In my opinion - the original "Supercar"

[John Z. Goriup]

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Photos #1 & 2 are of the very first German car to ever win the LeMans 24 Hour race. Built in a series of 10 similar space-frame, alloy-bodied, 3-liter, in-line six-cylinder engined coupes with the distinctive top-hinged gullwing doors, this particular specimen is the car which actually won the race overall in '52.

 

Photos #3 & 4 are of the sole remaining & entirely original M-B 300SL prototype of the production "Gullwing" coupe, normally displayed in the companys museum in Stuttgart. Externally, the main differences between prototype & production were the size and number of fender air-vents, grille opening, taillights and a conventional tailpipe was used for the exhaust on production cars, as opposed to the side exhaust which proved noisy, fumes could enter the cabin and it was illegal in Switzerland even back then.

 

M9P, 35mm f2.0 Summicron Asph. @ Pebble Beach Concours.

 

JZG

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[Hank Taylor]

Without a doubt when I first laid eyes on this beautiful machine in the 50's I want to buy one. Couldn't afford one then and certainly out of the question now:D

Hank

[pauledell]

Beautiful cars that look faster than my GMC can actually go.

[stuny]

Exquisite. One wonders what they would sell for at auction. BTW: The racing versions had desmodromic valve trains

[Photoskeptic]

A most interesting car from a mechanical viewpoint. Hated those plaid seat covers, though. FYI, the first car I ever photographed way back in 1960. It was parked on Sunset Strip with the driver's door open. It was not all that unusual to see one being driven on the street with the door open on a hot day as the ventilation was poor and no a/c was fitted.

[Echo63]

One of my favorite cars, thank you for posting pictures of it

 

I quite like the new AMG SLS too, a slightly more achievable goal than the 300SL

(Of course my dream garage would have both, and a Lancia Stratos rally car and Lancia Integrale rally car)

[Michael Hiles]

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Gorgeous pictures. These cars have always been the dream that never will be. I believe they have fetched $1 million and more at auction. We had a Prime Minister (Pierre Trudeau) some years back who owned the later roadster version. Geez, that guy had style.

[Echo63]

Gorgeous pictures. These cars have always been the dream that never will be. I believe they have fetched $1 million and more at auction. We had a Prime Minister (Pierre Trudeau) some years back who owned the later roadster version. Geez, that guy had style.

 

The one that was at York motor museum (Western Australia) sold for over a million at auction, and that was 15+ years ago (it might have been AUD though - but i know it was sold about a week before my parents took me out to york to see it)