Car Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupé, 1955

When Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the architect of the 300 SLR, was at the Mille Miglia in 1955 to watch Mercedes' success, he was also considering the idea of equipping the 300 SLR with a closed roof for future endurance races. His thoughts materialized in the form of a racing coupé with performance levels unmatched by any other sports car on the road. The two-seater car reached a speed of 290 km/h during a test on a closed section of highway near Munich.

“We are driving a car that just seconds ahead of the rest of the traffic, and 200 km/h on a quiet highway is hardly more than a conversational pace. Thanks to stable handling through curves, it treats centrifugal forces with apparent disdain…”

The 300 SLR racing car was based on the famous Formula 1 champion W196 from the 1954-55 season. SLR stands for Sport Light-Racing (Sport Leicht-Rennen). Considered one of the most beautiful racing cars of all time, the new SLR was equipped with a slightly different inline engine, expanded to a capacity of 3 liters. Two of the nine chassis of the 300 SLR, namely 0007/55 and 0008/55, were converted into 300 SLR Coupé with a closed body and gull-wing doors. They were intended for the upcoming Carrera Panamericana.

The coupé's body was clad in Elektron sheet metal, a magnesium alloy even lighter than aluminum. The semi-circular front windshield generated very little air resistance. Similar to the SLR racing car, the driver of the coupé had to control pedals with legs spread wide behind the steering wheel. Under the hood was an inline eight-cylinder engine mounted longitudinally, placed just behind the front axle, developing a maximum torque of 234 Nm at 5950 rpm and a maximum power of 310 HP at 7400 rpm.

Due to safety concerns following the tragic accident at Le Mans in June, Mercedes-Benz decided to withdraw from motorsport at the end of 1955. As a result, the coupé SLR project was shelved and never went into production. Subsequently, Rudolf Uhlenhaut appropriated one of the coupés, the chassis for his own use. Weighing only 1117 kg and capable of 290 km/h, the Uhlenhaut coupé was undoubtedly the fastest road car of its time in the world.

Although the 300 SLR coupé was no longer racing seriously, chassis 0007/55 was not unfamiliar to motorsport. After the Swedish Grand Prix in 1955, it reappeared at the RAC Tourist Trophy held in Dundrod, Northern Ireland, on September 17, 1955.

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