002 Cars
Discover the history of the SLR, from its roots to an icon, and explore the milestones that shaped it.
In March 1952, Daimler-Benz introduced the 300 SL (W 194) racing sports car. Only a few months later, the model celebrated a spectacular debut at Le Mans. In August, the team followed with an impressive fourfold victory at the Nürburgring. Just three months later, Karl Kling won the demanding Carrera Panamericana in Mexico in a 300 SL.
To keep the body design as aerodynamic as possible, the vehicle’s frontal area was minimized. However, during the frame construction, it became clear that conventional doors couldn’t be used on the vehicle’s sides. Ultimately, the only option was entry via the roof – and thus, the gullwing doors, as the Americans call them, were born. Even today, the charm of this design is undeniable. Later Mercedes-Benz prototypes, the C 111 and C 112, as well as the Mercedes-Benz SLR and the current Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, also revisit this concept.
The Le Mans race in June 1952, following the Mille Miglia and the Bern Grand Prix, was the third test for the newly developed 300 SL. The Mercedes-Benz team arrived with three cars and initially unsettled the competition with a novel detail: a retractable wing was mounted on the roof of one of the racing cars, serving as a kind of “air brake.” Although the bold contraption wasn’t actually used in the race, it left a lasting impression on the rivals.
The three teams at the starting line were Theo Helfrich & Helmut Niedermayr, Hermann Lang & Fritz Rieß, and Karl Kling & Hans Klenk. At the end of an incredibly thrilling and unpredictable race, the duo of Hermann Lang and Fritz Rieß emerged victorious with an average speed of 155.575 km/h – a new record in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The only race the Mercedes-Benz team contested in Germany in 1952 was the race at the Nürburgring, which had opened in 1927. Just under two weeks after their victory at Le Mans, Kling, Lang, Helfrich, and Rieß were already back on the Eifel circuit for their first practice laps. Karl Kling set a new benchmark on his fourth practice lap: he completed the 22.8 km circuit in just 10 minutes and 34 seconds. But another detail was also noteworthy: the Mercedes-Benz racing department had removed the roofs from the four 300 SL (W 194) coupes!
The resulting roadsters offered a better view of the Nürburgring’s winding track, thus providing the drivers with greater confidence. The result of the “Grand Jubilee Prize”: 1st Lang, 2nd Kling, 3rd Rieß, and 4th Helfrich. The Silver Arrows were a resounding success.
By directive number 4150, Daimler-Benz’s racing department embarked on an adventurous undertaking in 1952: participation in the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico.
On October 4th, four 300 SLs—two coupes and two roadsters—along with a whole team of technicians, were shipped to Veracruz. Racing director Neubauer selected Hermann Lang and Eugen Geiger, as well as Karl Kling and Hans Klenk. John Fitch joined the team from America as a driver, accompanied by Erwin Grupp from Swabia.
The grueling five-day race across desert tracks in scorching heat was full of surprises. Among them was a collision between Kling’s car and a vulture. But despite all the adversity, his team won the Panamericana ahead of the Lang/Geiger duo. Kling became a national hero—and for Mercedes-Benz, this victory marked the beginning of a new era in motorsport.
The three teams at the start were Theo Helfrich & Helmut Niedermayr, Hermann Lang & Fritz Rieß, and Karl Kling & Hans Klenk. At the end of an incredibly exciting and unpredictable race, the duo Hermann Lang and Fritz Rieß emerged victorious with an average speed of 155.575 km/h – a new record in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A bizarre accident in 1952 will likely forever be linked to his name: During the Carrera Panamericana, the world’s fastest road race, a vulture flew into Karl Kling’s windshield while he was driving at full speed. Kling handled the situation brilliantly. The next day, he and his co-driver, Klenk, started the race with thin metal rods in front of the windshield and ultimately won the grueling race across desert tracks and through Mexican villages. This racing success made Kling a national hero in post-war Germany.
