In the ’50s the “Silverarrows” seemed to be unbeatable. In 1955 Stirling Moss won the “Mille Miglia”, the 1,000 Mile race through the Italian countryside, in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR and set the new record in terms of both time and average speed. His start time was 7:22, that’s where the nickname “722” comes from.
The SLR was a beast for the time, 310 hp power a car that weighed only 901 kg (1986 lbs). It could reach a top speed of over 300 km/h (186 mph) and, with Moss behind the wheel, delivered an average speed of almost 160 km/h on the Mille Miglia. What’s special, is that the car already featured direct fuel injection by Bosch, a technology that did not become mainstream until the 1980s.
Apart from being very quick, the 300 SLR “722” is a gorgeously designed racer. Today it is one of the most expensive cars in the world, with units being sold for over 16 Million Dollars.
Quick Facts | |
Year | 1955 |
Cylinders | 8 |
Displacement | 2982 ccm (182 ci) |
Horsepower | 310 |
Top Speed | >300 km/h (186 mph) |
0-60mph / 0-100kmh | <7 s |
Engine | |
Type | Inline-8 naturally aspirated |
Position | front |
Displacement | 2982 ccm (182 ci) |
Compression Ratio | 9:1 |
Boost Pressure | / |
max. RPM | / |
max. Torque @RPM | 311 Nm (230 lb ft) @5950 |
max. Horsepower @RPM | 310 @7400 |
Valves/Cylinder | 2 |
Valvecontrol | DOHC |
Transmission | |
Drivetrain | RWD |
Type | 5-speed manual (transaxle) |
Gear Ratios | 2.67 - 1.75 - 1.43 - 1.07 - 0.83 |
Final Axel Ratio | 2.22:1 |
Design | |
Seats | 2 |
Doors | 2 |
Length/Width/Height | 4300/1740/1100 mm (169/68.5/43 in) |
Weight | 901 kg (1986 lbs) |
Paint Options | as displayed |
Interior Colour Options | as displayes |
Interior Materials | leather, wood |
Cw value | / |
Design by | Rudolf Uhlenhaut (Mercedes-Benz) |
Performance | |
Top Speed | >300 km/h (186 mph) |
0-60mph / 0-100kmh | <7 s |
60-120mph / 100-200kmh | <13 s |
60-0mph / 100-0kmh | / |
1/4 Mile | ≈ 15 s |
Price | |
New | ≈ / |
Used | ≈ 16,000,000 $ |
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