Perhaps many of you have seen photos of the factory 500SL rally car that Mercedes intended to campaign in the 1981 World Rally Championship season, but never did. This car normally resides in the Mercedes’ factory collection, and occasionally makes unicorn-like appearances at historic events.
Recently the 500SL took a turn in the California desert, which Mercedes has publicized in the following video. Great to see Mercedes recognize its history!
In June 2015, I learned that the car was in temporary residence at the Mercedes Classic Center in Irvine, California. Since I live in Northern Cal, I was able to combine business with pleasure and make a visit to see the car in person. Thankfully, the kind folks at the Classic Center responded to my interest in the SL/SLC rally cars by allowing me to open up the car and take as many photos as I wanted. Because exterior shots of the car are all over the place, I chose to focus on detailed close-up shots of the various components and elements that make the factory 500SL car special. For reference purposes, I am happy to share these photos below, in no particular order. Click for a larger version and enjoy!
Mercedes 450slc 5.0 Rallye Project 