In a speech at the Palais Schaumburg, Chancellor Adenauer declared: “This victory opens the door to exports for us.” Kling had waited a long time for his triumph: He was already 42 years old. In 1954/55, the Giessen native still drove 11 successful races for Mercedes-Benz before coordinating racing and rally operations in 1956 as the successor to the legendary Alfred Neubauer.
“During a race, a racing driver is the loneliest person in the world,” said racing director Alfred Neubauer. And he did his best to remedy this. He was always seen handling flags and signal boards at the Mercedes-Benz pit box to ensure his drivers had an informational advantage. His ingenuity gave rise to a legend: When the W 25 racing cars exceeded the 750 kg weight limit of the regulations at the 1934 Eifel Race, Neubauer had the white paintwork sanded off.
The Silver Arrow was born. The motorsport enthusiast (born in 1891) was one of the driving forces behind the reconstruction of the racing department after 1945. He led the Mercedes-Benz team through its victorious period from 1952 to 1955.
The idea struck Mercedes-Benz engineer Hans Gassmann on a tram in 1952, and he quickly jotted it down on an envelope: the “desmodromic valve actuation.”
Rudolf Uhlenhaut and his team were developing the successor to the W 194 and observed that at maximum engine speeds, the valve tappets of the Grand Prix engines lifted off the cam lobe.
Gassmann’s design simply involved two cams per valve. One opened the valve as usual, but a second closed it again via a rocker arm. The technology was implemented in the newly built W 196 R and the three-liter 300 SLR.
Rudolf Uhlenhaut
In 1936, Rudolf Uhlenhaut was appointed technical director of the Mercedes-Benz racing department. The worldly and well-educated young man proved to be a natural talent in the racing cockpit: “I knew nothing about racing cars,” he later remarked, “I learned to drive them.” With resounding success: 1937 promptly became the most successful year in Mercedes-Benz’s racing history to date. Uhlenhaut was the only engineer who could personally drive racing cars at Grand Prix speeds. It’s often recounted how, in 1954, he raced around the Nürburgring to “better distribute his lunch.”
He beat the best lap time set by factory driver Juan Manuel Fangio by 3.5 seconds. But his charming passion for automobiles was coupled with the highest level of engineering skill. Both the 300 SL from 1952 – the first gullwing – and the later racing cars W 196 R (1954/55) and 300 SLR (1955) achieved victory after victory for Daimler-Benz. The visionary is also revered by automotive enthusiasts for his concept cars: the 300 SL “Hobel” (a nickname for the 300 SL), the legendary “300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé”, and the Wankel-engined sports car C 111.
He remained a loner: For the 1953 racing season, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, head of passenger car development, created the 300 SL Transaxle as a worthy successor to the W 194. Its chassis number was W 194 011. Fans affectionately call it “Hobel” (Plane). With the decision to enter Formula 1 in 1954, preparations for the 1953 season were halted, and “Hobel” remained a one-off.
With the Transaxle, Mercedes-Benz implemented groundbreaking innovations for the first time, such as direct fuel injection and Uhlenhaut’s patented “swing axle with low pivot point.” Car 011 thus became the forerunner of the later 300 SL Coupé.
In the 1930s, Mercedes-Benz engineers Hans Scherenberg and Fritz Nallinger, together with Bosch, began developing fuel injection systems for aircraft engines. They became leading experts in this field, at times even receiving two patents in a single day. At the end of the 1940s, Daimler-Benz decided to develop fuel injection for a production vehicle. Dr. Hans Scherenberg, who became head of passenger car design in early 1952, made this project his top priority.
Together with specialists from Bosch and the plant engineers Rudolf Uhlenhaut and Karl-Heinz Göschel, they finally achieved success in December 1952: the 3-liter direct-injection engine produced 214 hp. It was extensively tested in the 300 SL transaxle prototype and went into series production in 1954 in the legendary “Gullwing” coupé.
