What was the name of the Mercedes-Benz racing car that won the 1955 Mille Miglia? The answer is 300 SLR.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR won the 1955 Mille Miglia, one of the most demanding road races in motorsport history. Stirling Moss and navigator Denis Jenkinson drove their 300 SLR from Brescia to Rome and back to Brescia in 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, setting a record that became one of the race’s defining achievements.
The 300 SLR, internally known as the W 196S, was a sports-racing derivative of Mercedes-Benz’s successful W196 Formula One car. Its name meant “Sport Leicht-Rennen,” or sport lightweight racing. It used a 3.0-litre straight-eight engine and advanced engineering, including a lightweight body and sophisticated suspension.
The car is often confused with the road-going 300 SL Gullwing. Although the models shared part of their numerical identity and Mercedes-Benz heritage, the 300 SLR was a purpose-built racing machine. Mercedes-Benz also won the 1955 Mille Miglia with a 300 SLR driven by Moss, while Juan Manuel Fangio finished second in another 300 SLR. The season was later overshadowed by the fatal Le Mans disaster, after which Mercedes withdrew from major racing.