Pre-Spa Testing - Hockenheim 1969

Buoyed by the success of the 300SEL 6.3s in Macau, Daimler-Benz decided to enter a team of 6.3s in the 24 Hours of Spa on 27 July 1969. Some weeks before the event, the 6.3s were put through a 24 hour testing session and it became clear that tyre wear would be a problem – a set of tyres would only last 20 laps despite the use of special finned aluminium rims to encourage cooling and to keep the heat down.