The Mercedes-Benz 300SL was the first iteration of the SL-Class grand tourer convertibles
and fastest production car of its day. Internally numbered W198, it was introduced in 1954 as
a two-seat sports car with distinctive gull-wing doors and later offered as an open roadster.
Built by Daimler-Benz AG, the fuel-injected production model was based on the company's
highly successful yet somewhat less powerful carbureted 1952 race car, the Mercedes-Benz
300SL. The idea of a toned-down W194 tailored to
affluent performance enthusiasts in the booming post-war American market was suggested by
Max Hoffman. As such, it was introduced at the 1954 New York Auto Show rather than the
Frankfurt or Geneva shows at which other Mercedes models made their debuts. The "300" in its
name referred to its three litre engine displacement, and "SL" stood for "Sport Leicht".
The 300SL was best known for its distinctive gull wing doors, first-ever consumer fuel-injection,
and world's fastest top speed. The gull wing version was available from March 1955 to 1957,
the roadster from 1957 to 1963. A "light" version of the 300SL was introduced in 1955
as the 190SL. While very different technically from the 300SL it is often referred as the
300SL's little sister as the two models share many elements. Both the 300SL and the 190SL
were followed in the Mercedes line by the 230SL.
A race car for the street New York Mercedes distributor Max Hoffman,
Daimler-Benz's official importer in the USA, suggested to Daimler-Benz AG management in
Stuttgart that a street version of the 300SL would be a commercial success, especially
in America. The racing W194 300SL was built around a tubular
chassis to offset its relatively underpowered carbureted engine. Designed by Daimler-Benz's
chief developing engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the metal skeleton saved weight while still
providing a high level of strength. Its unique architecture gave birth to the model's distinctive
gull-wing doors, as part of the chassis passed through what would be the lower half of a
standard door. Even with the upward opening doors, the 300SL had an unusually high sill,
making entry and exit from the car's cockpit problematic. A steering wheel with a tilt-away
column was added to improve driver access. The 300SL's body was mainly steel, except
for the aluminum hood, doors and trunk lid. It could also be ordered with an all-aluminium
outer skin at tremendous added cost, saving 80 kg.
More than 80% of the vehicle's total production of approximately 1400 units were sold in the
US, making the Gullwing the first Mercedes-Benz which sold in considerable numbers outside
its home market and confirming the validity of Hoffman's suggestion. The 300SL is credited
for changing the company's image in America from a manufacturer of solid, but staid, automobiles
to that of a producer of sporty cars. First direct injection
The 300SL's engine, canted at a forty-five-degree angle to the left to allow for a lower hoodline,
was the same 3.0 litre straight-6 as the regular four-door 300 tourer. Fitted with a Bosch
mechanical Gasoline direct injection system it had almost double the power of the original
86 kW carbureted version. While not the first fuel-injected car - Mercedes
engineers who had developed the principle for the DB 601 fighter aircraft engine had
used fuel injection in the tiny 2-stroke Gutbrod they had designed after the War - it was the
first to inject fuel directly into the cylinders. This innovation allowed a top speed of up
to 260 km/h depending on gear ratio and drag, making the 300SL the fastest production car
of its time. The engine's maintenance requirements were
high. Unlike the current electrically powered fuel injection systems, the mechanical fuel
pump would continue to inject gasoline into the engine during the interval between shutting
off the ignition and the engine's coming to a stop; this gasoline was of course not burned,
and washed the oil from the cylinder walls and ended up diluting the engine's lubricating
oil, particularly if the engine was not driven hard enough nor long enough to reach a temperature
high enough to evaporate it out of the oil. Exacerbating the problem were the large oil
cooler as well as the large volume of oil, both oriented more to racing than to street
driving, which virtually guaranteed that the oil would not reach a high enough temperature.
In practice, many street drivers would block off airflow through the oil cooler, and the
recommended oil change interval was 1,000 miles. Operation of the clutch was initially
very heavy, later roadsters having an improved clutch arm helper spring which reduced the
pedal force. From March 1963 to the end of production, a light alloy crankcase was used
on a total of 209 vehicles. Aerodynamics played an important role in the
car's speed, Mercedes-Benz engineers even placing horizontal "eyebrows" over the wheel
openings to reduce drag. Unlike many cars of the 1950s, the steering was relatively
precise and the four-wheel independent suspension allowed for a reasonably comfortable ride
and markedly better overall handling. However, the rear swing axle, jointed only at the differential,
not at the wheels themselves, could be treacherous at high speeds or on imperfect roads due to
extreme changes in camber. The enormous fuel tank capacity caused a considerable difference
in handling depending on the quantity of fuel on board.
Racing history In 1952, the original 300SL scored overall
wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in Bern-Bremgarten, in the sportscar race of the Eifelrennen at
the Nürburgring, and in Mexico's Carrera Panamericana. It also managed second and fourth
places at its first outing, the Mille Miglia in 1952.
These successes, especially those on the high speed open road races, were rather surprising
as the engine then was fitted only with carburetors, producing 175 hp, which was not only less
than the competing cars by Ferrari and Jaguar, but also less than the road car of 1954. Low
weight and low aerodynamic drag made the 300SL fast enough to be competitive in endurance
races. The 300SL today
Today, the 300SL with its unique doors, technological firsts, and low production numbers is considered
one of the most collectible Mercedes-Benz models, with prices generally in the US$700,000-1,000,000
range. Sports Car International magazine ranked the 300SL as the number 5 sports car of all
time. A pair of 300SLs for sale in 2009 were offered at over $1.3M USD from the Foxwood
Collection. In 2012, an ultra rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL with an all-aluminum body was sold
for US$4.62 million at the Scottsdale Auctions in Arizona. Given the stratospheric prices
that a 300SL commands, many car enthusiast have turned towards the smaller 190SL, often
referred as the "poor man's 300SL" as its acquisition costs are a tenth that of the
300SL's. Subsequent generations of the Mercedes-Benz
SL-Class have been continually produced. The R230 and the R231 have air inlets in the front
fenders which are inspired by the 300SL Gullwing. However, the SL has since evolved to become
a more autobahn-focused grand tourer due to increasing weight, especially with its optional
V12 engine in later iterations. The last two generations of the SL are hardtop convertibles
with technological and comfort amenities, and it also has available heated and cooled
seats with a massage function. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is described by
Mercedes as a spiritual successor to the 300SL Gullwing. Although there is some overlapping
in price and performance with the R230 and R231 SL-Class, the lighter SLS AMG is considered
more of a sporty track-oriented car, in the spirit of the 300SL.
Mercedes-Benz also operates the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center that focuses on classic Mercedes-Benz
restorations and is recognized as the central authority on 300 SL parts, service, restoration
and vehicle trading as they have unique access to original build sheets and factory documentation
which enables them to confirm a car's authenticity - a critical factor determining a collector
car's true value. As part of a partnership between Mercedes-Benz
and Nintendo, the Wii U game Mario Kart 8 features a 300SL Roadster as a playable in-game
vehicle, added as part of a post-launch downloadable game update on August 27, 2014.
Technical data
See also Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG References
Mercedes Benz 300 SL Coupe / Gullwing Register www.mercedes300slregister.com
Sports and Classic Cars, Bonanza Books, New York. 1955, Borgeson G. and Jaderquist E.
"Gullwing The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé", Palawan Press, London. 2008, Pritchard, A.
External links Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Internet Portal & Web
Magazine eMercedesBenz | The 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300
SL Racing Sport Coupe Mercedes Benz 300 SL Coupé / Gullwing Register
#198.040 & #198.043