The Mercedes-Benz 300SL stands as one of most memorable coupes of the fifties. The gullwing doors not only distinguished it, but they are a clever solution to hide the cars unique space frame chassis. It’s also the most recognizable Mercedes and every seriously collection usually has one.

Noted restorer Paul Russel describes the car: ”Not only is the 300SL Gullwing legendary today, it was also very special when it was new. Consider the car in the perspective of its time, in light of its contemporaries in 1954. The 300SL coupe had dry-sump lubrication, direct fuel injection, a tubular spaceframe chassis, independent suspension, impeccable build quality, a very comfortable interior, and, of course, a beautiful and dynamic design, which clearly has stood the test of time.”

The Gullwing Coupe, aslo known as the W194, was the first true sports-car to be developed by Daimler-Benz after the war. It was introduced in 1952 as a lightweight race car to compete in Mille Milia. In September 1953 the road-going development of 300SL began. It was presented in February of 1954 at the International Motor Sports Show in New York, based on the racing-car of the 1952 season.

The car utilized an inline-6 from the 300S saloon, with that model’s transmission & suspension setups. Unlike the 300S, the engine was positioned at an angle to yeild a low front nose. To aid with engine compartment cooling, two large outlets were added to keep the air flowing outwards.

The streamlined body concealed several other novelties. For the first time fuel injection was used in a road-car car by Mercedes-Benz. An increase of of 40 HP was realized compared to the the carburetor racing version.

The first batch of SL’s suffered from their drum brakes and swing axle setups. Although these were revised on later editions. For some clients a lightweight version was prepared with an aluminum body and aluminum castings, but these were seldom raced. Instead, Mercedes prepared the 300 SLR, which used a much lower and chassis similar to the W196.