The 300 SL Coupé (W 198), unveiled at the 1954 New York Motor Show – a further development of the successful 1952 racing car – was a dream for car enthusiasts long before its release. Motorsport journalists voted the 300 SL Coupé the “Car of the Century.” Produced in a limited run of only 1,400 units, boasting 215 hp, the first production car with a four-stroke engine featuring fuel injection, and equipped with its characteristic gullwing doors, the “Gullwing” remains one of the most sought-after and expensive classic sports cars of all time.
In its very first appearance at Reims in 1954, Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling secured a one-two finish for Mercedes-Benz: The engineers around Professor Fritz Nallinger had developed a completely new 2.5-liter inline eight-cylinder engine equipped with desmodromic forced-valve technology.
The car, designated W 196 R, was built in various versions: Some of the “new Silver Arrows” featured a futuristic-looking streamlined body, while others had open wheels. The star driver Fangio piloted the W 196 to the Formula One World Championship titles of 1954 and 1955.
There are probably few racing drivers as loyal to their brand as Juan Manuel Fangio was. Even off the track, he swore by the cars with the three-pointed star, or as he put it: “Nothing beats safety.” The Argentinian was lured away from Maserati by racing director Neubauer for the 1954 season. The shrewd Neubauer had quickly procured spare parts for Fangio after his private Alfa Romeo broke down at the Nürburgring in 1953.
From Mercedes, of course. Fangio was convinced. He became world champion in 1954 and 1955 driving the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R. His dedication, with which he steered the Silver Arrows to the finish line even under the most adverse conditions, was legendary. The racing legend remained loyal to the three-pointed star later on as well: as president of Mercedes-Benz Argentina, with his own Mercedes-Benz dealership.
For the World Sportscar Championship, which allowed for larger engine displacements in its regulations, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (internally designated W 196 S) was developed based on the W 196 R, with its engine enlarged to three liters. The 300 hp car – which gave its name to the new SLR – is as legendary as Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson’s victory at the 1955 Mille Miglia.
Moss won the 1,597-kilometer race across Italy with an average speed of 157.65 km/h – faster than anyone before or since. The automotive press unanimously praised it as “the pinnacle of automotive engineering.” The SLR and its drivers consistently dominated the top positions in every race. At the end of the season, Mercedes-Benz was crowned World Sportscar Champion.
Based on the 3-liter W 196 S racing car developed in 1955, two examples with closed bodies were also built. Rudolf Uhlenhaut wanted to better protect “his” racing drivers from the elements, especially during long-distance races like the Mille Miglia. With its gullwing doors, the bodywork is reminiscent, at least externally, of the 300 SL. Known among enthusiasts as the “Uhlenhaut Coupé,” this Gran Turismo is revered by car aficionados worldwide.
After Daimler-Benz decided to withdraw from motorsport at the end of the 1955 season, the road-legal, 300-hp coupé never saw racing action. Incidentally, Uhlenhaut himself used one of these exclusive models daily as his company car – presumably the fastest of its kind. Today’s Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a tribute to the legendary Uhlenhaut Coupé – the 300 SLR Coupé.
The racing car with the factory number W 196 R was built in various versions: some of the “new Silver Arrows” featured a futuristic-looking streamlined body, while others had open wheels. The star driver Fangio drove the W 196 in the Formula One World Championships of 1954 and 1955.
Englishman Stirling Moss joined Daimler-Benz in 1955 to drive the new 300 SLR for the racing season. He was a passionate racing driver. At just 16, he bought an Austin Seven and converted it into a two-seater. During the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix, like many other drivers before him, he suffered a heat-related collapse, and his car was pushed back to the paddock. Moss staggered back to the pits.
A little later, Hans Herrmann also collapsed, and his car was subsequently taken over by Karl Kling. Towards the end of the race, Moss regained consciousness, rushed back to the track, and replaced Kling for the final two laps. He finished fourth, tied with Herrmann and Kling. Graham Hill praised him, saying, “I consider Stirling Moss the greatest driver of all time. Greater even than Fangio.”
