1954-1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe
From the race-track to the road
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was conceived
initially as a purpose-built racing sports car (W 194). In 1952, the
coupe notched up an impressive record of success in the year’s major
races. At the Grand Prix in Bern the 300 SL sealed a clean sweep of the
podium places, an awesome performance backed up by a one-two finish
ahead of a stunned field in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Nürburgring
duly yielded another one-two-three, and the new Mercedes racing sports
car also claimed victory in the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. It all
added up to a majestic return to motor sport for Mercedes-Benz, picking
up where the brand had left off during a highly successful period before
the Second World War.
Although there were initially no plans to send the 300 SL into series
production, the Daimler-Benz Board had been left with the words of
Maximilian (“Maxi”) Hoffman ringing in their ears. The official importer
of Mercedes-Benz cars into America campaigned tirelessly for a sports
car to offer his well-heeled clientele, and the 300 SL racer fitted the
bill perfectly. After lengthy deliberations, the green light was given
for series production of the road-trim 300 SL (W 198), as well as a
smaller, open-top sports car, the 190 SL (W 121).
The two models were due to celebrate their premieres less than six
months after the Board had granted the project their approval. The
occasion was the International Motor Sports Show taking place in New
York from February 6 –14, 1954 and at the time America’s most important
auto show. The engineers rose to the challenge of their race against the
clock, and the 300 SL and its smaller brother, the 190 SL, were ready to
receive the acclaim of the admiring crowds. Series production began in
Sindelfingen in August 1954 and the price was fixed at 29,000 Marks – a
quite enormous sum at the time, especially when you compared the new
model alongside the Mercedes-Benz 170 Vb – on sale at 7,900 Marks.
The body
The body of the 300 SL was developed with
the primary aim of cutting aerodynamic drag to a minimum. The result was
a streamlined form with few adornments, a car which adhered faithfully
to its design brief and which has retained its freshness and allure to
the present day. Wonderfully proportioned and extremely dynamic, it was
as if the 300 SL – surging forward on its wheels – had been cut form a
single mold.
The new sports car was a real crowd-puller, thanks in no small measure
to its wonderfully charismatic “gullwing” doors. Rather than serving
merely as a stylistic gimmick, they represented the central element of
the 300 SL design, the ultimate example of necessity as the mother of
invention. The car’s aluminum skin was stretched over a tubular frame,
which – in the interests of stability – rose much further than usual up
the sides of the vehicle, making it impossible to fit conventional
doors. The response of the engineers was to devise an upwards-opening
door concept. The elegance of the car’s side view remained undisturbed
by a door handle, with a discreet pull-out bar disengaging the lock. The
door then opened upwards with the help of a telescopic spring.
The tubular frame for the 300 SL, designed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, reduced
weight to a minimum but provided maximum strength. A series of extremely
thin tubes were welded together into triangles to produce a frame which
boasted impressive torsional stiffness and was only subjected to
compression and tensile forces. In the standard SL the frame tipped the
scales at only 82 kilograms, whilst the complete car in ready-to-drive
condition and including the spare wheel, tools and fuel weighed in at
1,295 kilograms.
The body of the 300 SL was constructed largely out of high-grade sheet
steel, although aluminum was used for the engine hood, trunk lid and the
skin panels for the door sills and doors. For a relatively small extra
charge, customers could choose to have the whole body made from light
alloy, which cut 80 kilograms off the car’s total weight. However, only
29 SL customers took up this option and today their cars are highly
sought-after rarities.
The technology
The technical make-up of the 300 SL owes
much to the Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186 II) sedan, the vehicle of choice
for many statesmen and industrialists and also known as the “Adenauer
Mercedes”. The six-cylinder engine featured a number of modifications,
one of which saw the carburetor replaced by a direction injection system
– a technical advance which was years ahead of its time. This new
technology boosted output to 158 kW (215 hp) and the car’s maximum speed
up as far as 260 km/h, depending on the rear axle ratio. Customers could
order their SL with a choice of five different ratios. The standard
1:3.64 variant was set up primarily to deliver rapid acceleration and
capable of 235 km/h. The 1:3.89 and 1:4.11 ratios were good for even
faster acceleration, whilst the 1:3.42 option offered a higher top
speed. This figure rose still further – to 260 km/h – when the ratio was
set at 1:3.25. However, this “resulted in greatly reduced acceleration,
making the car less enjoyable to drive in downtown city traffic,” as the
sales information pointed out. The 300 SL hit 100 km/h in just 10
seconds, with car testers at the time measuring fuel consumption at an
average of 15 liters per 100 km. A 100-liter fuel tank was positioned at
the rear of the car and could be enlarged to 130 liters at an extra
charge.
