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Sharing little but a similar name with the 300SL production vehicles, the 300SLR was a pure racer, inheriting the engine and the mechanical layout of the W196 Formula 1 car. Devised for the 1955 World Championship of Makes, the bodywork design resembled those of the 1952 6-cyl 300SL. The displacement of the straight-8 was enlarged to 2992cc; with 2 overhead camshafts, double ignition, and Bosch direct fuel-injection, rated power could be as high as 345hp! Enough to shoot these silver arrows at speeds on the order of 290 km/h (180 mph)! A total of ten roadsters were built: the model depicts the car S. Moss and D. Jenkinson drove to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia.
The model recreates all the glamour of the thoroughbred, flawlessly finished in the traditional Silver. Race numbers are decals, with the black contour being hand-trimmed! Exterior details abound, from the fine mesh used for the front grille and the air scoop, to the amazing photoetched lettering and MB star on the trunk, to the neat chromed trim: a real MUST are the photoetched wire wheels. The engine is fully plumbed and wired, the blue interior is flaunting tartan seats in cloth, readable bezels and the operating four-spoke wheel. The aerodynamic fairings can be removed, allowing the trunk to be opened, revealing details of the spaceframe and fuel tank. Now discontinued, the issue price was $195.
(01/26/1999)
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