Test drive Mercedes 300 SEL AMG: Red Star
In 1971, Mercedes AMG made a splash when it finished second in the 24-hour race at the Spa circuit. Today, the mythical red 300 SEL has been resurrected for a second life.
The very first meters with the red Mercedes 300 SEL are an unexpected experience. The station wagon turns out to be extremely difficult to hold. On his super-wide track tires, he tries to pass every track on the asphalt and even threatens to slip in the oncoming lane.
A good start
In fact, the roads around Winnenden in Baden-Württemberg should be familiar terrain for a powerful sedan. His hometown is AMG in Afalterbach, now owned by Daimler. The former tuning shop, named after its founders Werner Aufrecht (A), Erhard Melcher (M) and the birthplace of Aufrecht Grossaspach (G), today is a truly modern car factory with 750 employees and an annual production of 20 luxury cars.
Traveling along the narrow secondary road is only a small overture, but it gives us a vivid idea of the spectacle that a heavy car will present on the northern section of the Nürburgring. Right at the border from which we enter Afalterbach, a small baboon shows us the limitations of the chassis and air suspension. The front wheel rises gracefully off the pavement, the 1,5-ton Mercedes hops gracefully in the opposite direction, clearly warning us to be careful not to overdo it.
Generational change
The SEL is disgusting on the road by today's standards, so you travel with it in challenging environments. If it weren't for the steel roll-over protection frame, no one here would have felt like a race car. The dashboard has light wood appliqués, the floor is covered with a beautiful carpet, there is even a real back seat. Only the cigarette lighter is missing, and instead of the radio, the standard versions have a plate with switches for additional headlights.
No matter how civilian the big Mercedes may seem, in 1971 it became the hero of hot sports news. Then, under the title of Swabian Raid, auto motor und sport told how the red AMG became the sensation of the 24-hour marathon on the Belgian Spa circuit. Compared to the Ford Capri RS, Escort Rally, Alfa Romeo GTA and BMW 3.0 CS, he looked like an exotic alien from another world. His two pilots, Hans Hayer and Clemens Schikentanz, were also rather unknown names, while gentlemen such as Lauda, Pike, Glamsser or Mas sat behind the factory cars. However, the "shooter from Württemberg" snatched victory in his class and second place in the overall standings.
Acute cardiovascular disease
In those days, the 300 SEL was powered by a custom 6,8-liter twin-throttle V8, sharper-cam cams, modified rocker arms and pistons. Its power was 428 hp. sec., torque - 620 Nm, and the achieved speed - 265 km / h. This 6,8-liter unit with a five-speed gearbox exists today only as an exhibit. Due to lack of space in 1971, a bulky electronic engine control device was not installed and there was no automatic cold start. As a result, the eight-cylinder beast could only be set in motion with the help of a large amount of special spray.
A sharpened motorcycle was combined with a racing clutch that only wore out after two heroic starts. Therefore, AMG used a 6,3-liter engine to create the famous SEL, the power of which was increased to 350 hp. Instead of a manual transmission, a serial automatic transmission is integrated. The reborn Mercedes AMG has impressive headlights and the prototype's husky voice, but no longer hit the road. It seems that the four-speed automatic is absorbing a substantial portion of the power.
Prototype
The reason this 300 SEL is a copy and not an original is rooted in the success story of those unforgettable 24 hours at the Spa. It turns out that this story has an introductory part and a little-known continuation. Fourteen days before the race, SEL AMG's career actually ended. While driving the 6,8-liter Hockenheim prototype, Helmut Kellners lost traction on a bend and slipped off the track before returning to the pits on foot. He showed AMG boss Aufrecht the ignition key and remarked dryly, “Here's your key. But you won't need it anymore. ”
What was Aufrecht's reaction? "I was shocked. This Kellners never competed for me again.” However, the crashed car was rebuilt around the clock. After the participation of "Spa", the red runner tried his luck in 24 hours at the "Nürburgring" and even led for some time, but then retired.
After such a career, normal racing cars took their rightful place in the museum, but the fate of AMG was different. At that time, the French arms concern Matra was looking for a vehicle capable of accelerating to 1000 km/h within 200 meters. This was during the Cold War, and the French created alternative runways for their warplanes so they could take off and land, for example, on certain stretches of the highway. The test vehicle had to not only accelerate in seconds, but also test its grip on the road at the same time – and, of course, have a certificate of traffic on the road network.
With their SEL 6.8, the people from AMG won the French company's worldwide competition. After entering the military, the racing Mercedes was even enlarged by an entire meter to accommodate numerous measuring instruments. The car drove on its own along the highway to France, without any problems.
History is silent on the fate of the Spa runner-up after his entry into the French army. In any case, the red original is gone forever. That's why today's AMG bosses have decided to recreate the progenitor of their sporting glory in a form as close to the original as possible, based on the Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3.
Heir
The car is an integral part of the history of AMG, and today Werner Aufrecht recalls: “Then it was a sensation.” ARD TV launched its news program with the Mercedes star, and news of AMG's success spread through daily newspapers to faraway communist China.
Years later, Aufrecht sold AMG to Daimler. However, in his new company HWA, he continues to take care of Mercedes' participation in the DTM racing series.
Exactly for the 40th anniversary of the company, the historic Mercedes AMG has once again appeared in all its glory. At the Geneva Motor Show, none other than Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche brought the newly refurbished veteran to the stage under the glare of the spotlights. For Hans Werner Aufrecht himself, this was a "big surprise". His joy was not darkened even when the former race car driver Dieter Glamser reminded him: “Have you forgotten who won the 24 Hours?
Indeed, in 1971, Glemser and his Capri RS - the last car left on the track from the Ford armada - won the race ahead of the Mercedes AMG. Which did not stop Aufrecht from defiantly answering: “Well, yes, but who still remembers this today?”
text: Bernd Ostmann
a photo: Hans-Dieter Zeufert
