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On June 15, 1951, Daimler-Benz's management board decided to return to racing. All they had to start with was their first new post-war car, the 300 Sedan. Using that engine and running gear they designed a lightweight tubular chassis and a streamlined coupe body employing the now famous 'gullwing' doors allowing a rigid frame without the weight penalty of beefing up the door openings of a more conventional approach.
Although the 3-liter engine displacement was less than many of the competitor cars, it would prove to be a strong and reliable platform.
The W194 was built in just nine months and marked the debut of the now-famous 'SL' suffix, denoting Sport and Light. The space-frame structure consisted of a delicate lattice of numerous triangles and was extremely stiff and light. To achieve optimum strength, the frame was raised at the sides - a design that necessitated the use of the now legendary gullwing doors. Conceived by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, Head of Daimler-Benz's testing department, the 300 SL racing sports car boasted an impressively lightweight structure: the entire car was built around a welded steel-tube spaceframe chassis weighing only 110 pounds. The lightweight-yet-strong frame enveloped the passenger compartment, making traditional doors impossible - giving birth to the iconic gullwing doors, which became one of the most famous features on the production model of the 300 SL. The new race car was successful right from the start.
Chassis 07/52 was the first of the second group of Type 194 cars constructed, completed in late spring of 1952 for use at Le Mans. After a second place in the 1952 Mille Miglia, which was its racing premiere, it scored a 1-2-3 victory in the Bern sports car race, followed by two 1-2 victories in the legendary Le Mans 24 Hour race and the even harder Carrera Panamericana Mexico, not to mention a 1-2-3-4 victory at the Nurburgring 25th Anniversary Race.
This car was constructed in 1952 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and with a team of Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess driving, chassis 7 won the race, the first German car to achieve this result (and to this day, the only Mercedes factory-built car to win Le Mans). After this victory, Mercedes-Benz decided to produce a road-going version, the iconic 300SL 'Gullwing' coupe.
For the subsequent Nurburgring race, the car was modified into roadster configuration where Lang once again drove it to first place overall. The car was later shipped to Mexico where it served as a practice and PR car for the Carrera Pan Americana.
It was based on the success of this racer that Daimler-Benz was convinced by US importer Max Hoffman to produce a road-going version of this race car, the iconic 1954-57 300SL 'Gullwing' Coupe.
This is one of two W194s outside of the Mercedes Museum. The other one, 194/06, belongs to the same owner of this car. The current owner sent 194/07 to Mercedes-Benz Classic Center for restoration back to its original W-194 configuration. The original engine number 194/21 was obtained and reunited with the original chassis and the car was restored to its original Le Mans configuration.
Although the 3-liter engine displacement was less than many of the competitor cars, it would prove to be a strong and reliable platform.
The W194 was built in just nine months and marked the debut of the now-famous 'SL' suffix, denoting Sport and Light. The space-frame structure consisted of a delicate lattice of numerous triangles and was extremely stiff and light. To achieve optimum strength, the frame was raised at the sides - a design that necessitated the use of the now legendary gullwing doors. Conceived by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, Head of Daimler-Benz's testing department, the 300 SL racing sports car boasted an impressively lightweight structure: the entire car was built around a welded steel-tube spaceframe chassis weighing only 110 pounds. The lightweight-yet-strong frame enveloped the passenger compartment, making traditional doors impossible - giving birth to the iconic gullwing doors, which became one of the most famous features on the production model of the 300 SL. The new race car was successful right from the start.
Chassis 07/52 was the first of the second group of Type 194 cars constructed, completed in late spring of 1952 for use at Le Mans. After a second place in the 1952 Mille Miglia, which was its racing premiere, it scored a 1-2-3 victory in the Bern sports car race, followed by two 1-2 victories in the legendary Le Mans 24 Hour race and the even harder Carrera Panamericana Mexico, not to mention a 1-2-3-4 victory at the Nurburgring 25th Anniversary Race.
This car was constructed in 1952 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and with a team of Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess driving, chassis 7 won the race, the first German car to achieve this result (and to this day, the only Mercedes factory-built car to win Le Mans). After this victory, Mercedes-Benz decided to produce a road-going version, the iconic 300SL 'Gullwing' coupe.
For the subsequent Nurburgring race, the car was modified into roadster configuration where Lang once again drove it to first place overall. The car was later shipped to Mexico where it served as a practice and PR car for the Carrera Pan Americana.
It was based on the success of this racer that Daimler-Benz was convinced by US importer Max Hoffman to produce a road-going version of this race car, the iconic 1954-57 300SL 'Gullwing' Coupe.
This is one of two W194s outside of the Mercedes Museum. The other one, 194/06, belongs to the same owner of this car. The current owner sent 194/07 to Mercedes-Benz Classic Center for restoration back to its original W-194 configuration. The original engine number 194/21 was obtained and reunited with the original chassis and the car was restored to its original Le Mans configuration.
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Recent Sales of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL W194
(Data based on Model Year 1952 sales)
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL W194s That Failed To Sell At Auction
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL W194's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
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1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL W194
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