To many, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL established the beach head as the world's first supercar, but its road to success was not without difficulty. In the aftermath of World War II, Germany was in recovery, and the W194 300SL racing car was built using components from the large, heavy S-Class. Yet, despite its humble origins, the W194 dominated nearly every race it entered. With encouragement from U.S. Mercedes-Benz importer Max Hoffmann, Stuttgart transformed the racing legend into a road-going masterpiece—one that would become universally celebrated as one of the greatest cars ever made.