Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194), 1952

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194), 1952. Winning vehicle of the 1952 Le Mans 24 Hours. Photo from the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194), 1952

Mercedes-Benz re-entered motor racing in 1952 with the 300 SL (W 194). The limited resources initially spoke against the development of a racing car for Formula One in 1952 because new regulations had already been announced for the 1954 season. Axles, transmission and engine of the new racing car were developed from components stemming from the Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186) representation vehicle. A brand new feature is an extremely lightweight, yet very torsionally stiff tubular frame, which is enclosed by a streamlined light-alloy body. As a result of the elevated tubular frame around the doors, the racing car was equipped with characteristic gullwing doors, which were hinged on the roof. In 1952, the 300 SL was successful from the outset: amongst its major racing victories were the one-two-three victory at the Grand Prix of Bern (Switzerland), spectacular one-two finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (France) and at the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico as well as the top four positions in the Nürburgring Jubilee Grand Prix. The Le Mans winning car of 1952 belongs to a private collector.

Technical data of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car (W 194)

Deployment: 1952
Cylinders: 6/in-line
Displacement: 2,996 cc
Output: 125 kW (170 hp) at 5,200 rpm
Top speed: 240 km/h