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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: Mercedes’ 1952 Le Mans Triumph
The first major victory for the new 300 SL gullwing race cars put the German automaker back among the top competitors.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL piloted by Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess (left) won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1952, followed by the 300 SL driven by Theo Helfrich and Helmut Niedermayr. (Photo: Vintage Motorsports archive)
Mercedes-Benz achieved a magnificent success in 1952: a double victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This placed the 300 SL racing car (the W 194 series) firmly in the limelight.
The novel vehicle was specifically developed for the 1952 racing season, and it showed over the months its supremacy in all the most renowned racing events around the world, impressively signaling Mercedes-Benz's return to international motor racing.
By then, Mercedes-Benz had won almost all the world-famed races; only the 24-hours of Le Mans remained, and this competition was predestined for the 300 SL. After a considerable stir at their debut on March 12, 1952, a total of 10 of these cars were built for the 1952 racing season.
Preparations for participation in the long-distance classic had gotten underway a year beforehand. At Le Mans, the cars’ brakes are subjected to particularly high stresses, especially in the 3.5-mile-long straightaway between the Tertre-Rouge and the Mulsanne curves, where drivers have to slow down from top speed to just about 35mph, lap after lap. The remarkably original idea of using a retractable aluminum aileron to act as an airbrake was dismissed, however.
Another tricky point was the question of access to the vehicle, even though the rules and regulations said nothing against the small doors or access hatches that were originally fitted to the 300 SL. The sports marshal of the Automobilclub de l'Ouest, Monsieur Acat, presented a little sketch suggesting that the entry hatch be extended downwards. And so, the gullwing was born as a goodwill gesture towards the organizer and to eliminate any potential protests right from the outset.
The cars of the different teams bore various colored bands around their radiators to help distinguish them in the race. The car with chassis #0009 and starting No. 20 (Theo Helfrich/HelmutNiedermayr) sported a red strip, car #0007 with starting No. 21 (Hermann Lang/Fritz Rie) a blue one, while #0008 with starting No. 22 (Karl Kling/Hans Klenk team) was distinguished by a green band.
After the start, Ferrari and Jaguar took the lead, Andre Simon and Alberto Ascari setting lap records in turn. Too much of a good thing, however: two hours into the race, the clutch of Ascari's Ferrari 250 S gave up.
Simon with the Ferrari 340 America now led in front of the Robert Manzon/Jean Behra team with their 2.3-liter Gordini. Toward evening, the two Frenchmen moved up into the leading position. Meanwhile, an alternator malfunction made itself felt on board the Kling/Klenk team’s 300 SL, forcing Kling to make a 10-minute pit stop; an hour later another 17-minute delay in the pits was called for.
Finally, at half-past midnight Hans Klenk took off his helmet, his expression showing resignation and utter disappointment. And the little lightweight 2.3-liter Gordini was still leading.
After a pit stop, Pierre Levegh with his 4.5-liter Talbot took over the first place, followed at a distance by the 300 SLs of the Helfrich/Niedermayr and Lang/Riess teams.
By noon of the following day, the number of contestants had shrunk to 19 vehicles. Levegh was still at the forefront but stubbornly refused to allow his co-pilot Marchand to relieve him. Behind him, the two 300 SLs thundered on reliably, lap after lap. Just 70 minutes before the end of the race, a damaged connecting rod forced Levegh to abandon between Arnage and Maison Blanche.
The two 300 SLs were now unreachably far ahead. In the early hours of the morning, new front runner Theo Helfrich lost his leading position to Hermann Lang due to a driving error.
Mercedes-Benz won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and for Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess, to whom this success was largely due, it was the most important triumph of their careers. They were followed by the Helfrich/Niedermayr team who came in second in their 300 SL.
