300 SL Coupe [ Ссылка ]
Few cars have reached such iconic status as Mercedes-Benz’s postwar masterpiece, the 300SL. The pure engineering excellence and truly unique style have set the 300SL coupe and its roadster sibling apart from their peers, and it remains one of the most collectible and important automobiles of the 20th century. The 300SL was first conceived by the great driver and engineer Rudolph Uhlenhaut who, among his multiple achievements created the astonishingly powerful W125 grand Prix car that ended the Auto Union stranglehold and dominated the 1937 Grand Prix season. During the war, Uhlenhaut maintained a low profile, designing aero engines for Daimler Benz. He left the firm briefly after hostilities ended, only to return in 1948 where he began work on a new racing for Mercedes. Due to budget constraints, the relatively underpowered single overhead cam W186 engine from the “Adenauer” limousines. But the resourceful Uhlenhaut designed an incredibly light tubular space frame clothed in a slippery alloy body. The engine was canted over 50 degrees in the chassis to keep the bonnet low, and a new head with twin Solex carburetors was fitted. The high sides of the space frame meant there was no place for traditional door hinges, so the doors were cleverly hinged from the top of the roof – and the iconic “Gullwing” was born.
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source: Hyman Ltd
