MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL
‘Among the individual histories is playboy Porfirio Rubirosa’s 300SL, found by an English dealer in a Paris garage in the 1990s, hand-painted yellow’
Rather than another conventional history of the 300SL, this 368-page tome takes the enjoyable format of 30 differing chapter themes matched to highly evocative imagery. Hans Kleissl, the founder of HK Engineering, has teamed up with historian Dr Harry Niemann to produce the hugely varied stories behind the dramatic and colourful photographs. From showrooms to scrapyards, Stelvio to salt flats, the wealth of pictures is splendidly diverse. The reproduction is patchy at times, with some of the most famous images having been stretched too far, but the bold design and printing quality mostly complement the style of the Teutonic exotic.
Among the tales featured is that of American photographer David Douglas Duncan, who covered 187,000 miles in his famous ‘Black Torpedo’. Epic road trips included drives to Moscow and Finland, as well as visiting Pablo Picasso. The Spanish artist loved the car’s shape and, despite having no licence, enjoyed driving it along the Côte d’Azur. Duncan’s spectacular shots of the first 300SL Roadster roaring up the Stelvio Pass are included, too.
Among the individual car histories is playboy Porfirio Rubirosa’s 300SL, which was discovered by an English dealer in a Paris garage in the ’90s. Handpainted yellow and in a poor state, the Gullwing was secured from its elderly lady owner. Novel details included a strange 360kph speedometer, which no doubt Rubirosa fitted to impress his many lovers.
Other glamorous owners are extensively covered with a gallery, such as Sophia Loren, Steve McQueen, Anita Ekberg, Clark Gable and Horst Buchholz, the young star of The Magnificent Seven.
The book is packed with many remarkable images, including a 1959 crash shot of an unknown Gullwing split in half on an Arizona freeway. Among the gems are a selection of production-line photos taken in the Sindelfingen works, and a wealth of period motorsport pictures. Along with the factory team, privateers are featured including Gunter Thiel, Dr Alberico Cacciari and rally driver Werner Engel, plus Don Ricardo’s famous Bonneville record runs in ‘The Red Flash’ deservedly get 10 pages.
Another record attempt covered in detail is José Meiffret’s bicycle run. After using various pace cars to aid streamlining, Meiffret selected a 300SL for a final tilt at the record on an autobahn near Freiburg in 1962. With a tent erected on the Gullwing’s tail and a roller fitted to prevent Meiffre