The double victory at Le Mans was preceded by a triple win in Bern on May 18, 1952. Further successes followed in the racing season: a four-fold victory at the Great Jubilee Prize at Nurburgring on August 3, 1952, and another double win in the third Carrera Panamericana in Mexico (November 19-23 1952), the last great event of an extremely successful 1952 racing season.
This story originally appeared at VintageMotorsport.com.
The novel vehicle was specifically developed for the 1952 racing season, and it showed over the months its supremacy in all the most renowned racing events around the world, impressively signaling Mercedes-Benz's return to international motor racing.
By then, Mercedes-Benz had won almost all the world-famed races; only the 24-hours of Le Mans remained, and this competition was predestined for the 300 SL. After a considerable stir at their debut on March 12, 1952, a total of 10 of these cars were built for the 1952 racing season.
Preparations for participation in the long-distance classic had gotten underway a year beforehand. At Le Mans, the cars’ brakes are subjected to particularly high stresses, especially in the 3.5-mile-long straightaway between the Tertre-Rouge and the Mulsanne curves, where drivers have to slow down from top speed to just about 35mph, lap after lap. The remarkably original idea of using a retractable aluminum aileron to act as an airbrake was dismissed, however.
Another tricky point was the question of access to the vehicle, even though the rules and regulations said nothing against the small doors or access hatches that were originally fitted to the 300 SL. The sports marshal of the Automobilclub de l'Ouest, Monsieur Acat, presented a little sketch suggesting that the entry hatch be extended downwards. And so, the gullwing was born as a goodwill gesture towards the organizer and to eliminate any potential protests right from the outset.
The cars of the different teams bore various colored bands around their radiators to help distinguish them in the race. The car with chassis #0009 and starting No. 20 (Theo Helfrich/HelmutNiedermayr) sported a red strip, car #0007 with starting No. 21 (Hermann Lang/Fritz Rie) a blue one, while #0008 with starting No. 22 (Karl Kling/Hans Klenk team) was distinguished by a green band.
After the start, Ferrari and Jaguar took the lead, Andre Simon and Alberto Ascari setting lap records in turn. Too much of a good thing, however: two hours into the race, the clutch of Ascari's Ferrari 250 S gave up.
Simon with the Ferrari 340 America now led in front of the Robert Manzon/Jean Behra team with their 2.3-liter Gordini. Toward evening, the two Frenchmen moved up into the leading position. Meanwhile, an alternator malfunction made itself felt on board the Kling/Klenk team’s 300 SL, forcing Kling to make a 10-minute pit stop; an hour later another 17-minute delay in the pits was called for.
Finally, at half-past midnight Hans Klenk took off his helmet, his expression showing resignation and utter disappointment. And the little lightweight 2.3-liter Gordini was still leading.
After a pit stop, Pierre Levegh with his 4.5-liter Talbot took over the first place, followed at a distance by the 300 SLs of the Helfrich/Niedermayr and Lang/Riess teams.
By noon of the following day, the number of contestants had shrunk to 19 vehicles. Levegh was still at the forefront but stubbornly refused to allow his co-pilot Marchand to relieve him. Behind him, the two 300 SLs thundered on reliably, lap after lap. Just 70 minutes before the end of the race, a damaged connecting rod forced Levegh to abandon between Arnage and Maison Blanche.
The two 300 SLs were now unreachably far ahead. In the early hours of the morning, new front runner Theo Helfrich lost his leading position to Hermann Lang due to a driving error.
Mercedes-Benz won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and for Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess, to whom this success was largely due, it was the most important triumph of their careers. They were followed by the Helfrich/Niedermayr team who came in second in their 300 SL.
The double victory at Le Mans was preceded by a triple win in Bern on May 18, 1952. Further successes followed in the racing season: a four-fold victory at the Great Jubilee Prize at Nurburgring on August 3, 1952, and another double win in the third Carrera Panamericana in Mexico (November 19-23 1952), the last great event of an extremely successful 1952 racing season.
This story originally appeared at VintageMotorsport.com.
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