, though, and different classes of cars had become allowed to compete at the same time. This lapse in judgment on the part of Le Mans organizers caused slower cars to become dangerous obstacles impeding the paths of cars like the Jaguar D-Type and Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR as they traced the track with cruise missile velocity.

The inevitable happened in the evening of the '55 Le Mans race. A 300 SLR was inadvertently cut-off by an Austin-Healy swerving to avoid a D-Type pulling into the pits. The 300 SLR, driven by Pierre Levegh, slammed into the back of the Austin-Healy. The Mercedes-Benz was thrown into a wall, where it ignited and became engulfed in flames. Levegh was killed instantly. In a horrific display of fireworks, burning fragments of the 300 SLR were hurled into the crowd. The lives of 82 spectators were lost as the tragedy unfolded.

Mercedes-Benz entered six races with the 300 SLR before Le Mans, and they won all of them. Had disaster not ruined Le Mans, the company likely would have had a perfect season. Even after the wreck Mercedes-Benz was leading at Le Mans. But the accident was far too much for the company to bear. Mercedes-Benz called in its other two Le Mans runners and solemnly withdrew from motor racing entirely. It would be years, decades, before Mercedes-Benz entered another race.

Though the 300 SLR's story was cut tragically short, history has kept alive the bright days of the car's earlier wins. The 300 SLR has become a Mercedes-Benz icon. Bringing the name back on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren that debuted at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show has allowed the spirit of the 300 SLR to live on into the 21st century. The lives lost at Le Mans in 1955 will never be forgotten, but neither will the genius of the engineers and excellence of the drivers who made the 300 SLR much more than just a car.

Sources:

Adler , Dennis. Daimler & Benz: The Complete History. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. Print.

Nitske, W. Robert. Mercedes-Benz: 300 SL. Tuscon, AZ: Motorbooks International, 1974. Print.

Nitske, W. Robert. Mercedes-Benz: A History. Tuscon, AZ: Motorbooks International, 1978. Print.

Evan Acuña

The Mercedes-Benz 300 was produced from 1951 through 1958 and is one of the most graceful and classic creations of the post-World War II era. The style was both classic and modern and built to high standards. They were constructed from fine materials using the latest in technology and achieving minimal weight with a high degree of strength.

The 300 was built on a traditional body-on-frame construction as many other marque's, including most of the Mercedes-Benz line, had switched to unit-body construction. The body-on-frame construction was ideal for maintaining a high level of quality for vehicles produced in limited quantities. The front end was suspended in place through the use of an independent suspension with A-arms and coil springs. The rear was the tried-and-true swing axle with coil springs.

Under the bonnet was a 2996-cc six-cylinder engine with Bosch mechanical fuel injection that produced 175 horsepower. Considering the modest wheelbase size and the overall low weight of the vehicle, the 175 horsepower was more than enough to carry these custom-built vehicles at highway speeds with little effort. The car was fast, luxurious, safe, and comfortable.

From November of 1951 through March of 1962, there were 11,430 examples of the Mercedes 300 constructed. Most were built atop of a 120-inch wheelbase and with four-door configuration. Just over 700 were convertible sedans.

The 300 had been introduced at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Mercedes-Benz selected the Paris Auto Show to introduce the next iteration of the 300-Series, the 300S. This was a much sportier version that rode on a shortened, 114.2-inch, wheelbase and built in 2-door open and closed configuration. The engine was a multi-carbureted unit that produced just over 160 SAE horsepower.

The Mercedes-Benz 300S was a very fast automobile that still retained luxury, comfort, and style. Built in very limited quantities, it was an exclusive automobile.

Production of the 300S lasted from 1952 through April of 1958 with a total of 760 examples being constructed.

The final iteration of the 300-Series was the 300SC, which made its appearance at the 1955 Paris Auto Show. It was given a detuned version of the 300SL's Bosch mechanical fuel-injected engine and a new 'low-pivot' swing axle rear suspension.

