Juan Manuel Fangio helped make the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR one of the most successful racing sports cars of all time. With its straight-eight, 2982-cc engine that developed 310 horsepower, the 300SLR Silver Arrow was capable of more than 185 miles per hour - enough to power it to glory in all the top road races of 1955.
The Mille Miglia, Eifelrennen, Swedish Grand Prix Tourist Trophy and the Targa Florio - the 300SLR won them all.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR was based on the Formula One car (Mercedes-Benz W196), not the other sports cars named Mercedes-Benz 300SL.
The Mille Miglia of 1955 was a very famous race for Mercedes. The German team drivers as well as Britain Stirling Moss relied on the support of navigators while Juan Manuel Fangio (car No.658) preferred to drive alone as usual as he considered road races too dangerous since his co-pilot was killed in South America. Karl Kling also drove alone, in the fourth Mercedes, No.701. The cars were assigned numbers according to their start time. For example, the Fangio car left Brescia at 6:58 AM. After 10h07'48", Moss/Jenkinson arrived back in Brescia in their Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with the now famous No.722. Fangio arrived a few minutes later in the No.658 car, but having started 24min earlier, it actually took him about 30 minutes longer.
Quelle: SCALEXTRIC |
