What is “Mille Miglia”? – It is an Italian open-road endurance race which was held from 1927 to 1957. Mercedes-Benz had won this race twice in history (1931: SSK and also 1955: 300 SLR).
Today Mercedes announced a special edition of the SL550, to commemorate the 1955 Mille Miglia winning. This special edition is named “Mille Miglia 417”. Here, the number “417” means the race car’s start time (4:17 am). For the Mille Miglia racing, cars did not start at the same time; instead they started the trip in different time intervals (smaller displacement/slower cars started first). For the 1955 competition, the winning Mercedes 300 SLR started at 4:17am, therefore it got the car number “417”.
For this special edition SL550, there is no mechanical change. It is all about exterior/interior styling. The SL Mille Miglia 417 has matte black exterior paint with red decorative pieces and wheel rims. The interior color is also using the black/red scheme, including AMG Line sports seats and black carbon fiber trims.
The SL550 special edition will be sold in US. Pricing will be released when closer to launch. See the below press release for more details.
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SPECIAL EDITION SL “MILLE MIGLIA 417”
Exclusive SL passion
February 17, 2015 – Stuttgart — Mercedes-Benz celebrates the 60th anniversary of a memorable motor racing success with an extraordinary special model of the SL Roadster. Its name commemorates the unexpected victory of a 300 SL in the production sports cars class at the 1955 “Mille Miglia”, one of the world’s most challenging long-distance races. What’s more: the SL Special Edition “Mille Miglia 417” provides a special experience of the unique symbiosis of maximum comfort and motor racing spirit that traditionally characterizes every SL. The Special Edition adds a distinctive note, among other things, with red exterior highlights and fine materials in the exclusively appointed interior.
The Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster is more than an icon. Passion shapes its character and its charisma – in the past and today. Legendary vehicles and their stories dominate the model history. One of them is told by the SL that started the famous “Mille Miglia” in 1955 with race number 417 at 4:17 am. After 11 hours, 29 minutes and 21 seconds it had completed the race distance of 1597 kilometres on public roads from Brescia to Rome and back. Driven by the American private driver John Fitch with assistance from his co-driver Kurt Gessl, it crossed the finish line to great acclaim in fifth place of the overall standings and as the winner of the production sports cars, leaving numerous racing prototypes behind. Production 300 SL cars also took second and third place in this class.
After 60 years the new SL Special Edition “Mille Miglia 417” now expresses the laudatory proclamation about this victory and the car with race number 417. For this reason Mercedes-Benz also integrated the legendary number “417” into the badge of this special model as a reminder – a symbol for the passion that helps shape the charisma of every SL Roadster.
Performance, pronounced sportiness and innovative roadster comfort are hallmark fundamental features that also distinguish the Special Edition “Mille Miglia 417”. The eight-cylinder engine in the SL550 with 429 hp enables top sporting performance. The standard ESP® Curve Dynamic Assist and an adaptive adjustable damping system deliver sporty lateral dynamics while offering outstanding comfort at the same time.
The design of the Mille Miglia Edition meets high aesthetic standards and underscores its spirit with stylish red highlights. Red is the color of the lip on the front spoiler, and a red trim strip on the rear spoiler contrasts with the matte carbon. Red brake callipers gleam through the spokes of the black AMG Performance wheels, which sport subtle red surrounds and have diameters of 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear.
The Special Edition “Mille Miglia 417” comes standard with a designo night black magno matte paint finish. The designo paintwork lends the vehicle an individual and exclusive character.
Mercedes-Benz has further upgraded the luxurious yet sporty interior with fine materials and meticulous master craftsmanship. The AMG Line seats as well as the black center console with contrasting inlays and red edging are eye-catching features. The leather headrests feature an embossed carbon structure and an embroidered “SL Mille Miglia” label. Red edging also outlines the black door center panels with red armrests and red seatbelts also adorn the interior. The easy-to-grip steering wheel is wrapped in red and black nappa leather with sporty embossed carbon structure which bolsters the sporty ambience. The trim elements have a matte carbon finish. The black floor mats with red edging sport an embroidered “1000 Miglia” label.
The SL Special Edition “Mille Miglia 417” will be available as an SL550 in the U.S. in the fall of 2015, and pricing will be announced closer to the market launch.
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