Not Your Dentist’s Mercedes-Benz

By Andy Wilsheer

Swiss welder/tin bender Stefan Winter’s enthusiasm for drag racing began in the ’80s after attending an event in France promoted by fellow countryman Urs Erbacher, best known for his ex-ploits piloting a Top Fuel dragster in Europe and the USA.

Having access to American cars and parts, Stefan’s name soon appeared on the side of an International Harvester (IH) pickup truck he modified for racing and outfitted with a Ford 460-ci V-8. He campaigned this hybrid for five seasons clocking E.T.s in the mid-11s and scoring numerous event wins throughout.

The IH pickup was replaced by a much quicker Ford Mustang competing in the 9.90 Super Gas class. A severe diet, including a new front end, dropped the ’Stang’s E.T. by one second, placing it in Super Comp. Eventually greater performance aspirations placed the Ford on the block and plans were laid for something a bit more unique—actually, very unique! Stefan opted for a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL gullwing, a quarter-mile version that’s certainly one-of-a-kind. It would be an act of heresy to modify a real one for drag racing, to say nothing of the expense of procuring it in the first place; though running a replica would be a clever notion. SL-SC Ottman of Grossenwiehe, Germany, specializing in reproduction 300 SLs, was commissioned to build a ’56-model roadster body in fibreglass. Stefan would undertake the transformation from open-top to a gullwing coupe.

He modified the dimensions as necessary in order to create his one-off racer, extending the coachwork by 20 inches, engineering and fabricating the roof section with its center-opening doors and custom window frames supporting Lexan windows. The classic lines of this iconic supercar’s bodywork have not been compromised by flared wheel arches to accommodate the massive slicks. Stefan instead raised the rearend so that the wheels and tires sit inside the stock confines. The addition of an aft-mounted Kevlar aerofoil gives the car increased high speed stability and adds a contemporary degree of panache to the profile. The work involved in transforming the shell, complete with Dzus-fastened removable front section, occupied countless hours, but as Stefan said, “I feel it was well worth the time and effort put in over the [protracted] period.”

With the coachwork amendments completed, the revamped body was trailered to HPC Race Cars of Hanover, Germany for installation of a double-frame chassis, using chrome-moly tubular steel, compliant with strict Pro Mod standards even though Stefan has no intention of competing in this ultimate doorslammer category. One year later, the Benz was collected from HPC and returned to Switzerland for final outfitting of the powertrain, electrical wiring and everything else necessary to make the vehicle fully race ready.

For propulsion, Stefan chose a 425-ci DRCE2 destroked Pro Stock-style engine built by Bob Panella, which dynoed out at 1,135 bhp and is hooked to a Precision Performance Products-shifted Coan TH350 three-speed automatic transmission. Dual Holley 1,050-cfm double-pumpers tweaked by DaVinci Performance, consume race gas sucked from a JAZ 2-gallon cell at a rapacious rate. An abundance of Earl’s braided stainless lines, hose ends and adapters colourfully complement the clean-as-a- whistle engine bay.

Chris Alston’s Chassisworks, supplied the 4-link-located Strange Engineering rearend that’s suspended by Koni coil-overs and also sports chrome-moly wheelie bars. The offset front end (there’s a 1-inch wheelbase difference between the left- and right-hand sides, the maximum allowed per the rule book) is outfitted with Chris Alston spindle-mount, double-adjustable struts and Opel Manta steering components, with cooling handled by a Ron Davies radiator and CSI electric water pump.

For wheels and tires, Stefan chose Weld Racing 15 x 4.5 rims up front, mounting Hoosier 25/5.0 rubber; on the rear 15 x 15 Sander alloys are wrapped by Hoosier 33.0/16.0 slicks. Brakes are Wilwood drilled discs all around.

The prominent custom-fabricated, carbon-fiber hood scoop, which occupied more than a week of Stefan’s time, may seem incongruous, but it ably serves the purpose of funnelling air to the dual carburetors. A fiberglass front bumper replaces the original car’s chromed counterpart, as do Pukka sidelights and headlights complete with proper bezels, plus a reproduction front grille. The rearend has a smooth, rounded profile obtained through omission of taillights and bumpers and the Sunlight Silver paint finish, chosen from the ’06 Mazda MX-5 color palette being a complementary hue to that which adorned the ’50s precursors. In case you’re wondering about the paint choice, it’s because a friend of Stefan’s who sprayed the car owns a Mazda dealership.

The carbon-fiber trimmed interior appointments lack any Mercedes-Benz influence. The Autometer instruments, MSD digital ignition, Racepak data logger, RCI window net and DJ Safety seat harness and SPA Technique Firefighter extinguisher system are all essential components made in America, where, incidentally, more than 80% of a total production run of approximately 1,400 MB units was destined, and although the car’s striking silhouette may not be a mirror image of the assembly line versions of a half-century ago, there’s no denying that this one-off styling exercise is an exciting addition to Europe’s race scene.

With high-seven, low-eight-second/160-plus-mph capabilities from the unique machine, combined with very respectable reaction times from the driver, I suspect fellow contenders in the Sportsman category of Competition Eliminator must have gotten used to seeing the win light illuminate in the silver gullwing lane.

Special thanks go to: Wife Christine, daughter Karin, son Marcel and crewman Peter Loser. The rear is a mix of Strange and Chris Alston components.

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