- The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198) is a two-seat sports car that was produced by Mercedes-Benz as a gull-winged coupe (1954–1957) and roadster (1957–1963).
- Built as a toned-down Grand Prix car for the affluent American enthusiasts, a decision on the large-scale production was taken after a favorable response from visitors in the 1954 New York International motor show. Capable of reaching a top speed of up to 263 km/h (163 mph), it participated in many racing championships.
- It was the fastest production road-legal car of its time. EMERGENCE OF GULLWING Years in production – 1954 to 1963 First appearing in 1952 as the W94 sports racer, the 300 SL was intended to return Mercedes-Benz to competition relevance and was notable for its advanced lightweight space-frame chassis with an inline six-cylinder engine.
- The most notable feature of Sindelfingen was undoubtedly the roof-hinged doors, which was necessitated by the chassis’ high waist.
- This unique feature earned the model its eventual nickname, the “Gullwing.” Over a three-year production run, the company produced in a modest quantity of 1,374 examples, the 300 SL Gullwing has since evolved into one of the most collectible sports cars ever built.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198) is a two-seat sports car that was produced by Mercedes-Benz as a gull-winged coupe (1954–1957) and roadster (1957–1963).
Built as a toned-down Grand Prix car for the affluent American enthusiasts, a decision on the large-scale production was taken after a favorable response from visitors in the 1954 New York International motor show. Capable of reaching a top speed of up to 263 km/h (163 mph), it participated in many racing championships. It was the fastest production road-legal car of its time.
EMERGENCE OF GULLWING
Years in production – 1954 to 1963
First appearing in 1952 as the W94 sports racer, the 300 SL was intended to return Mercedes-Benz to competition relevance and was notable for its advanced lightweight space-frame chassis with an inline six-cylinder engine. The most notable feature of Sindelfingen was undoubtedly the roof-hinged doors, which was necessitated by the chassis’ high waist. This unique feature earned the model its eventual nickname, the “Gullwing.”
Over a three-year production run, the company produced in a modest quantity of 1,374 examples, the 300 SL Gullwing has since evolved into one of the most collectible sports cars ever built. Also, it is perhaps the most historically important sporting model ever produced by Mercedes-Benz. 300 SL was celebrated for its racing heritage with truly innovative design and engineering.
Gullwing’s Stunning Specs
- Displacement – 3Litre inline 6 cylinder engine
- Power – 240 bhp @6100rpm *top tune
- Top speed – 263 kmph
- Kerb weight– 1040kg (SLS) 1500kg coupe.
Known for
1. Iconic Gullwing design
2. Fastest production car of its time.
3. Mechanical fuel injection pump & dry-sump lubrication system.
4. Iconic Rudge wheel rim design.
5. Lightweight tubular frame design.
6. Voted as the sports car of the century in 1999.
Fun facts
300 SL was an expensive car to own and run. Service intervals were mere 1,600kms. Early mechanical direct fuel injection design led to oil mixed with fuel and the whole of mammoth 15litres of engine oil had to be replaced quite often. One of the limiting factors to the explosive performance was drum brakes. They got upgraded to disc brakes only in 1961.
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