MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL 1952 - 1963

Where the 300 SLR succeeded the original 300 SL as a racing machine in 1954, the 300 SL Coupé was introduced in the same year as a Gran Turismo sportscar available to the general public. The looks and achievements of the original 300 SL had a huge appeal and soon people inquired if they could buy this car not for racing purposes, but for regular use on the open road. The Mercedes-Benz company didn't consider the 300 SL fit for that, but the demand was such that ultimately a decision was made to develop a version for normal road use.

The impact of the 300 SL Coupé on car enthusiasts everywhere at its introduction (and thereafter) was enormous. Its design followed the lines of the original 300 SL closer that that of the 300 SLR, but also some very distinct features of the 300 SLR were added, like the eyebrows above the front wheels (with additional ones above the rear wheels) and the lowered hood-line as a result of mounting the engine tilted. These SLR features made sure that success in racing would directly reflect on the 300 SL Coupé.
Mechanically the 300 SL Coupé bore much more resemblance to the old 300 SL than to the contemporary 300 SLR. It had the 2996 cc straight 6-cylinder engine out of the regular 300 model range, but of course much modified to develop the performance needed for a sportscar. The first 300 SL Coupés were fitted with Weber triple-barrel carburetors, but soon carburetors were replaced by a mechanical Bosch fuel-injection system. Remarkable was the dry-sump engine lubrication system, normally only found on racing cars.
The speed and power of this car was pretty extreme for a roadcar of its time: the engine developed about 243 hp @ 6100 rpm and a torque of 322 Nm @ 4800 rpm. This was good enough for a top speed hitting the 250 kph mark.

Maybe even more remarkable than its mechanics were its looks. Its sleek, long-nosed features were modern and original and its unusual upward-opening doors made it an instant design icon. Because of its doors the 300 SL Coupé was nicknamed the "Gullwing" model and up this day every car enthusiast immediately knows which car is referred to as the name Mercedes Gullwing is mentioned. And as you can see on this recent picture the door construction still attracts a lot of attention, so much so that its hard to find an exhibited 300 SL Coupé with closed doors.
Still, the gullwing door construction wasn't a design gimmick as you might think. It was actually a result of the tubular space frame construction underneath the body which needed high sill side members for optimal rigidity. Because the door sills had to be high and wide to make room for the chassis construction it was considered impractical to fit normal side-hinged doors. The gullwing doors were fitted instead, this way it was much easier to slide into the seats by first standing over the door sills.

The neatly but sober finished interior stressed the sporting heritage of the 300 SL Coupé. The wide door sills were comfortable arm rests while driving the car; the radio you see on the picture is a non-standard extra. The rearview mirror was placed on top of the dashboard and didn't offer a good view of what's behind.
The 300 SL Coupé wasn't very luxurious and was tricky to drive. It had a stiff racing suspension with the familiar rear swing axle construction that caused the rear track width to vary under vertical wheel movement. So although there was independent front and rear suspension the car reacted unpredictable under high speed cornering, very dependent on the road surface. Only very experienced drivers could drive this car very fast over winding roads. Those who weren't and still tried often ended their attempt upside down in a ditch or folded around a tree beside the road.
This didn't cause very good publicity for the car as you can imagine; it was very expensive and therefore often bought by elderly gentlemen fulfilling a dream. And then they experienced that this car rattled their fillings out of their teeth and was a potential suicide machine driving fast on anything else than a smooth and straight German Autobahn....

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