Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR
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The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR was a sports racing car in 1955. Despite the name, it was neither based on the famous 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL road car with Gullwing doors, nor on the earlier 1952 race car.
Instead, it was based on the 1954 and 1955 Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz W196 race car with 8 cylinders in line. The engine capacity was enlarged from 2500cc to 3000cc, and regular gasoline was used rather than a fuel mix including methanol. Also, it had two seats, of which one was covered to improve aerodynamics, unless a co-driver was on board, of course.
This was the case when Stirling Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia with an average speed of 157.65 km/h over 1,600 km (97.96 mph in 994 miles) with the help of Denis Jenkinson, a British motorracing journalist, who informed the driver with previously taken notes, similar to the road book in modern rallying.
The 300 SLR scored additional victories in Germany, Sweden, Ireland and at the Targa Florio in Sicily, and won the world championship for sports cars in the constructors' ranking. The 300 SLR was withdrawn from the 1955 24 hours of Le Mans while leading after a horrific accident involving one of the team's cars killed 82 spectators.
Also, at Le Mans, the 300 SLR were equipped with "air brakes", large hoods that opened up behind the driver in order to slow down the cars at the end of the fast straights. This was done as drum brakes were still used, while main rival Jaguar already had disc brakes.
All 300 SLR race cars were open top, none had Gullwing doors. For test purposes, two road legal SLR were built with Gullwing doors, and used by Mercedes chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut as his daily driver to work. This Uhlenhaut Coupé was regarded as the world's fastest car in the 1950s.
 engine cutaway |
 open chassis |
