Mercedes-Benz might not be celebrating any anniversaries this year at the Carrera Panamerica, but as an excuse to re-visit the classic race route in its SLS road car the three-pointed star revealed its SLS AMG GT3 race car in Mexico.  

The SLS GT3 will be available to customers with around €300,000 to spend, that paling into insignificance when you consider how much it’d cost to get your hands on the 1952 Carrera Panamericana 300 SL driven by Karl Kling and co-piloted by Hans Klenk Three 300 SLs, two coupes and a spyder, competed in the 1952 race, a gruelling nine-stage, five-day 3300km (2050 mile) open road race in the tradition of Italy’s Mille Miglia and Targa Florio.

Instigated by the Mexican government to promote the opening of its section of the Panamerican Highway the race ran officially between 1950 and 1954, before it was abandoned. Officially, the Mexican authorities claimed its termination was a result of it having done its job in promoting the new highway. However, with one of the highest mortality rates of any race - 27 people were killed in the five years it ran - safety was a real concern.

While the original race attracted a field made up largely of keen amateurs from the nearby US and Mexico, by 1952 factory teams would arrived and raised the stakes significantly.

Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo, Porsche, Volkswagen and Lincoln turned up with factory teams after a Ferrari’s one-two victory in 1951. The works teams brought professional drivers and far greater performance to the event. Mercedes’ third driver, John Fitch describes the ’52 event as absolutely gruelling, the long fast straights especially hard on tyres - Fitch actually cutting holes in the rear bodywork to allow his co-driver to keep an eye on the tyres.

Team manager Alfred Neubauer directed the Mercedes-Benz effort, bringing 23 staff and 13 vehicles, though even the legendary team chief couldn’t prevent a five-day delay thanks to a hurricane at sea.

Nor could Neubauer predict the local wildlife, the lead 300 SL famously collecting a vulture through its windsceen on the opening leg of the race. The 120mph strike didn’t slow Kling and Klenk down, eventually winning the event with the second SL coupe of Hermann Lang following the lead car to the chequered flag.

The Italians would take the 1953 race in a Lancia and the final 1954 race was won by Ferrari.