Face-to-face with the IWC Racing Team's iconic Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing at the 14th Arosa ClassicCar

At the 76th Goodwood Festival of Speed members' meeting in March 2018, IWC Schaffhausen announced the launch of its very own motorsport team with F1 driver David Coulthard behind the wheel of a spectacular Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing debuted during the race.
 

Already present in motorsports since 2013 through its partnership with the F1 team Mercedes AMG Petronas, the watchmaking brand IWC now takes a step into the classic car world by participating in select stages of the international historic racing circuit. Backed by its IWC Racing Team and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé, the Schaffhausen brand plunges clients, journalists, classic car buffs and thousands of enthusiasts alike into one-of-a- kind experiences.
 

Late August marks the start of the famous Arosa ClassicCar Graubünden Alpine hill-climb. Participants cover a route of 7.3 kilometers, which twists its way from the village of Langwies to the Arosa ski resort, located at an altitude of 1775 meters. The main route taken by the race meets all the protection standards for the hosting of such an event.
 

My first encounter was a virtual one, namely on the Instagram account of the supremely talented, Ted Gushue, which I stumbled upon the morning of the first day's racing for the spectacular 1955 Mercedes 300 SL coupé Gullwing driven by the IWC Racing Team. I'll leave you to imagine how Ted managed to handle this classic motor car.
 

Back in the IWC Racing Team paddock, I discover not one, but two, Mercedes 300 SL Coupés. The first is the one generally used by the IWC Racing Team for events and publicity stunts. Its restoration and upkeep were entrusted to HK-Engineering, a workshop founded by Hans Kleissl, aka the "architect" of the magical Mercedes 300 SL, both in the Coupé and Roadster versions. A renowned collector, this classic car enthusiast set up a vast garage space back in 1984 dedicated solely to this particular Mercedes model. It comprised various specialist workshops ranging from mechanics to upholstery and employs no less than 40 people.
 

With a production run of 1,400 units between 1954 and 1957, the Mercedes- Benz 300 SL Coupé is undeniably the sports car most ahead of its time. In the early 1950s, Daimler-Benz witnessed a growth in its activity and nurtured a dream of returning to motorsports. The decision gave rise to a racing programme, which aimed to rival the new Ferraris. The latest technological developments applied to the Mercedes offered Daimler-Benz overwhelming supremacy on the track.
 

Barely a year after the racing programme was introduced, the expertise acquired thus far led to the making of the legendary l Mercedes 300 SL Coupé. In a music analogy, I am put in mind of Pink Floyd's legendary live performance of Dark Side of the Moon. Likewise, the Gullwing was the culmination of many visionary refinements, and innovations gleaned out on the track. In a bid to reduce its weight and enable the use of the old 3.3-litre engine, the makers opted for a welded tube chassis weighing in at just under 82 kg. This architecture made it obligatory to design roof-hinged doors, literally cut out of the car's body. Having an aluminum body, the 300 SL Coupé weighed only 1,295 kg with a 215 hp engine, which enabled it to reach the giddying speed of 240 Km/h, phenomenal for the time.
 

During the event, we were able to snap a few IWC models on the wrists of the drivers and get a few shots in-situ of the spectacular IWC Racing Team's Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé.