Information on the post-production of CMC Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe
Mercedes-Benz owns two original cars, one of which was auctioned on May 19, 2022 for the incredible sum of 135 million euros, a record high in the history of car auctions.
The market is also quite vocal about this model being offered again. In 2021, CMC plans to re-produce this model. After the presentation of these models, all limited editions were sold out after a very short time. Before the new production start, CMC again emphasizes the company’s own philosophy of “UNIQUE” to eliminate its previous shortcomings, improve, and reach the highest level.
The improved parts are as follows:
Gap dimensions
By rebuilding the shapes of the gullwing doors, we were able to optimize the gap dimensions; the doors now sit much better, flush and snug in the bodywork.
Mirror mount
The tiny Mirror mount and holder of the rearview mirror on the left vehicle flanks was previously made of plastic to faithfully reproduce the shape. With such thin plastic there is always a residual risk of breaking off, with broken mirror the whole model loses its value. Today we manufacture the mirror mounting from metal and cut the holder elaborately from copper sheet. After many trials, we can thus ensure that the mirror does not break off.
Air inlet grille
Air inlet grille in front of the windshield: Fine details like such a grille determine whether a model can be considered high-end. Previously, the individual struts were made of 0.5 mm thick stainless steel wire, a highly innovative solution in model vehicle construction at the time. But the struts seemed too thick and the distances between the wires too small. We tried changing the air intake grilles to 0.3 mm thickness. But the effect did not seem as good as with 0.5 mm thick steel sheet. We did not give up, and changed to a 0.4 mm thick material. This time the effect of the grid being too thin was improved. The resulting problem is that the entire air intake grille appears dull and not shiny enough. This is because during the corrosion process, the traces of corrosion on the stainless steel sheet cannot be completely removed, and it is impossible to fully restore its original smooth surface, which is an inevitable problem in the process itself. Despite our continuous use of polishing, electroplating and even electrolysis to make it shine, the luster of the grid is still not as good as it should be. Finally, we decided to forgo photoetching and keep trying with white copper. After the pieces of cupro-nickel sheet are stamped, they are arranged one by one in the air intake and attached by spot welding. The result is a clean air intake grille made of white copper. The uniform, clean and elegant appearance not only perfectly implements the beauty of the structure, but also exudes a surprising glossy brilliance. After that, a protective coating is applied to prevent the surface from oxidizing, and your brilliance will be preserved forever. At the first attempt to insert the grille into the air intake, everyone present applauded. By switching to the expensive white copper material, an unexpected surprise was achieved through a complex stamping process. The white copper grille presents its characteristic clean and elegant appearance, its fine and beautiful shapes. By using new materials and new technology, we have finally succeeded in making this exquisite model of the incomparably noble Mercedes-Benz one of the best crafts of CMC. The bold attempt was made because we did not settle. Despite time and cost, all our improvements have paid off, and have also remained true to our philosophy: to continue to rise to a higher level in the direction of “incomparable”.
Mercedes stars
The previous Mercedes stars on the center lock were made of aluminum, which made the component look very dark and dull. Although there was no criticism from customers, we decided to use stainless steel for the new edition. Stainless steel is simply of higher quality than aluminum.
However, the three tips of the Mercedes star were not yet precise enough, which the material is very hard. Even as preparations for series production were completed, there were new findings to replace stainless steel with cupronickel. This material is more expensive, but it is much easier to polish to a high gloss and protect with clear lacquer. We are very pleased to have fulfilled our commitment to the market: to always serve our customers with the most advanced technology. At the last minute before the launch, we had the chance to deliver on that promise
