A Short History of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Roadster

It might not be a widely known fact, but strictly speaking, the Mercedes SLK roadster has a 55-year-old pedigree. Allow us to explain. When the German automaker presented the first SLK concept study in 1994, it was continuing the firm's small roadster tradition which stated back in 1955 with the 190 SL.

The latter was the brainchild of Maximilian Edwin Hoffman, an enterprising American with Austrian roots who imported European cars to the USA. In 1953, after seeing the potential of a more affordable sports car than the 300 SL, he urged Daimler-Benz executives to build one.

The 190 SL was unveiled on February 6, 1954, in New York, alongside the 300 SL “gullwing”. It was designed more as an elegant two-seater touring model than a purebred sports car. It took engineers only five months to develop the open-top car, which used a shortened frame floor assembly from the Mercedes 180 (W120), combined with a single-joint swing axle sourced from the 220 (W180). The front suspension also came from the 180 model.

Under the bonnet, the 190 SL had a newly developed 105HP 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine with an overhead camshaft. Performance was good for the era, as the roadster could complete the 0-to-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint in 14 seconds and reach a top speed of over 170 km/h (106 mph).

Series production began in May 1955 and the 190 SL was available as a soft-top roadster as well as a coupe with removable hardtop, with or without the soft-top as an option.

Between May 1955 and February 1963, 25,881 units rolled off the assembly lines in Sindelfingen, well above the initial estimates.

By Csaba Daradics

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Mercedes-Benz USA Ranked 15th on Fortune's Best Places to Work

In its second year as an entrant, Mercedes-Benz USA landed in 15th place on Fortune magazine's latest list of the top 100 companies to work for. Last year, the German automaker's U.S. division was ranked No. 49. According to the magazine, among other perks, the sales and marketing arm of MB USA enjoy flexible work schedules, compressed workweeks, and a generous telecommuting policy, along with a gym with two personal trainers and an on-site car wash.

"While each milestone is impactful, this particular one is especially rewarding because it is based on employee feedback; the company forged ahead as a unified team to emerge from the current economic crisis into a leadership role," stated Ernst Lieb, President and CEO, MBUSA. "It's a reflection of what it is like to work at MBUSA - a community where associates feel a sense of belonging and kinship, literally embodying the slogan 'the best or nothing.' "

Mercedes-Benz USA was the only automaker to make it into the Top 100 this year, however find one more car-related company on the list, used-car retailer CarMax which ranked 81st.

For the record, the best five companies to work for are: 1. SAS (software firm), 2. Boston Consulting Group, 3. Wegmans Food Markets, 4. Google, and 5. NetApp (data-storage company). You can check the full list in detail by following the link below.

Link: Fortune

Binz Xtend E-Class Estate Asks The Question: A Hearse for a Daily Driver?

In 1961, the Checker Motors Corporation, makers of the ubiquitous Checker cab, decided – for whatever reason – to offer a civilian version to private buyers. Called the Superba, you won’t be surprised to learn it was a complete financial flop. Checker went back to making taxi cabs, no doubt thankful they didn’t try to market a civilian hearse instead.

Flash forward to 2011. At the Essen Motor Show in December of last year, European specialist coachbuilder Binz announced the Xtend E-Class estate, and now the car has entered production. By slotting in an extra 861 mm between the rear doors and rear axle, Binz have extended the estate’s cargo volume to a whopping 2620 litres. That’s better than some vans.

Weight is up to a heavy two tonnes while everything else, including the tires and choice of engines, remains standard E-Class fare. Oh, and the hearse-like styling should come as no surprise. Apart from the 6-door E-Class limousine, Binz is also a builder of several Mercedes-Benz derived hearses including one based on the swoopy CLS.

Imagine the sort of nightmares you’ll give your dachshund when it realizes it’s riding in the back of a hearse or the looks on your kid’s faces when you drop them off at school in something even Herman Munster would be embarrassed to be seen in. In my opinion, Binz should stick to building limousines. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Binz via Benzinsider

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VIDEO: 2011 Audi A8 Commercial Mocks the Mercedes S-Class

With its new commercial for the 2011 A8, Audi of America is opening a fresh chapter in the advertisement wars. Taking inspiration from the 1947 children’s book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, the ad portrays S-Class owners as gluttonous people with an excessive lifestyle, representing the age of “old luxury”. The 60 second clip is said to be a prelude to the upcoming Super Bowl TV spot, set to air in the first break on Super Bowl Sunday, February 6, 2011. Hit the jump to watch the video.

By Csaba Daradics

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Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Takes Third Place in its First 24H Race

Mercedes-Benz completed the development and testing phase of its SLS AMG GT3 racecar last week by taking part in the Abu Dhabi 24-hour endurance race (January 13 to 15). All three participating teams managed to finish the race, with the number 7 Black Falcon vehicle driven by Thomas Jager, Jan Seyffarth, Kenneth Heyer, and Sean Paul Breslin claiming third place.

"It was a good team performance overall which was rewarded with a third place that we can be proud of," said Thomas Jäger. "Achieving a good finish for all three cars at the first attempt was an important affirmation for all those involved.".

The SLS AMG GT3 competing for Heico Motorsport with starting number 9, took seventh place overall, coming in 18 laps behind the winner, while Black Falcon's second gull-wing model finished 69 laps behind the winner to claim 24th place.

It's worth noting that all three SLS AMG GT3s in the 24H Dubai race sported the Ducati logo, which refers to the partnership agreed in November 2010 between Mercedes-AMG GmbH and Ducati Motor.

According to Mercredes-Benz, following homologation and specification of the balance of performance by the FIA worldwide governing body, delivery of the SLS AMG GT3 will commence at the end of February 2011 with the sales price set at be € 334,000 Euro (net) /€ 397,460 (incl. 19 % VAT).

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