In 1952, Mercedes-Benz staged a comeback to motor sports racing with the newly-developed Type 300SL (W194). 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 18^th, 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 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd 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.

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