1955 Mercedes Benz 300SLR

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W196S) was an iconic 2-seat sports racer that took sportscar racing by storm in 1955, winning that year's World Sportscar Championship before a catastrophic crash and fire at Le Mans ended its domination. The 3-liter was derived from the company's Mercedes-Benz W196 Formula One racer. It shared most of its drivetrain and chassis. The 196's fuel-injected 2,981 cc was boosted to 310 bhp. Two of the nine 300 SLR rolling chassis produced were converted into 300 SLR/300 SL hybrids. Effectively road legal racers, they had coupé styling, gull-wing doors, and a footprint midway between the two models.

The 300 SLR was front mid-engined, with its longitudinally mounted engine placed just behind the front axles instead of over them for better front/rear weight distribution.

A welded aluminum tube spaceframe chassis carried ultra-light Elektron magnesium-alloy bodywork.

Capable of 290 km/h (180 mph), the Uhlenhaut Coupé was by far the fastest road car in the world in its day. Impressive victories were overshadowed at Le Mans after a horrific accident. Upon impact, the ultra-lightweight Elektron bodywork's high magnesium content caused it to ignite and burn in the ensuing fire. Compounding it, fire crews initially tried to extinguish it with water, only making it burn hotter. Eighty-four spectators lost their lives in what remains the highest-fatality accident in the history of motorsport. Mercedes withdrew from race competition for three decades.

'The greatest sports racing car ever built — really an unbelievable machine.' - Stirling Moss