The Car That Led Three Lives: 1955 300SL/SLS Prototype
This article by Dennis Adler about the history of the 1955 300SL/SLS Prototype appeared in the September/October 1991 issue of "The Star," a magazine published by the Mercedes-Benz Club of America.
Only one 300SL influenced all phases of the model's life, and that was chassis number 8427198118/1. Here is a summary of the car's provenance, from 1952 to 2003.
1952
April/May
Car is constructed in Mercedes-Benz Racing Department as a competition 300SL Gullwing coupe, and is given chassis number 00009/52.
May 26
Homologation in Germany is done. The homologation number is 101977, and the license number is W83-3786.
June 14
Debuts at Le Mans, driven by Helfrich and Niedermayer.
June 15
Finishes 2nd overall at Le Mans, behind another 300SL.
July
Converted by the factory to open roadster configuration.
August 3
Finishes 3rd overall at the Nurburgring Sports Car Race behind two other 300SLs; the driver is Reiss.
November 19-23
Participates in the third running of Mexico's Carrera Panamericana, driven by Fitch. Running in the top 5, it is disqualified on the last leg due to a rules infraction. The car ends its racing career, and is still a roadster.
1953
Date unknown
Car is fitted with a Type 198 fuel injected engine, and is used for testing purposes.
1954
October
Daimler-Benz A.G. Board decides to produce a 300SL Roadster. Chassis 00009/52 is chosen as a prototype/development vehicle. Development is done inside the Racing Department, and is overseen by Uhlenhaut and Nallinger.
1955
Date unknown
unknown With all the other 300SLs now retired, 00009/52 undergoes development testing, with numerous alterations tried on the chassis to increase stiffness. The end solution is to use larger tubes of thicker gauge steel; how much of the original 00009/52 frame remains is unclear.
Date unknown
Freidrich Geiger, under the guidance of Mercedes styling chief Karl Wilfert, sketches design drawings of prototype's roadster body.
July
New body is likely completed and fitted on the car.
August 15
Internal Daimler-Benz document states the car will be completed by September 1955.
Sept-Oct
Development testing begins.
October 29
Mention of the new SL Roadster at the DaimlerBenz A.G. Board meeting
November 2
Car is presented to Daimler-Benz A.G. Board members.
November 4
Car is first registered in Germany.
November 7
Internal Mercedes document on road testing notes items such as the top, dash lighting, etc. need improvement.
Car is featured in October 12, 1956 issue of Collier's; the model's designation is the "300SLS."
Late October
Car is presented to the international press, with SCCA champion Paul O'Shea in attendance. Afterwards O'Shea tests the SLS at the Nurburgring, Hockenheim and the Solitude circuit. Nallinger and Uhlenhaut are impressed enough that consideration is given to make two new SLS to compete in America's SCCA series for the national title.
December 20
Uhlenhaut gives timetable to complete the two new SLS.
December 21
Green light is given to build the two new cars.
Date unknown
Car fitted with an experimental hardtop that features gullwing doors; idea remains a one-off.
1957
February 5
Daimler-Benz A.G. Board names the production version of the car the 300SL, rather than the 300SLS.
First Quarter
Development testing continues, the SLS being used as a test bed for the two racecars, which are now under construction.
Mid-March
Production 300SL Roadster debuts at Geneva Auto Show to rave reviews; body is subtly but completely different from the SLS on which it is based.
March
Car travels to northern Italy and the famed Monza circuit with racing driver Karl Kling and Racing Department director Alfred Neubauer.
March 29
The second 300SLS, chassis 8442620070/1, is completed.
April 2
The third 300SLS, chassis 8467198106/2 is completed.
April 8
In internal DBAG communication, Uhlenhaut praises their efforts in reducing the cars' weight.
Mid/Late April
The second and third SLS are sent to America to compete in the SCCA championship, which they win.
October
Communication from Neubauer states the two cars will not participate in SCCA's 1958 season.
Late ‘50s
The SLS continues to be used for testing purposes by Mercedes-Benz. Gullwing top experimentation bares fruit when the production 300SL Roadster is fitted with a conventional hardtop in 1958.
Early ‘60s
The SLS's career comes to an end, and the car is parked in the factory.
1965
July 12
Mercedes makes documentation that states the SLS was used as a prototype or test car, and thus needs a chassis number. It is given the number 8427198118/1, which is stamped into the crossmember at the factory.
July 13
Document is notarized when Mercedes sells the SLS to Karl Jurgen Britsche of Hamburg, Germany.
1968
April
Britsche sells the SLS to Author von Windheim3 another Hamburg resident.
1979
April 5
Britsche sells the SLS to American Lloyd Ikerd.
Date unknown
Ikerd contacts Robert Nitske to research the SLS on trip to factory.
1980
November 4
Nitske writes Ikerd, informing him of car's 1952 competition provenance.
1987
August 10
Ikerd sells the SLS to Scott Grundfor of California.