January 16, 1955, was one of the hottest days of the year in Buenos Aires. The temperatures took their toll on the teams. The race, covering a scorching 375-kilometer course, lasted a good three hours. Only the Argentinian Fangio seemed able to withstand the heat, which brought several drivers to the brink of collapse.
He won ahead of Gonzales in his Ferrari and was celebrated wildly by his compatriots. Hans Herrmann, Karl Kling, and Stirling Moss shared fourth place.
In the 1955 Grand Prix season, the 300 SLR was the talk of the town: its robustness exceeded all expectations, and its driving characteristics were simply outstanding. A major contributor to the season, which Mercedes-Benz concluded so gloriously, was the young Englishman Stirling Moss. Alongside the British journalist Denis Jenkinson, he completed the Mille Miglia route from Brescia to Rome and back in a sensational 10 hours, 7 minutes, and 48 seconds.
Driver and car were pushed to their limits – and the record remains unbroken to this day. Reflecting its starting time of 7:22 a.m., the car was given the number 722 – and became a legend. The 300 SLR with this very starting number is now the most valuable automobile in the world.
January 16, 1955, was one of the hottest days of the year in Buenos Aires. The temperatures took their toll on the teams. The race, covering a scorching 375-kilometer course, lasted a good three hours. Only the Argentinian Fangio seemed able to withstand the heat, which brought several drivers to the brink of collapse.
He won ahead of Gonzales in his Ferrari and was celebrated wildly by his compatriots. Hans Herrmann, Karl Kling, and Stirling Moss shared fourth place.
The 1955 British Grand Prix at Aintree was the penultimate race of a season that ended in triumph for Mercedes-Benz. After a rather average start to the season, the clear superiority of the W 196 R, redesigned for 1955, became evident from the Spa race onward.
On July 16th, an enthusiastic crowd watched as four Silver Arrows virtually demolished the rest of the field: first place went to Englishman Stirling Moss, second to Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio, third to Karl Kling, and fourth to Italian Piero Taruffi. All were driving the W 196 R. Juan Manuel Fangio became the 1955 World Champion with 41 points, while Stirling Moss finished second with 23 points.
The Tourist Trophy at the Dundrod circuit in Northern Ireland was one of the highlights for Mercedes-Benz driver Stirling Moss in what was already a brilliant 1955 racing season. He had the home advantage. That he won by a full lap in his SLR with co-driver John Fitch was therefore hardly surprising.
Nor was it surprising for Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling, who finished second. Third place went to Wolfgang von Trips and André Simon, also driving a 300 SLR.
On the fourth lap of the 72-kilometer mountain circuit in Sicily, Stirling Moss and his 300 SLR plunged down an embankment and were stopped by a boulder. The driver was uninjured, but the Mercedes-Benz looked battered. A misconception, however, as enthusiastic spectators pushed the car back onto the track, and once back in the pits, Moss was relieved by Collins.
The Moss/Collins duo once again took first place, ahead of Fangio and Kling. John Fitch, another Mercedes-Benz driver, later commented in amazement: “This sports car is built like a tank, yet as responsive as a jungle cat.”
In the preceding years (1952-1954), Mercedes-Benz racing and sports cars repeatedly demonstrated their performance capabilities. Mercedes-Benz dominated the prestigious Grand Prix competitions as well as the grueling endurance races, the European Touring Car Championship, and the sports car championships in Italy and the United States. The year 1955 was to bring a grand finale to this racing adventure. Even as the races were still underway, it was becoming clear that this season would be the last for the Silver Arrows and that the company planned to withdraw all its teams from motorsport.
The devastating accident at Le Mans in 1955, in which Pierre Levegh’s 300 SLR collided with Lance Macklin’s Austin Healey through no fault of his own, killing over 80 spectators, is often mistakenly cited as the trigger for this complete withdrawal. However, the board had already made the decision in the spring to focus more intensely on the development of new passenger cars for the Mercedes-Benz brand. With the victory in the Constructors’ World Championship in 1955, the chapter of motorsport was closed for more than three decades.
