page_title: Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
section_title: Origin in the W194 racing car
hierarchical_section_title: Mercedes-Benz 300 SL / Development / Origin in the W194 racing car
caption_attribution_description: Une des voiture présentée lors du salon Rétromobile de Paris 2015
context_page_description: The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is a two-seat sports car that was produced by Mercedes-Benz as a gullwinged coupe and roadster. It was based on the company's 1952 racer, the W194, with mechanical direct fuel-injection which boosted power almost 50% on its 3-litre overhead camshaft straight-6 engine. Capable of reaching a top speed of up to 263 km/h, it was both a sports car racing champion and the fastest production car of its time.
  The 300 SL was inspired by Max Hoffman, Mercedes-Benz's authorized United States importer at the time, who correctly perceived a large American market for such a car.
  The company introduced the 300 SL in February 1954 at the International Motor Sports Show in New York instead of in Europe in order to get it into U.S. buyers' hands sooner.
  SL is the short form for "super-light" in German, Mercedes' first use of the designation, referring to the car's racing-bred light tubular frame construction.
  The 300 SL was voted the "sports car of the century" in 1999.
context_section_description: The 300 SL (also called W198) traces its origin back to a racing sports car, the Mercedes-Benz W194. In 1951, Daimler-Benz decided to take part in races and build a sports car for this purpose. Mercedes' largest engine, the M186 shared between the  300 "Adenauer" saloon (W186) and luxurious 300 S two-seat tourer (W188), was developed.
  In 1952, the W194 took part in the most important races of the year. The new SL competed in the Mille Miglia at the beginning of May and achieved second place. It won the top three places at the Bern Sports Car Prize 131.04 kilometres (81.42 mi). At the 24-hour race at Le Mans, the 300 SL won the top two places. First place went to Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess with an overall average 155.6 km/h (96.7 mph), they achieved a new record in Le Mans history. Second place went to Theo Helfrich and Helmut Niedermayr. A race at the Nürburgring ended with a four-fold success. At the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, the 300 SL again won with Karl Kling and Hans Klenk – despite having a vulture flying through the windscreen.
  These successes, especially those on the high-speed open road races, were rather surprising as the W194 engine was fitted only with carburetors, producing 175 hp (130 kW), which was not only less than the competing cars by Ferrari and Jaguar, but also less than the 300 SL road car developed from it and introduced in 1954. Low weight and low aerodynamic drag made the W194 fast enough to be competitive in endurance races.
  Mercedes-Benz developed a new version for the 1953 racing season by adding fuel injection and 16-inch wheels. The gearbox was installed on the rear axle. Its body was made of Elektron, a magnesium alloy, to reduce the weight by 85 kilograms (187 pounds). However, the car was not used because Mercedes-Benz decided to take part in Formula One from 1954 onward.  Later versions revised the body for lower air resistance and did not adopt the transmission arrangement.
caption: Mercedes-Benz W194 racing car
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