The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupé occupies a singular position in post-war motorsport history. Built on the W196 S platform and sharing its straight-8 desmodromic engine with the Grand Prix car, only a handful of cars were ever fitted with the closed bodywork designed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut. On 17 September 1955, at the Dundrod Circuit in Northern Ireland, one of those Coupés carried Stirling Moss and John Fitch to an outright victory that handed Mercedes-Benz the 1955 World Sportscar Championship.
A Grand Prix Engine in a Sports-Car Body
The 300 SLR (chassis designation W196 S) was a direct evolution of the W196 Formula 1 car. Mercedes enlarged the straight-8 desmodromic unit to 2,982 cc, producing approximately 302 bhp, and clothed it in aluminium sports-car bodywork. The enclosed Coupé version, shaped by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, added a distinctive roofline with large rear air-exit louvers — features tested to evaluate aerodynamic gains over the open roadster. The 1955 season proved the formula sound: the W196 S took the World Sportscar Championship with a combination of outright speed and mechanical reliability.
Dundrod, 1955: The Championship Decided
The RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod on 17 September 1955 was one of the final races for the Mercedes-Benz works programme before the manufacturer withdrew from all competition at the close of that season, following the Le Mans disaster of June 1955. Stirling Moss and John Fitch drove the 300 SLR Coupé, race number 10, to first place overall. That result clinched the 1955 World Sportscar Championship for Mercedes-Benz. The car ran in traditional German silver — the Silberpfeil livery — with a white panel on the closed roof, making the Coupé visually unmistakable among the period's sports-racing machinery.
CMC's 1:18 Resin and Die-Cast Interpretation
CMC (Classic Model Cars) built its reputation on multi-hundred-part 1:18 scale model cars that blur the boundary between collectible and display sculpture. This 300 SLR Coupé Tourist Trophy edition is constructed in die-cast metal, supplemented by photo-etched components and turned metal parts — a combination that allows CMC to replicate the louvers, bodywork seams and mechanical surfaces that define the original. The approach is consistent with CMC's broader 300 SLR range, where engineering fidelity rather than play value drives every decision.
Frequently asked questions
What race does this model represent?
The 1955 RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod Circuit, Northern Ireland, held on 17 September 1955. Stirling Moss and John Fitch drove the car, number 10, to an outright victory that secured the World Sportscar Championship for Mercedes-Benz.
Who made the model and what materials are used?
The model is made by CMC (Classic Model Cars) in 1:18 scale. Construction combines die-cast metal with photo-etched components and turned metal parts.
What is the 300 SLR Coupé, and how does it differ from the open roadster?
The 300 SLR Coupé used the same W196 S chassis and 2,982 cc straight-8 desmodromic engine as the open roadster, but carried an enclosed body designed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, including a distinctive roof and large rear air-exit louvers. Only a very small number of cars were fitted with this closed bodywork.
Why did Mercedes-Benz withdraw from racing after 1955?
Following the Le Mans accident in June 1955, in which works driver Pierre Levegh's car was involved in a fatal crash, Mercedes-Benz withdrew from all motor racing at the end of that season. The 1955 RAC Tourist Trophy was among the last events the works team contested.