Mercedes-Benz reimagined the technology and design of its successful Silver Arrows. At the Detroit Auto Show, the premium brand, now part of the DaimlerChrysler group, presented a concept study for a 21st-century Gran Turismo, combining styling elements of the current Formula 1 Silver Arrow and the SLR sports cars of the 1950s into a captivating new concept. Its name: Vision SLR. The three letters sufficed to characterize the vision: SLR – “Sporty, Light, Racing.”
This Vision SLR marked the beginning of a joint project between DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars Ltd. Following the sensational concept, the DaimlerChrysler AG board gave the green light for production of this sports car in July 1999, and the vision of a Mercedes-Benz supercar became a reality. However, even then, prospective buyers had to endure a waiting period of over three years until the first “Silver Arrows of the 21st Century” were delivered at the end of March 2004. Thus, in collaboration with Formula 1 partner McLaren, the SLR was created, reflecting the heritage, philosophy and styling of Mercedes-Benz while using the latest state-of-the-art production techniques.
The striking front end, with its arrow-shaped nose and signature double wings, was inspired by the Formula 1 race car in which Mika Häkkinen won the 1998 World Championship. This design concept is echoed in various parts of the body and interior. This Formula 1 aesthetic harmonizes with the twin headlights of Mercedes-Benz’s signature four-eyed design, which appeared in a new and unusual interpretation on the Vision SLR.
The Vision SLR’s elongated hood, powerfully curved fenders, and gullwing doors were based on the stylistic ideas of the legendary SL models from the 1950s and their racing variants, the SLR, which propelled drivers like Juan Manuel Fangio, Karl Klink, and Stirling Moss to victory after victory.
Inside the concept car, the wide, gently curved center console with its round controls and the silver-painted wing profiles in front of the driver and passenger were the dominant features. They replaced the conventional instrument panel and simultaneously symbolized the modern lightweight construction of the Gran Turismo.
The cockpit consisted of two round instruments encased in aluminum, reminiscent of high-quality chronometers. Carbon fiber bucket seats, an oval steering wheel, and state-of-the-art information technology such as the Cockpit Management and Data System (COMAND) were among the other technical highlights of the sporty interior.
The first SLR customers gathered in Monte Carlo during the Monaco Grand Prix in 2002 for “Event No. 01.” This select group was exclusively introduced to the “Vision SLR.”
Exactly one year later – again in Monte Carlo during the Monaco Grand Prix – the production version of the SLR was presented live to customers at an exclusive sneak preview by then McLaren Mercedes team driver David Coulthard.
The Mercedes-Benz presentation at the 60th International Motor Show (IAA) in September 2003 was dominated by a car that set new standards in design and technology, thereby reaffirming Mercedes-Benz’s role as a pacesetter and innovation leader among passenger car brands: the high-performance SLR McLaren sports car.
As a captivating synthesis of myth and innovation, the new high-performance SLR sports car made its debut in Frankfurt am Main: a modern “gullwing” that continues the legend of the SLR racing cars from the 1950s.
Since May 2004, the “Silver Arrow of the 21st Century” has been hand-built and delivered from Woking, near London. All production steps followed Mercedes-Benz standards and processes, adapted to the specific requirements of manufacturing the SLR.
Production combined the advantages of the Mercedes-Benz production system with McLaren’s expertise in building super sports cars. During this process, high-tech materials from the aerospace and Formula 1 industries were used in series automotive production for the first time.
Against the backdrop of the renowned architect Sir Normen Foster’s architectural design, the McLaren Technology Center not only provided optimal conditions for the production of the super sports car but also perfectly met the high expectations of its exclusive clientele. Customer access to the Technology Center was strictly limited. Only SLR customers were treated to a diverse program in this exclusive setting, including a glimpse behind the otherwise closed doors of Formula 1 development and a spectacular vehicle handover ceremony.
At the initiative of its international SLR clientele, Mercedes-Benz founded the SLR.CLUB, and in July 2006, customers celebrated the SLR.CLUB launch in Le Castellet, in the South of France. Every SLR owner automatically became a member of the SLR.CLUB. Since its inception, the SLR.CLUB has thrived on the shared passion and enthusiasm for one of the world’s most fascinating automobiles.