The engine had to be tilted 45 degrees to the left in order to squeeze
under the hood of what was an extremely flat car, thus reducing the
amount of space in the passenger-side footwell. The SL’s center of
gravity was almost exactly in the middle of the car, laying the perfect
foundations for fast and precise cornering. The chassis was essentially
the same as the 300a sedan’s, but with sportier tuning, and the drum
brakes were adapted in response to the increased performance of the
muscle-bound sports car. Only later, in the 1961 roadster variant, were
these replaced by disc brakes all round.
The interior
The interior of the 300 SL was more solid
than spectacular. The standard fabric seat upholstery was available in a
choice of three checked patterns, but most customers opted for leather
instead. The body paintwork came in silver metallic as standard,
although red, dark blue and black also proved popular.
A shortage of space made getting into the 300 SL something of a
challenge – this was, after all, a sports car. Fortunately, the steering
wheel could be folded down, allowing the driver to twist his or her legs
in the direction of the pedals. Once seated, the driver enjoyed an
ergonomically impressively refined cockpit design. The steering wheel
was just the right distance for the arms to reach and the driver’s feet
moved intuitively onto the pedals: the 300 SL was very much a driver’s
car. In addition, the instrument panel was extremely tidy and clearly
laid-out, with the rev counter and speedometer in the center of the
driver’s field of vision, as you would expect.
The handling characteristics
Out on the road, you quickly realized why the 300 SL had been christened with those particular letters – the car was certainly Sporty and Light. With an engine delivering 215 hp and a total weight of only around 1,300 kilograms, acceleration was suitably impressive – especially with the right choice of rear axle ratio. Exceptional torque ensured good pulling power at any speed. The steering was direct and the suspension made sure that the car hugged the road nicely. There’s no doubt that the 300 SL was a sports car of the finest pedigree. That said, it was far from impractical, as many owners were quick to appreciate. For them, this was a high-speed touring car which offered precise driving characteristics but which avoided sapping the energy of the driver unduly. The trunk was sufficiently large, complemented as it was by the extra room behind the seats for additional baggage. Plus, customers could order a made-to-measure luggage set designed to make the most of the space available.
How the press saw the 300 SL
The press at the time were falling over themselves to lavish praise on the 300 SL. “Autosport” reported that: “The exterior form of the 300 SL is quite wonderful and its performance almost unbelievable. The construction of the car and its production quality are first class and the whole concept represents an uncompromising realization of all the new ideas.” After its initial test, “Road & Track” wrote: “We are looking at a car where a comfortable interior is complemented by remarkably impressive handling characteristics, quite incredible roadholding, light and precise steering, and performance levels which are up there with – and even an improvement on – the best cars the automotive industry has to offer. There is only one thing left to say: the sports car of the future has become a reality.” And “auto, motor und sport” noted: “The Mercedes 300 SL is the most refined and at the same time the most inspirational sports car of our era – an automotive dream.”
Maxi Hoffman keeps up the pressure
The first units of the 300 SL were sold in Europe in 1954, whilst Maxi Hoffman received his first customer car in March 1955. A total of 1,400 Gullwings rolled off the production line, the lion’s share of which – some 1,100 units – found their way to the USA. Hoffman had thus assessed the response of the market to the car extremely well and had every right to be satisfied with his work. However, he had also succeeded in stoking the expectations of his discerning customers, who now wanted a touch more comfort in their cars, a larger trunk and, in many cases, a cabriolet version. Hoffman passed the message on to Stuttgart and once again his request bore fruit – this time in the form of the 300 SL roadster (W 198 II) unveiled in 1957.
Success on racetracks and rally courses