2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Straßenversion Roadster

The Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Straßenversion Roadster turns the road-going GT1-derived programme into an open car. It needs a careful production description: five customer cars and a broader six-roadster fabrication account appear in different scopes. The complete road-programme reference remains tiny, but those definitions should stay visible.

History and verified programme identity

The source inventory places the roadster in 1998. Petersen’s custodial record identifies the Roadster as a 2002 model, which is the reference used here. That correction separates the later open-car programme from the racing CLK-GTR’s 1997 debut and the original road coupé series. The museum’s summary describes 28 Straßenversion vehicles in total, including prototypes. A wider programme figure is useful as an eligibility bound without pretending to certify every individual build and delivery date.

Engineering and design

The road-programme account describes a carbon-fibre monocoque and a V12 enlarged from the racing engine’s six-litre context to 6.9 litres. Removing the closed roof gives the car a markedly different passenger-cell presentation. A useful engineering discussion therefore considers structure, body and intended use together rather than assuming the Roadster was an ordinary convertible conversion. The cabin can look familiar in small details while the overall vehicle architecture remains far removed from a normal Mercedes-Benz CLK. This specification belongs to the documented programme. It should be compared using the original measurement convention and the relevant configuration. A larger number copied from a different engine, market or racing derivative would describe a different car. Likewise, an engine change during restoration does not add another vehicle to the original production run. The distinction matters particularly when a model name appears in both road and competition histories: shared styling or ancestry can coexist with substantially different structures and equipment.

The physical car in the supplied photograph

Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster on display at Mercedes-Benz World, showing its open passenger compartment, twin rear fairings and full front body. Visible configuration is distinct from the closed coupé.

What makes this version distinct

Five and six are not competing survivor estimates in this profile. They are differently scoped roadster references that need a chassis-level register to reconcile fully. Neither should become a claim that there were 11 original roadsters. Similarly, 28 is the broad programme upper bound, not the Roadster’s customer-production figure. The photograph is a real open CLK-GTR, not an interior detail used in place of a complete car.

Collecting and chassis evidence

Keep chassis construction, completion, first registration and later ownership as separate dates. A very small series can still contain development vehicles and unusual specifications. Where a published account includes prototypes, preserve that scope instead of presenting its total as the number of ordinary customer deliveries. Start with the permanent chassis identity and a dated factory specification, then organise invoices, registration documents and photographs into a chronology. A recent photograph describes present appearance; the original delivery record establishes how the vehicle left its manufacturer. Record replacements and reversible changes without erasing their dates. For a limited edition, retain the allocation paperwork and edition plate together, since a badge alone cannot establish membership. Photographs of body seams, interior fittings and mechanical markings help a specialist understand changes across time. Where a vehicle has been repainted or restored, keep the earlier material alongside the finished appearance. A clearly documented change is more informative than an unsupported claim that every component has remained untouched.

Related Mercedes-Benz designs and meaningful comparisons

The CLK-GTR coupé is the direct comparison for body and programme identity. The SLR Stirling Moss provides another extremely limited open Mercedes-Benz, but its front-engined layout and historical brief are different. Their rarity does not make their engineering solutions interchangeable.

Reading the sources

The programme sources and the photograph answer different questions. Manufacturer and custodial records establish the original model, Type, category and published production scope. The creator’s file establishes the pictured subject, setting and image permission. An individual chassis history can then add ownership, competition entries and dated repairs without changing the scope of the original programme. Build references are not survivor counts, and a later specification does not automatically become an additional newly manufactured vehicle. Where primary evidence does not establish a complete fabrication census, that field remains unassigned.

Specifications and rarity evidence

Frequently asked questions

How rare is the CLK-GTR Straßenversion Roadster?

The workbook lists five customer roadsters; Petersen’s programme summary describes six roadsters within 28 road-version vehicles, including two prototypes and 20 coupés. The profile uses 28 only as the broader qualifying upper bound, leaves a reconciled customer-roadster tally unassigned and does not add five and six together.

How is CLK-GTR Straßenversion Roadster classified?

This is a named original Mercedes-Benz road-car programme or factory body configuration within a qualifying low-volume family. The source-defined reference is below 7,500. Completed manufacture, shared allocation ceilings and current survivor counts remain separately labelled.

Which technical details are established for the programme?

The primary record supports reference year: 2002, custodial museum record; configuration: Open Straßenversion road car; engine reference: 6.9-litre V12, custodial programme account. These are programme or explicitly attributed photo references. A particular surviving car’s engine, chassis repairs and competition preparation require its own dated documentation.

Does the photographed appearance establish factory originality?

The caption records a real creator-identified CLK-GTR Straßenversion Roadster subject and its documented setting. It establishes the illustration’s scope, while original components, restoration work and individual race provenance require chassis-specific evidence. A competition number, current paint or museum display is not used as an originality certificate.

What rarity or archive scope is verified?

The workbook lists five customer roadsters; Petersen’s programme summary describes six roadsters within 28 road-version vehicles, including two prototypes and 20 coupés. The profile uses 28 only as the broader qualifying upper bound, leaves a reconciled customer-roadster tally unassigned and does not add five and six together.

Who photographed the supplied image?

km30192002 via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY 2.0. The original file and licence are linked with the image. Retain the creator, source and licence when uploading, exporting or reusing it; local retouching and synthetic enlargement have not been performed.

Related Mercedes-Benz profiles

• 1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Straßenversion Coupé
• 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss

Sources and photo credits

• Custodial or chassis-specific programme evidence
• Custodial or chassis-specific programme evidence

Photograph: km30192002 via Wikimedia Commons original source, CC BY 2.0. Original image or source-provided thumbnail supplied without local cropping, retouching or synthetic enlargement.