The Legendary Mercedes-Benz 300SL
Briefly
That the 300SL exists is a miracle, and the result of an unprecedented business commitment at Mercedes-Benz to create a car with superb engineering, world-beating performance and timeless style.
Still reeling from the chaos of the first half of the 20th century, the brain-trust at Mercedes-Benz hatched an audacious 10 year plan to create a car so desirable that it would forever establish the company on the world stage.
Start With a Winner
The first step was to become famous for racing excellence. In 1951 Mercedes-Benz created the 300SL race car, built to win, dominating at Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, the Carrera Pan Americana and virtually every race in which it was entered.
The 300SL race car variants were designed using a lightweight tubular chassis, known as a "space-frame". Exceptional strength was possible but the design required the sills to be built much higher for structural stability.
When the road racing authorities made it mandatory to have an enclosed cockpit and closing doors, engineers at Mercedes-Benz faced the challenge of mounting a door hinge on a tubular frame.
The solution was the unconventional roof hinge - and the famous “gullwing doors” were born.
From Racing to Road
In 1954 Mercedes-Benz then launched the ‘300SL Coupe’ as a street version, with those iconic gullwing doors, superb engineering and elegance wowing the lucrative American market.
Yet Mercedes-Benz understood that with the road-building evolution happening in America and across Europe, the freedom of top-down driving was changing the market. Hence the 300SL Roadster was born in 1957.
There were countless engineering accomplishments with the 300SL street versions including a fuel-injection system, independent suspension, and an engine mounted at an angle such that the car could have a low front profile.
Top-down Freedom
The Roadster’s conventional doors, removable hardtop and fold-away soft-top were the obvious design changes from the Gullwing. However, this ‘ultimate version’ of the 300SL was much more refined aesthetically and benefited from engineering improvements introduced throughout the formative years of its older brother.
A Business Gamble or Brilliant Vision ?
Whilst Detroit strived for bigger fins and more brightwork, in keeping with the space-age fad of the times, the designers at Mercedes-Benz steadfastly stuck to their commitment of creating a timeless, legendary car with uncompromising elegance and pioneering engineering advancements.
The 10 year odyssey from the race circuit to the road forever established the reputation of both the 300SL and Mercedes-Benz.
Let’s look at the making of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL in more detail, beginning with the pursuit checkered flag and a return to the winner’s podium.
A Decision to Win
The story of the 300SL Gullwing and Roadster began in the Mercedes-Benz boardroom with the strategic decision to become best-in-class, and the conviction to follow a winning formula.
Prior to the second world war Mercedes-Benz had established itself in Europe as both a leading manufacturer of automobiles and a winning race team. The infamous Silver Arrows race cars were exceptionally successful throughout the 1930s, while Mercedes’ pre-war luxury cars such as the 540K and 300K were coveted by the elite of Europe and beyond.
With car production paused during the war, in the early 1950s directors at Mercedes-Benz made the bold decision that would ultimately see the marque regain its winning racing status and forever position the company as a wunderkind amongst its peers.
In 1952 Mercedes-Benz unveiled its first post-war designed race car, the W194 300SL (“SuperLight”). The W194 was built to win races - and win it did. After finishing second in its first-ever race, the 1,000 mile Mille Miglia, the W194 300SL won the next four competitions beginning with the Le Mans 24 hour endurance race, then Bern, Nürburgring, and Mexico's 2,000 mile Carrera Panamericana. Moreover, Mercedes often entered multiple W194 race cars, finishing 1-2-3 at the chequered flag.
The concious decision to be the best not only resulted in an exceptional race team, but a series of innovations that left competitors in the dust.
Innovative Design
The W194 featured the tubular space-frame which was both very strong and remarkably light. Given the era, it is not too difficult to imagine the inspiration for the design coming from military aircraft where weight and performance are also key factors.
Yet the innovation did not stop there. Aerodynamic features included a curved body with a low front-end profile achieved by tilting the engine, which in turn necessitated a complex manifold arrangement.
The six-cylinder SOHC engine featured Solex carbs and delivered a mere 175 bhp, however the lighter weight offset the need for more power, as its winning record testifies. In any case, developments in 1954 would see a fuel-injection system added, boosting the powerplant to well over 200bhp
The W194 300SL also had the infamous rear swing axle with an independent suspension that smoothed the ride but could prove deadly on wet surfaces or on rough-road corners taken at high speed. Drum brakes with large, super-cooling fins handled most of the situations before the backend got too lively.
The most obvious innovation was the addition of those iconic gullwing doors, a simple solution to the engineering challenge of mounting a hinge on a tubular frame.
A Destiny of Choice
What is truly astounding is the conviction of those at Mercedes-Benz to maintain their goal of becoming a best-in-class supplier of automobiles. In 1955, having won convincingly with its latest race cars, Mercedes-Benz shocked the race-world by withdrawing from competition such that it could concentrate on its strategic business aims.
