Le Mans Yesterday and Today: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz decided to measure itself at Le Mans with an official team for the first time after World War II, as memories of Grand Prix triumphs with the Silver Arrows began to fade. In 1930, Rudolf Caracciola, then a Mercedes-Benz dealership owner, personally entered an SSK in the 24 Hours of Le Mans to challenge Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Bugatti, and Talbot, but he was forced to retire.

Mercedes-Benz's first appearance at Le Mans was in 1930 with an SSK personally entered by Rudolf Caracciola.

The official debut at Le Mans for Mercedes-Benz came in 1952 with the 300 SL W194, a competition car that later inspired the legendary road-going Gullwing. Under team manager Alfred Neubauer, the three crews began the race at a conservative pace to preserve the cars' mechanics. Rivals like Ferrari, Jaguar, and Aston Martin were forced to retire due to technical issues, clearing the way for a triumphant 1-2 finish with the 300 SLs—marking Mercedes-Benz's first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Mercedes-Benz debuted at Le Mans in 1952 with its official team, achieving a stunning 1-2 finish with the 300 SLs.

The double win at the Circuit de la Sarthe gave a boost to Mercedes-Benz's racing division, leading to the decision to enter Formula 1 with the W196 R. This car carried Juan Manuel Fangio to two consecutive Drivers' World Championships in 1954 and 1955 and served as the foundation for the 300 SLR, designed for road racing. Fangio, Stirling Moss, and Karl Kling dominated the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, and Tourist Trophy, and the team was prepared to conquer Le Mans again.

Fate, however, intervened tragically: French driver Pierre Levegh collided with a slower car, sending his SLR into the crowd with devastating consequences. The company withdrew its cars and, by the end of the season, decided to leave motorsport, citing its dominance in Formula 1 and endurance racing as a reason: "We’ve won everything; we can retire".

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, dominant in road racing in 1955 but fated for tragedy at Le Mans.

Mercedes-Benz's return to Le Mans, albeit through a collaboration with Sauber, came in 1985. The goal was to use racing as a testbed for new V8 engines for road cars. The partnership proved fruitful, leading to the development of the Sauber C9 prototype in 1987. By 1989, the C9 donned the iconic Silver Arrows livery and clinched the Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships, alongside another 1-2 finish at Le Mans—the first since 1952. Silver Arrows were back!

The 1989 victory of the Sauber Mercedes C9 marked the second and last overall win for Mercedes-Benz at Le Mans.

The success was followed by models like the C11 and C291, though they failed to achieve similar glory. Simultaneously, the DTM championship was at its peak, and Mercedes-Benz shifted focus to the 190 E and later the C-Class, which triumphed in DTM in 1992, 1994, and 1995, before turning attention to Formula 1.

In 1997, the FIA created the FIA GT Championship, sparking Mercedes-Benz's interest. The CLK GTR dominated its debut season, leading to the development of the CLK LM for Le Mans in 1998. Despite pole position, both cars retired due to technical issues.

Mercedes-Benz returned with the CLK LM in 1998 in pursuit of overall victory at Le Mans.

In 1999, Mercedes-Benz entered Le Mans with the extreme CLR prototype. Despite extensive testing, the race was disastrous, with cars flipping during qualifying and warm-up sessions. After another flip during the race, Mercedes-Benz withdrew from the competition, focusing instead on Formula 1.

The beautiful yet ill-fated Mercedes-Benz CLR of 1999. None of the three cars finished the race.

Recently, Mercedes-Benz announced a return to Le Mans in 2025, entering the LMGT3 class with the AMG GT under the Iron Lynx team. Could this be a cautious beginning, eventually leading to the Hypercar class and another overall victory?

In 2025, Mercedes-Benz will return to Le Mans with the AMG GT in the LMGT3 class, pictured here alongside the 1952-winning 300 SL.