10 Little-Known Facts About Mercedes Benz

Mercedes-Benz has a long and storied racing heritage, the vast majority of which is rooted in competing on asphalt. Not all of it, though: In the late ’70s, the automaker made the decision to homologate a car for the World Rally Championship, unveiling the 450 SLC 5.0. The car made extensive use of aluminum both for the body panels and for the 5.0L V8 engine, in a bid to keep it as light as possible. In total, 19 examples of the car were made.

Surprisingly given the brand’s lack of top-flight rallying experience, the 450 SLC 5.0 proved a very competitive car. In the 1979 WRC season, future drivers’ champion Hannu Mikkola took the car to a second-place finish at the Safari Rally Kenya, then won the Ivory Coast rally later the same year. The latter was a particularly impressive performance for Mercedes, with 450 SLC 5.0 entries finishing first, second, third, and fourth in a truly dominant performance.

Mercedes’ rally team also saw success in non-WRC rallies, winning the grueling South America Rally in 1978. However, by 1980, increasingly tough competition meant that the 450 SLC 5.0 was no longer capable of keeping up with its rivals, and so funding for the works team was pulled before the 1981 season.