VIN: the works Mercedes-Benz W196S 300 SLR chassis 0006/55
History of chassis 0006/55
Chassis 0006/55 was one of nine 300 SLRs constructed.
Four were present for the model’s competition debut on the 1955 Mille Miglia where 06 was allocated to Hans Herrmann and Hermann Eger.
The Mille Miglia was round three of the 1955 World Sportscar Championship and that year’s event was unusually blessed with sunshine all the way. Mercedes had undertaken an unprecedented test programme, but were up against a formidable contingent of Italian and British cars.
Herrmann and Eger left Brescia at 7:04am. By the time they reached Rome (the race’s most southerly point), they had risen to second.
At Siena, the SLR of Moss / Jenkinson had a lead of five minutes and 40 seconds.
Herrmann began to push harder, but was unable to close the gap; between Siena and Florence, Moss pulled out another eight seconds.
Heading towards Bologna, the fuel tank in Herrmann’s SLR began to play up and it proved impossible to corner without becoming soaked in petrol. No doubt distracted, Herrmann crashed over the Futa pass. He and Eger were uninjured, but the car clouted a wall and damaged the passenger-side front bodywork seriously enough that they could not continue.
Moss and Jenkinson went on to record a famous victory.
Chassis 6 returned to the factory and was repaired in preparation for its next outing: the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Pierre Levegh and John Fitch were entered to drive the car, one of three SLRs present for that year’s race.
Mercedes created a sensation with the SLR’s new air brake and, at over 180mph, the silver cars proved fastest through the Mulsanne speed trap.
Levegh drove the opening stint. At the end of the first hour, the Frenchman lay seventh.
He had moved up to sixth position by the end of the second hour, but tragedy struck shortly before he was due to hand over to Fitch at 6:30pm.
Jaguar driver, Mike Hawthorn, had been in a furious battle for the lead with Fangio’s SLR. Hawthorn passed the Austin-Healey of Lance Macklin down the pit straight and started to brake in preparation for his stop.
Macklin pulled out from behind the slowing Jaguar directly into the path of Levegh’s rapidly closing SLR.
Levegh ploughed into the back of Macklin’s car which acted as a ramp and launched the SLR into the air.
The Mercedes skipped over a protective earth bank at 125mph and barrel rolled into the crowd.
Levegh was thrown from the car and fatally fractured his skull.
83 spectators were killed in what remains motor racing’s most catastrophic crash.
Chassis 06 was completely destroyed in the accident and Mercedes-Benz withdrew their remaining cars from the event.
Notable History
Daimler Benz AG
01/05/1955 WSC Mille Miglia (H. Herrmann / H. Eger) DNF (#704)
12/06/1955 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (P. Levegh / J. Fitch) DNF (#20)
Destroyed in Levegh’s fatal crash at Le Mans
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Mercedes-Benz - https://www.mercedes-benz.com
