Photo Archive Vol. 4 – 1952 300SL

Classic Car Articles, Image Gallery, Resource Center · February 22, 2019

This volume of our photo archive series concentrates on the 1952 300SL race cars, specifically the version with the half gullwing doors opening from the window line up. The production 300 SL goes back to this race car, Mercedes-Benz W194, which already had the name “300 SL”. In 1951, Daimler-Benz had decided to take part in races again for the 1952 season and to build a sports car for this purpose.

In 1952, the W 194 took part in the most important races of the year. The new SL competed at the Mille Miglia at the beginning of May enjoying a second place finish. It won the top three places at the Bern Sports Car Prize 131.04 kilometres (81.42 mi) in Switzerland. In the 24-hour race at Le Mans the 300 SL won both first and second places with the number one spot going to Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess with an overall average 155.575 kilometres per hour (96.670 mph), a new record in Le Mans history. Second place went to Theo Helfrich and Helmut Niedermayr. A subsequent race at the Nürburgring ended with four-fold success. And finally at the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, the 300 SL again won with Karl Kling and Hans Klenk – despite the ugly chance happening of a vulture flying through the windscreen.

COPY For the first time in the public Our reporter photographed the famous Mercedes racing sports car type 300 SL (S = super, L = light) from a bird’s-eye view. The car has a length of 4220 mm, width of 1790mm and surprisingly low height of only 1265mm The engine is the 3 liters, which makes 170 hp at 5200 rpm. The light weight car has a 170 liter fuel tank installed. Turen are missing on this racing sports car. The driver has to climb through the roof into the interior of the car. END COPY

Early sketch of the function of the window line Gullwing doors.

At Top: COPY Mercedes type 300 SL on test drives Ing. Uhlenhaut personally conducted the test drives on the Autoban. The car, which has a very huge deduction, must reach after private stops over 240 km / h top speed. END COPY. Bottom Right: Karl Kling holds open the Gullwing door/window.

Karl Kling in the drivers seat, with him in the cabin is Rudolf Uhlenhaut.

COPY Mercedes Type 300 SL sports car The car has no doors. The pulpit is hinged right and left, here is also the entry and exit of the driver. END COPY. An important distinction between this 1952 model with no doors and its successors is the difference in chassis structure. While this 1952 example made for an easier structural problem to solve in chassis design, the obvious difficulty inherent in essentially having to drop down into the cockpit eventually gave way to the more accommodating full on gullwing doors.

Famous importer of Mercedes, Max Hoffman enjoys a ride in one of the few 1952 cars. At Bridgehampton in 1953.

COPY 1000 miles race Brescia 1952 Wherever the Mercedes wagons appeared in Brescia, they were admired and hailed by people END COPY Bottom Right: Ch. Faroux and Rennleiter Alfred Neubauer enjoy a look at the #613 Mercedes racer.

COPY The last Mercedes SL leaves the racing department of Daimler-Benz to make way for the construction of the new Formula racing car. Hopefully in a years time we can photograph the new German Mercedes Formula car in the same place. END COPY

Ing Rudolf Uhlenhaut driving the Autobahn (bottom left) and discussing impressions of the drive with colleagues (top). At bottom right, a message to Scott that accompanied a signed photograph (top photo). “Dear Mr. Grundfor, Quite a long time ago, that photo. Sincerely, R. Uhlenhaut. Dated 22/4/89”

1952 W194 Photo Gallery

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Scott Grundfor

Mercedes-Benz Restoration Expert and Enthusiast