Mercedes-Benz W194
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| Category | Endurance racing |
|---|---|
| Constructor | Mercedes |
| Designer(s) | Rudolf Uhlenhaut |
| Technical specifications | |
| Engine | Mercedes-Benz |
| Competition history | |
| Notable entrants | Daimler Benz AG |
| Notable drivers |
 Hans Klenk Karl Kling Hermann Lang
|
Juan Manuel Fangio
Stirling Moss
The Mercedes-Benz W194 (also 300 SL) was the Mercedes-Benz entry for the 1952 Sportscar racing season, its first after World War II.
Powered by a 3.0 litre SOHC straight-6, it ran off an impressive string of victories that included 24 Hours of Le Mans, Bern-Bremgarten, the Eifelrennen at Nürburgring, and Mexico's Carrera Panamericana.
Only ten W194s were made. It was succeeded by the Mercedes-Benz W196 on the track, and led to the iconic Mercedes 300 SL W198 Gullwing road car in 1954.
The racing W194 300 SL was built around a mere 140-150 pound welded aluminum tube spaceframe chassis to offset its relatively underpowered carbureted engine. Designed by Daimler-Benz's chief developing engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the metal skeleton saved weight while still providing a high level of strength. Since it enveloped the passenger compartment traditional doors were impossible, giving birth to the model's distinctive gull-wing arrangement.
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