Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Rennsportwagen

The 300 SL (W 194) is the first racing car with which Mercedes-Benz renewed its participation in international automobile racing in the postwar period. The car has proven itself in top-ranking racing positions, such as in the 24-hour endurance race in Le Mans, or the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. Since 1952, this Stuttgart-based make has secured a place in the worldwide motor sports scene. The racing car achieved particular fame for its unusual gull-winged doors, which turned the production sports car 300 SL, introduced in 1954 and directly derived from the W 194, into a lasting icon of automobile history.

This exclusive publication is the second installment of the Milestones of Motor Sports series, and it draws from the numerous archives of Mercedes-Benz Classic. The complete profiles and driving histories of each car are presented in great detail, with some images and documentation that have never before been published.