'Mercedes 300SL – The car of the century' book review

Whether the 300SL is ‘the car of the century’ is debatable – where do Mini, VW Beetle, or Model T stand? – but it does have a very special place. Clever engineering, terrific performance, unmistakable looks and its then-unique gullwing doors mean everybody knows what it is, and the fact that variants of the engine also powered sports cars and grand prix cars to victory marks it as being pretty special. So are our authors: Kleissl is a devotee and restorer, while Niemann once ran the Mercedes-Benz archive, and they offer an immense amount of information and detail. But it’s not all nuts and bolts: there are histories of the triumvirate who made the car happen, of drivers, and lesser-known car variants – the SLS, a coupé with a huge airbrake on the roof, the very early roadster versions, a hard-top roadster with little gullwing roof panels.

They do like to go in deep: one photo of a bicycle speed record behind an SL (127mph!) leads to several pages of the rider’s back-story,  but every subject is accompanied by such gorgeous photos that each spread is a new delight. Often it’s about the glamorous rich who ran these cars: Rubirosa, de Portago, von Karajan, the Aga Khan; Picasso used to borrow a friend’s. Normally I shun the word ‘celebrities’ but rich black-and-white shots of the cars with Anita Ekberg, Sophia Loren, Steve McQueen and Romy Schneider convey a sense of period and just what a style impact these cars had, quite apart from winning races. One British reporter called the SL, “Beautiful in a terrifying, intimidating, threatening way.”

Rather than give you all the development story up front, this book mixes it up: a bit of history, some racing, a look at the suspension, a trip over the Alps, early sketches, back to racing. It’s a good scheme, and enriched by some terrific pictures: Kling passing his pit with all the crew in perfect close-up; Alfred Neubauer in enormous trousers perched on an SL bonnet and showing a sexy ankle to rival the Italian lady he’s posing with. But I did find the layout slightly confusing with pictures often well away from the relevant text.

Race results and car specs complete a heavyweight volume that I expected to be a bit prosaic but which turned out to be an unexpected if costly pleasure.

Mercedes 300SL – The car of the century

Hans Kleissl and Harry Niemann

Dalton Watson, £115

May 2021 book reviews in brief

Your Track Day Guide: Where to Begin, What to Buy

Colin Hoad

Have you been on a track day and are wondering whether or how to move forward? Either way, this gem of a guidebook gives readers all they need to get the most out of track days. It has been written by Colin Hoad, founder and chief instructor at CAT Driver Training, the instruction facility based inside the Millbrook Proving Ground, and something of a hero to hundreds of rookie drivers he has worked with. It is designed to answer the basic questions — from what types of car you should buy, to whether to uprate the brakes and what happens if you damage it on track. Importantly, all proceeds will be donated to Mission Motorsport, the charity which supports veterans through its philosophy of ‘Race,
Retrain, Recover’. JD

Available via Amazon, £18.50

Special — Jack Fisher

Peter Speakman and Kenny Baird

The only reason I’ve heard of Jack Fisher and his 22 specials is because our Ed Foster has one but if you are a regular at Scottish sprints or hillclimbs you may well have seen one of his creations. What the cover endearingly calls ‘this wee book’ describes them all and the Fiat, Alfa, Lancia and Riley elements Fisher combined in his quest for home-brewed speed. Plenty of photos and smartly produced. GC

licklevalleycreations.com, £20

Exceptional cars 10: Alfa Romeo T33

Ian Wagstaff

From Targa Florio to a Greek hillclimb is a big shift in 12 months, but Alfa only ran these V8 T33TTs for a year so the subject of this Exceptional Cars entry has done far more mileage in private hands than with the works. But since its factory career included a second in that Targa it has a proud story which continues today. In-depth history, generously illustrated including handsome studio shots. GC

Porter, £30
ISBN 9781907085345

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