This Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR looks every inch a race car. But it is just a child's toy. One that has just sold for $17,500 in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
In an auction event held at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, this Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR sold for compact car money. And keep in mind that it is just a toy car, you can’t go racing in it, you can’t even drive it on public roads.
The model, recently restored and improved, is not powered by the 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine of the race car. It comes instead with a 52 cc two-stroke engine. Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR had just returned to motor racing after World War II, winning the Le Mans 24-Hour race and the Carrera Panamericana in 1952 with he Type 194 race car.
The 300 SLR came with the space-frame chassis of the W196, driven by Juan Manuel Fangio to victory in the 1954 Drivers' World Championship in Formula 1. The frame was modified to make room for the straight-eight engine, enlarged from 2.5 to 3.0 liters, capable of generating 296 horsepower and positioned as far back as possible in the chassis for better weight distribution.
The body of the car was made of lightweight Electron magnesium alloy. The vehicle sported a large air brake to help slow it down from high speed. It featured an indtepend suspension. Because they were too large to fit within the 16-inch wheels, the drum brakes ended up mounted inboard both front and rear.
Photo: Bonhams
The W196 won at the Mille Miglia in Italy, with Stirling Moss behind the wheel, the Tourist Trophy at Dundrod, in Ireland, the Targa Florio in Sicily, the Eifelrennen in Germany, and the Swedish Gran Prix. All these wins turned Mercedes-Benz into the 1955 World Sportscar Champion.
But the glory of the 300 SLR did not last for long. On June 11, 1955, the car driven by Pierre Levegh rear-ended the Austin-Healy piloted by Lance Macklin and was simply launched through the air over the protective berm at 125 mph (200 kph).
It slammed twice into the spectators' area, killing 83 people and injuring 120 more. Mercedes-Benz withdrew from motor racing after the tragedy. Therefore, the 300 SLR remains the last great race car with the three-pointed star logo. And this is what Bonhams sold at the auction.
The toy car based on this amazing racer was built in 2020. The one who sold it restored it to make it look more like the real deal. The hood and trunk lid open and close, the headlights are functional. The model comes with the iconic 722 number that the Mille Miglia winner received back in 1955. They actually indicated the time the car started: 7:22 AM.
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