Hello,

Can anybody recommend a resource of info covering Mercedes-Benz rallying efforts in 1979 and 1980 with the 450 SLC 5.0 and 500 SLC?

Using world-class drivers such as Mikkola, Waldegard and Cown they acheived wins on the Safari and Bandama rallies amongst others.

thanks
Duncan
PS new member - currently have C180K s/coupe demo considering buying the C220 CDi s/c

Hey Duncan

For some reason there isn't much information in the Mercedes motorsports books about their rally programs (other than they had raced in rallies occasionally between 1955 and 1987). It was primarily privateers competing in these rallies using Mercedes cars (with no factory support). The late 70s program you mentioned was their first factory racing effort since 1955.

I'm somewhat surprised that they don't race the in the current WRC. Perhaps since DC owns 10% of Hyundai is why they don't compete with the Mercedes brand.

Here is a list I have of all of the Mercedes overall rally wins (although they had a few class wins as well). Also, I don't think they ever won the Safari in the late 70s, just the Bandama. They did win the Safari three years in a row from (1959-1961), though.

Acropolis
1956 W Schock/R Moll - Mercedes 300 SL
1960 W Schock/R Moll - Mercedes 220 SE
1962 E Bohringer/P Lang - Mercedes 200 SEd
1963 E Bohringer/R Knoll - Mercedes 300 SE

Rallye Cote D'Ivoire (Bandama rally)
1979 Hannu Mikkola/Arne Hertz (FIN/SWE) - Mercedes 450 SLC
1980 Björn Waldegård/Hans Thorszelius (SWE) - Mercedes 500 SLC

Cyprus International Rally
1972 L Makrides/P Erotocritou - Mercedes

Paris-Dakar
1983 Ickx/Brasseur - Mercedes Unimog
- they've also had a few class wins (in 1983 G-class won it's class and the ML430 won it's class in 2000) but this is the only overall win

Finland
1961 Rauno Aaltonen/Vaino Nurmimaa (FIN) - Mercedes

Monte Carlo
1960 Walter Schock/Ralf Moll (GER) - Mercedes 220SE

Safari
1959 Bill Fritsch/Jack Ellis - Mercedes
1960 Bill Fritsch/Jack Ellis - Mercedes
1961 John Manussis/Bill Coleridge/David Beckett - Mercedes

Cheers, BT

PS: Welcome to MBWorld!

Karl Kling won the African Rally (Algiers to Capetown) in 1959 in a 190D and again in 1960 in a 220SE. My source does not list the co-driver.

W. Bohringer/R. Aaltonen (!) won the Polish Rally in 1961. Bohringer won again in 1962, and he also won the Liege-Sofia-Liege rally that year. Model and co-driver not listed in my source. In 1963, Bohringer again won the Liege-Sofia-Liege, this time in a 230SL. This seems to have been a factory effort.