Just parked up on the lawn in front of the Mercedes stand! Read into the details of W194 number 7 and you quickly learn this exact car won LeMans. Impressive! Of course, this tanker aero design hides a Super Light alloy spaceframe with giant structural sills. Escape was via the future-icon gullwing doors. This car went on to race at the Nurburgring and as a timer in the Carrera Panamericana. 1952 Mercedes-Benz W194 Number 7
One of the rarest Gullwings in the world? One of only four race-prepped W198 300SLs, featuring the upgraded NSL engine with 240HP? A surviving competition car that placed second in the 1956 Tour de France, and driven by Sir Striling Moss? Oh yes. For the first time in more than 25 years, an authentic ‘Sports Department’ Sportabteilung seeks a new home. RM Sotheby’s will sell the special Merc at their December event in Manhattan. No internet bids, riffraff! 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Sportabteilung Gullwing RM Sotheby’s New York – Driven By Disruption 10 December 2015 Lot 223 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL …
This is a cool one. As you may know, Mercedes had a spotty record of hanging on to rare classics among the hundreds of models the company has produced. This applies double for the racecars – which are often either lost to track damage or to privateer teams. Either way, gone from the safety of the MB Museum. Such was the case for a pair of American-commissioned racing overhauls to a pair of 1957 300 SL’s. While Mercedes retired from racing for 1956-forward, the SL was still a plum basis for a race-winning track car. A priciple named Jim O’Shea …
Part publicity stunt, part engineering exercise — and all fun and playful. The 1950s Mercedes-Benz Racing Division needed a rapid transport vehicle to supplement the big trucks with closed canopies that typically moved racecars and teams among the European circuits. Lower, faster and far more nimble than the big trucks, the Blue Wonder could navigate under any bridge or within any narrow city streets — areas typically off-limits for a heavy heauler. Powered by a race-ready engine from the 300SL and plopped into Mercedes sedan chassis, the ‘Blue Wonder’ was billed as the fastest transporter in the world. A top …
As the SLS AMG bows out to be replaced by the new AMG GT as the Mercedes supercar, many people are unemotional about the change from gullwing to traditional hinged doors. In this regard, the gullwing doors of the SLS are so iconic that they have become a bit passe as a result. But the special magic of twin, central-hinged doors opening upward and meeting mid-roof is truly a cultural touchstone in the car business. Much as Lamborghini defines scissor doors, Mercedes gullwing doors are a huge part of the 300SL legend — and therefore the Mercedes legend — since …
You can really tell when a classic car up for auction soon is a real pride and joy of its owner. In the case of this 1963 Mercedes 300SL, the love really jumps from the photos intact. It is especially amazing to see such loving photos of a silver/red 300SL because the color set is popular enough to be cliche. So for it to be so amazingly represented here is a big deal. We wish this SL Roadster the best at Mecum Auction’s Kissimmee, Florida event in mid-January 2015 — and might even head down there to attend it in …