Mercedes Benz W196 (1954)
I think the W196 looks even better naked. The intake manifold is drop-dead sexy (from an engineering point of view, of course) and those in-board drum brakes look like something only the Batmobile would have.
This Mercedes started its first GP in 1954 with a 2.5 litre straight-8 engine, developing around 255hp.
Trifecta: Maserati A6GCS, Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR & Jaguar D-Type (via goodoldvalves, objectlessobservations)