Bolstered by a fresh reputation for reliability, innovation, racing success and style, Mercedes-Benz took the audacious decision to tame the car just enough to make it street legal, unleashing the now famous “Gullwing” 300SL on the American market - a scant 12 months from its first race.
The 300SL Gullwing
The tactical decision to 'be the best' revitalised Mercedes-Benz’ reputation as manufacturer that could create a fast, agile and reliable supercar. Yet the company’s ambitions went far beyond spraying victory champagne on the podium. The executive leadership at Mercedes-Benz sought to forever win a dominating share of the burgeoning American market, with its booming post-war economy.
At a board meeting in mid 1953 the company’s US importer Max Hoffman gave the pitch of his life, convincing Mercedes-Benz executives to domesticate the 300SL into a road-ready sports car. In for a penny, Hoffman also pre-ordered 1,000 units on the proviso that the car be launched at the upcoming New York International Auto Show a mere 5 months away.
Thus the W198 300SL Coupe, “Gullwing” amongst friends, was launched, squarely aimed at the magnates of America with a price tag that was almost double that of the average local car.
Becoming Street Legal
The Gullwing was naturally more refined and styled than the race-car from which it was born, yet incredibly the engine was more powerful due to innovative mechanical fuel injection system in favour of the Solex carbs. The street car version packed a whopping 200+ bhp compared to the 175 bhp that was ample to win Le Mans and other races the previous year.
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes-Benz W198 300SL Gullwing, Monaco
Aesthetics were deemed as important as performance for the new 300SL. Designers further sculpted the stunning aerodynamic and curvaceous body, lowering the front profile further, adding engine vents on the wings and of course adorning the exterior with chrome bumpers and accents.
Though the tilted engine did allow for a low profile, the necessitating exhaust manifold complexities meant that a right-hand drive version was virtually impossible to manufacture.
The gullwing doors on the new 300SL were made larger than the race-car for practical reasons – and the spaceframe was modified accordingly. Still the designers at Mercedes-Benz thought it best to make the steering wheel tiltable for easier access to the cockpit.
Inside was a symphony of leather and chrome, with a choice of summer or winter seats to be installed. Fitted luggage completed the look.
There were a few options such as choice of paint (silver was standard), and knock-off Rudge racing wheels. And if standard supercar performance was not enough, buyers could add competition suspension and a camshaft that pushed the engine to a then unheard-of 250 bhp.
Paul Newman’s Mercedes-Benz W198 300SL Gullwing
From the moment the public saw the Gullwing they were mesmerised, though the world’s-first production supercar with fuel injection was rivalled by the launch of the Chevrolet Corvette convertible in the US, a challenge that Mercedes-Benz would soon address with the launch of the 300SL Roadster.
Perfect Vision
Less than a decade after two countries were exchanging visceral unpleasantries, the visionaries at Mercedes-Benz acted with conviction, resolute that the pinnacle of quality, design and innovation would transcend any barriers to market and ultimately see the company prevail in years to come.
Indeed, the 300SL Gullwing, thriving from its race-car roots, was ultimately voted ‘Car of the 20th Century’.
The Roadster
The "Gullwing" was hands-down the most advanced car in its class, yet Mercedes-Benz executives knew that the elite market craved convertibles and the carefree lifestyle they offered.
Top-Down Motoring
Just 3 years into production, in 1957 the Gullwing was shelved in order to make way for the 300SL Roadster.
The Roadster’s conventional doors, removable hardtop and fold-away soft-top were the obvious design changes from the Gullwing.
However, this ‘ultimate version’ of the 300SL was much more refined aesthetically and benefited from engineering improvements introduced throughout the formative years of its older brother.
The look of the Roadster was enhanced subtly with more imposing headlights, and new door handles ingeniously recessed into the contours of the body.
Longer chrome accents on the heating vents made the car look fast standing still, while the fuel filler cap was moved from the trunk (boot) to the rear wing, for easy access.
The space-frame was strengthened to accommodate the doors, with the sills lowered for a more eloquent entrance.
Hemmels rebuilt Mercedes-Benz W198 300SL Roadster Space-frame
Inside, additional instrumentation and a knurled dashboard made for a more refined cockpit. The chrome ring on the steering wheel added flare and function, operating the horn and turning indicators.
More luggage could be fitted in the boot (trunk) as a result of relocating the spare tyre and using a smaller petrol tank.
The lively high pivot swingarm axle of the Gullwing – perilous in the wrong hands – was changed to a low-pivot version and relocated towards the centre of gravity, resulting in better cornering and a smoother ride. Disc brakes gave consistent performance either hot or cold.
Of course more horsepower was added, sensibly, to offset the extra weight of the Roadster, though power, speed and performance were never an issue.
Alas, the 300SL era came to an end.
The last and most advanced variant of the 300SL, the Roadster, rolled off the line in 1963, after just 6 years of production, with only an estimated 1,400 now in existence for all of us to cherish.
