The original Mercedes SLR!!!
 

The original MB SLR - the 1955 Uhlenhaut Coupe

Another gem inside the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart... One of two SLR "Uhlenhaut Coupes".

Based on the W196 F1 car of 1955 (made famous by Stirling Moss, below), Mercedes Motorsport head Rudolf Uhlenhaut had two of the eight F1 chassis set aside and modified as coupes. One was destroyed at Le Mans, and when the development program was scrapped, this surviving SLR became Uhlenhaut's company car at MB.

McLaren SLR fans, take note of the now familiar styling queues (side vents, bOdy proportions, etc).

A look down at one section of the collection...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2195/...db9212af_o.jpg

The original SLR, aka the Uhlenhaut Coupe...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2405/...10d580f5_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2350/...07d752c5_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2082/...4e928093_o.jpg

A look inside...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2176/...c84c6d8c_o.jpg

The W196 F1 car of Stirling Moss, upon which the SLR coupe was based...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2141/...aaaa8b25_o.jpg

So sick. That car was years ahead of its time!

This 300SL was next to the Uhlenhaut Coupe...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2287/...515345f5_o.jpg

And of course the gullwing version of the 300SL...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2271/...85f034cd_o.jpg

A look inside...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2020/...c9d7b813_o.jpg

Is this an aftermarket steering wheel from a boat? It looks HUGE! :rofl:

Gorgeous.

thanks for the pics!

Thanks for sharing BSM, I've yet to see the Mercedes-museum. By the way have you gotten the opportunity to see Prince diana's 500SL and The Pope's G-class.

If I am not mistaken there are two donated Kuwaiti 300SL's over there with the kuwait no tags.

Yup, I saw those cars (Princess Diana's, the Pope-mobile, etc) there... give me some time and hopefully in next few days I will get the whole tour posted up here under its own heading.

If I recall correctly, The 500SL was a gift from Mercedes in 1991... she drove the car for a year, evidently loved it, but British security folks hated the idea of her driving solo... and after public criticism for driving a "foreign car", she returned the car to Mercedes in 1992.

Stay tuned for full museum posting soon...