And the SLR legend remains unbroken to this day. Even after production ceased, the spirit of the SLR lives on in this exclusive association of gentleman drivers.
Since 2017, the SLR.CLUB has been led into the future by privately run enthusiasts with great dedication as an officially recognized Mercedes-Benz brand club: the Mercedes-Benz SLR.CLUB e.V.
Between 2006 and 2009, the success of the SLR Coupé was further enhanced with additional model series and special editions. With the new SLR 722 Edition, Mercedes-Benz commemorated the unforgettable victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia, the classic Italian endurance race, achieved by British racing legend Stirling Moss and his co-driver Dennis Jenkinson in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with starting number 722. Sales began on July 11, 2006, and set the hearts of car enthusiasts racing.
From September 2007, the Mercedes-Benz SLR Roadster offered an impressive synthesis of legend and innovation, cutting-edge technology and open-air driving pleasure. Originally presented as a vision in 1999, the SLR Roadster ideally combines the qualities of an elegant coupé with the unparalleled feeling of freedom that comes with driving with the top down. From 2008 onwards, the new Mercedes-Benz SLR Roadster 722 S opens up another spectacular dimension of open-top driving.
With an even more dynamic chassis setup, further improved aerodynamics, and a sporty, high-quality interior, the SLR Roadster 722 S, limited to 150 units, is sure to thrill even the most discerning automotive enthusiasts. Mercedes-Benz crowned the model family with the world premiere of the new SLR Stirling Moss in Detroit in 2009. A high-performance sports car boasting state-of-the-art technology and a breathtaking design, it is the rightful bearer of the name of the British motorsport legend and Mille Miglia record holder Stirling Moss, who drove the legendary Mercedes-Benz SLR racing cars to victory after victory in 1955.
This stunning high-speed racer is limited to 75 units and represents the final chapter in the modern SLR story.
Fabulous Five – Five exciting variants of the SLR family: two coupes, two roadster versions, and finally, the uncompromisingly purist SLR Stirling Moss.
The 1955 Mille Miglia – what a triumph for Stirling Moss in his Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR! Even 60 years later, this success has lost none of its brilliance. Mercedes-Benz celebrated this special anniversary with three spectacular events: Gala, Touring, and Tribute to Mille Miglia.
“Heroes of the Mille Miglia”: Under this motto, the 1950s and a glorious era of motorsport came alive. With Stirling Moss, Hans Herrmann, Mika Häkkinen, Jean Alesi, Bernd Schneider, and iconic cars of that decade, the heroes of the fifties arrived at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Untertürkheim – and with them, the captivating spirit of that glorious era. The monumental highlight the following morning: 60 (!) SLRs parked in formation on the Piazza – a once-in-a-lifetime sight that will remain unforgettable.
This year’s lineup of classic cars was crowned by three legendary 300 SLRs: the “722,” driven by Stirling Moss himself, the “658” with Hans Herrmann at the wheel, and the “654” driven by Susie Wolff – a historically unique constellation that thrilled everyone who was there. The SLR Mille Miglia tour offered Italian moments and plenty of automotive fascination, treating participants to picture-perfect weather, a great atmosphere, breathtaking scenery and ultimate driving pleasure.
Simultaneously, the “Mercedes-Benz Tribute to Mille Miglia” took place, the legendary road race. Drivers of current Mercedes-Benz models led the field as active participants in the race. Brescia to Rome: Brescia represented 1,000 miles of emotion, maximum driving pleasure, and an enthusiastic crowd. Escorted by helpful Carabinieri, they shared the challenging route, unforgettable moments, and all the trials with the classic car drivers – engaging in a competition that was as ambitious as it was fair. Pure racing thrills!
Three unique events, three times the pure Mille Miglia spirit – this superlative program provided a captivating tribute to the 60th anniversary.