Large and luxurious, the Mercedes 300 series was built from 1951 until 1957 in its original form. The company's largest and most-prestigious models, the Mercedes-Benz Type 300 is considered a trademark of the era throughout the 1950s. With a 3 liter engine capacity, the name 300 said it all. Exclusive, expensive, elegant and full of power, the Type 300 vehicles were in an elite status all of its own. In a tribute to the Chancellor of Germany at the time, this series was often referred to as the Adenauer, after Konrad Adenauer. During his time as Chancellor, Adenauer used a total of six of these vehicles.

The main competition that the 300 Series faced during its production time was the less-expensive Ponton series. A large majority of the company's sales were directed in the area of this cheaper series. During the early 1960's, both the Ponton series and the Type 300 were eventually replaced by the 'Heckflosse' cars.

Available as either a sedan or cabriolet, the Type 300 was offered both with four doors, along with seating for six. With a more modern body, the 'W186' Type 300 was built on a pre-war chassis, yet it utilized a modern 3 L straight-6 engine. The most interesting feature was a rear load-levelling suspension that was operated by a switch on the dashboard. Many other luxury features were offered on this series, these included a VHF mobile telephone, a dictation machine and a Becker radio. The Chancellor's personal vehicle was equipped with a writing desk, sirens, a dividing partition, curtains, and many more features.

A special Type 300 Lang, Innenlenker model was a limousine version that rode on a 20 cm (7.9 in) longer wheelbase.

The Type 300 b was introduced with power brakes in 1954. In September of 1955, a larger rear window was featured on the Type 300 c. Also featuring a swing axle rear independent suspension, the Type 300 c was sold at $10,864 in the U.S. with the convertible available at an expensive $14,231.

In August of 1957, the B-pillar was updated for the hardtop look in the Type 300 d. With a total of 3,077 produced, the d was produced until March of 1963. Available with a compression ratio of 8.55:1 and Bosch fuel injection, the d produced 160 hp. The W112 300SE replaced the limousine version.

Mercedes-Benz's top-end vehicle in 1952 following its introduction, the 'W188' Type 300 S was available as a 2+2 coupe, cabriolet or roadster. Marketed as one of the top luxury vehicles in the world, the W188 was actually very similar mechanically to the more contemporary W186. The Type 300 Sc received the addition of fuel injection in 1955, along the same time that Mercedes-Benz's 'low-pivot' independent suspension was substituted. Dual chrome strips were placed on each side of the hood that denotes the 'Sc' model.

The 300 S line was an established Mercedes tradition, 2-door convertible and coupe versions of the limousine model. These models had a body built on a separate chassis, and were conventionally styled grand tourers. The SL, which stood for 'Sport Leicht', and can be broken down to lightweight sportscar, was introduced in the same year. Essentially a derivative of the ‘ordinary' Mercedes 300 series, there was really nothing ordinary about the 300 SL.

The vehicle that was responsible for re-establishing Mercedes-Benz as a formidable power in sports vehicle racing following World War 2, the 300 SL was introduced in 1952. Beginning as a thoroughbred road racing vehicle, the exotic 300 SL finished its career in 1963 as a very fast convertible for the wealthy.

Following such an impressive impact on car enthusiasts worldwide, there has continued to be an SL model in the Mercedes Range ever since. There has never been another SL model in the Mercedes range that has been able to live up to the prestige, engineering and styling of the original 300 SL.

Introduced at the 1953 Mille Miglia, where a total of 300 SL's took part in the event, the original 300 SL was first introduced as a contender for the famous road races of those days. One of the SL models took 2nd place, and another took 4th place, making a very impressive mark on viewers. This was only the beginning of many more racing successes soon after.

Jessica Donaldson

For more information and related vehicles, click here

1955 Mercedes-Benz models
Mercedes-Benz 190 SL
Mercedes-Benz 300 C
Mercedes-Benz 300 S
Mercedes-Benz 300 SB
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Fitch Mille Miglia 417
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL NASCAR
Mercedes-Benz 300b Pininfarina
Mercedes-Benz 300SC
Mercedes-Benz W196 R Streamliner