Mercedes SLR 360 view

Mercedes SLR 360 view

The Mercedes-Benz 300SLR will forever be associated with one of the darkest days in motor racing history, its story began much more happily. It debuted at the Mille Miglia at the hands of Stirling Moss. Moss, with his co-driver journalist Denis Jenkinson, took the lead early, serving notice to favorites from Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin, and never looked back. Finishing in just under 10 hours, 18 minutes, they averaged nearly 100mph—a feat that wouldn’t be matched for years to follow. In Mille Miglia tradition, the car was assigned number 722, denoting its departure time in the staggered start: 7:22AM. It a number and accomplishment that Mercedes-Benz would pay homage to with the 2006 McLaren Mercedes SLR 722 Edition. CMC’s tribute to Moss’s triumph is equally impressive; more than 1500 parts go into this immaculate replica. The original SLR has its origins in the W196 Streamliner F1 car, and CMC’s version draws much from its W196 replica. The engine is nearly identical—and identically masterful. CMC even includes a replica of the novel Jenkinson roller map he invented to give Moss course notes on the fly!

CMC—Classical Model Cars; 585-292-7280; cmc-modelcars.com

Updated: June 30, 2011 — 11:33 AM
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