The SLR 722 S signed by Stirling Moss... twice!
The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 S Roadster is a rare car indeed, but this particular example is even more unique.
The SLR McLaren was built as a homage to the SLR 300 racer from the 50s and co-developed by McLaren which Mercedes owned 40% of at the time. It featured butterfly doors that operate in a similar fashion to McLaren’s current road cars as well as that distinctive long bonnet housing a 5.4-litre supercharged V8 mounted almost in the middle of the car for better weight distribution.
The positioning of the engine combined with the automatic gearbox meant that many people labeled the SLR as more of a grand tourer than a supercar. However, if you compare the performance figures to some of its more extreme rivals such as the Carrera GT and Lamborghini Murcielago, it’s definitely not getting left behind in a drag race.
The historic name ‘SLR’ stands for Sport, Leight, Rennsport, or Sport, Light, Racing. The SLR McLaren isn’t necessarily lightweight, but it’s no slouch. The standard car came out of the factory with 626hp, enabling a quoted 0-62mph sprint in 3.6 seconds and top speed of 207mph.
The car you see pictured is a 722 S Roadster. A pumped-up, more powerful, limited-run version of the SLR. You’ll notice the 722 SLRs by the carbon fibre additions, different wheels, and the 722 designation on the side of the car.
What makes this example all the more special is that it has been signed by the great racing driver after which the model is named, not once, but twice. Once above the 722 S badge and again next to the door latch.
The ‘722’ name doesn’t originate from a power figure as you'd be forgiven for thinking. It was in fact the number on the 300 SLR that Stirling Moss piloted to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia, a 1000-mile road race. The number was given because Moss and his navigator Denis Jenkinson’s start time was 7:22am.
Sadly, at the the age of 90, Stirling Moss passed away in 2020 after a long battle with illness. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest racing drivers ever.
This 722 S Roadster is an extremely unique proposition. This car was on display with us at Supercar Fest, and many of the questions put to the team were those asking how much the car is worth. Similar to the untouched LFA, this is a difficult car to value given how individual it is.
