National Automobile Museum, Mulhouse, France
The National Automobile Museum – Schlumpf Collection has decided to create a special space to pay tribute to and showcase one of the most legendary racing cars, the Mercedes 300 SLR. Mercedes returned to Formula 1 in 1954 with the Mercedes W196, one of the glorious “silver arrows.” At the wheel, Juan Manuel Fangio won the very first race and clinched his third World Championship title in Mercedes’ first year of participation.
Keen to cement its dominance in motorsport, Mercedes developed a “Sport” category car (for endurance racing) based on its W196, the 300 SLR. Contrary to what its name (and possibly its general design) might suggest, it was not derived from the famous 300 SL. Equipped with an 8-cylinder in-line engine producing over 300 horsepower, the 300 SLR could reach speeds of nearly 300 km/h. As soon as it appeared on the race track, the 300 SLR dominated the competition and won every race it entered, including the Targa Florio, Tourist Trophy, Mille Miglia, and the World Championship.
The only race missing from its list of achievements was the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which was marked by the tragic accident involving Pierre Levegh at the wheel of his 300 SLR. Following the crash, the car disintegrated, and pieces were thrown into the stands, killing 82 people. Fangio and Moss were leading the race at the time, but Mercedes withdrew its cars and, at the end of the season, withdrew from circuit racing, F1 and endurance racing for more than 30 years.
The 300 SLR is now the most expensive car in the world, and it deserved its own immersive space. The Mercedes 300 SLR is mounted on a turntable so that it can be admired from all angles, while a film playing in the background recounts its glorious history.
The photos on this page belong to the National Automobile Museum – Schlumpf Collection, no right of reproduction without the express permission of the museum.