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'52 M-B 300 SL Le Mans winner


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This 1952 M-B W-194 is the actual car that won that year's 24 hours of Le Mans race .I initially planned on posting this in the 'Motor Mania' thread, but felt that's a little too casual a venue for a car of this stature & significance.

1st german car to ever win at Le Mans, driven by Hermann Lang & Fritz Riess.

1st closed car to ever win  Le Mans

One of 10 300 SL 'Gullwing' coupes produced for the '52 season, with victories at Le Mans ( 1 & 2 ), Bern (1-2-3), Nürburgring (1-2-3-4), and Carrera Panamericana di Mexico ( 1-2).

M240-P / 35mm Summilux FLE

JZG

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#2

Newly designed and developed in-line 6-cylinder motor, linclined at 50 degrees from horizontal for better aerodynamics and weight distribution, dry-0sump design, making between 165-175 HP @ 5100 rpm ( slightly detuned for max. reliability - the production Gullwings a couple of years later made more HP, but were significantly heavier)  triple Solex carburetors, 4-speed transmission

JZG

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#3

Steel tubing space frame, alum-magnesium alloy body, dry weight approx. 1930 lbs. 

JZG

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#4

Everything you absolutely need, nothing superfluous...........pretty much right out of the newly introduced  ( 1951 ) 'Adenauer' 300 S Sedan series, except for the Silberpfeil pre-war steering wheel. 

JZG

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#5 -final Image.

I find it quite remarkable how little M-B felt needed changing in order to adapt this race-car design for volume production in the form of the sensational 300 SL 'Gullwing coupe a couple of years later, followed by the 300 SL Roadster. When M-B started producing the 300SL Coupes, they also built 29 alloy-bodied, street legal 'Gullwings' which today are the most sought examples of the 300SL series, and actually outperformed the LeMans winner in top speed and 0-60 acceleration.

Being allowed to study this car in detail, the gracious owner opening doors, lids and revealing obscure details about the car's history, to leaf through the logbooks with handwritten notes by Alfred Neubauer himself, and to see & hear the car pull away for a few hot laps all made for a very special moment I shall never forget.

Thanks for looking,

JZG

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