CMC – 1:18 Mercedes 300SL #20 Bern GP 1952 Blue (Limited Edition – 1500 pcs)

MODEL BACKGROUND:

After extensive research and development the all new Mercedes-Benz Racing Coupé was developed. This would go on to be known as the 300SL( W194). The new coupé was featured smooth, rounded edges as well as sitting only 1,270mm high. The 300SL was unveiled to the press in March of 1952 at the Autobahn A81. This newly developed racing coupé marked Mercedes-Benz return to motorsport racing.

Featuring an unusual entry through a gull-wing door that opens from the lower edge of the side window and swivels upward around the centerpiece of the roof top, this streamlined sports car immediately cast a spell on the racing enthusiasts.

After a successful debut at the Mille Miglia, the 300SL moved on to the renewed competition of sports car racing at the Grand Prix of Bern on May 18th, 1952.

The three officially registered 300SL’s were decked out in uncommonly colorful finishes, including dark red (Rudolf Caracciola, #16), green (Karl Kling, #18), and blue (Hermann Lang, #20), not to mention the silver-colored finish of the replacement car with Fritz Rieß (#22) at its wheel. The team was ready to engage the rivals from Ferrari, Lancia, Aston Martin and Jaguar. At the end of the race, Mercedes-Benz celebrated a spectacular triple-victory, with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places clinched by Karl Kling, Hermann Lang and Fritz Rieß respectively. The joy of victory, however, was tempered because a tragic accident had happened to Rudolf Caracciola when he veered off the track on a stalled front brake and crashed into a tree in round 13. He was taken to hospital with a broken femur and other injuries.

His recovery was long, and the bone fracture plus a knee surgery caused lasting impairment to his right leg, which put an end to Caracciola’s racing career.

MODEL FEATURES:

• Hand-crafted metal precision model
• Authentic and true-to-scale designed „Gullwing”-body
• Fold-up wing doors with turnable vent-windows
• Perfectly replicated cooler grill with dominating Mercedes Star.
• Functional boot lid
• Contemporary license plates front and rear
• fuel tank filler with a flip-open cover in the trunk
• Detailed 6-cylinder in-line-engine with aggregates and pipes
• Engine is mounted prototypical, inclined to the left by 50°
• Seats are upholstered with a real textile cover in an attractive check pattern
• Finenly worked dashboard with a full array of instruments and controls
• Interior-equipment with carpet flocking
• Brilliant paintwork with original colouring and starting numbers printed by the elaborate Tampa printing method

Understanding Scale

The scale of a model is its size as a proportion to the real-life item. For instance, a 1:18 scale model means that every 1 unit of measurement on the model equals 18 units on the real item. If you divide the real item's size by 18, you'd get the size of the 1:18 model. Please note that models can vary slightly in size, as not all real-life items, like cars or planes, have the same dimensions.

Model Cars:

• 1:12 scale: ~38 cm or 15 inches
• 1:18 scale: ~25 cm or 10 inches
• 1:24 scale: ~18 cm or 7 inches
• 1:43 scale: ~10 cm or 4 inches
• 1:64 scale: ~7 cm or 2.75 inches
• 1:76 scale: ~6 cm or 2.3 inches

Model Trucks:

• 1:12 scale: ~75 cm or 29.5 inches
• 1:18 scale: ~50 cm or 19.7 inches
• 1:24 scale: ~38 cm or 15 inches
• 1:43 scale: ~21 cm or 8.3 inches
• 1:64 scale: ~14 cm or 5.5 inches
• 1:76 scale: ~12 cm or 4.7 inches

Model Bikes:

• 1:6 scale: ~30 cm or 12 inches
• 1:10 scale: ~18 cm or 7 inches
• 1:12 scale: ~15 cm or 6 inches