The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (chassis code W 198) is a two-seat sports car that was produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1954 to 1957 as a gullwinged coupé and from 1957 to 1963 as a roadster. The 300 SL traces its origins to the company's 1952 racing car, the W194, and was equipped with a mechanical direct fuel-injection system that increased the power output of its three-liter overhead camshaft straight-six engine.
The 300 SL was capable of reaching 260 km/h (162 mph), earning it a reputation as a sports car racing champion and making it the fastest production car of its time. The car's iconic gullwing doors and innovative lightweight tubular-frame construction were groundbreaking.
The designation "SL" is an abbreviation of the German term super-leicht, meaning "super-light", a reference to the car's racing-bred lightweight construction. The 300 SL was introduced to the American market at the suggestion of Max Hoffman, Mercedes-Benz's United States importer at the time, who recognized the potential demand for a high-performance sports car among American buyers. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL remains a highly sought-after classic car and is celebrated for its performance, design, and technological advancements.
Development
Origin in the W194 racing car
The 300 SL traces its origin to an endurance racer, the Mercedes-Benz W194, developed by Daimler-Benz in 1951. It used the 3-liter inline-6 M186 engine, shared by the company flagship 300 "Adenauer" saloon (W186) and the two-seat 300 S grand tourer (W188).[1]
Although W194's 175 hp engine produced less power than competing cars by Ferrari and Jaguar, its low weight and low aerodynamic drag made the W194 fast enough to be competitive in endurance races.
Mercedes-Benz developed a new version for the 1953 racing season by replacing the M186's carburetors with mechanical direct fuel-injection,[2] and shifting to 16-inch wheels; the gearbox was installed on its rear axle. Its body was made of Elektron, a magnesium alloy, which reduced its weight by 85 kg. Mercedes-Benz decided not to race this alloy car, choosing instead to begin participating in Formula One in 1954.[3] Later versions revised the body to lower air resistance, and did not continue the transmission arrangement.
Origin of the 300 SL
The idea of Mercedes producing a toned-down Grand Prix car targeted to affluent performance enthusiasts in the booming post-war American market was suggested by the company's U.S. importer, Max Hoffman, at a 1953 directors' meeting in Stuttgart.[4] Mercedes' new general director, Fritz Konecke, agreed to Hoffman's order for 1,000 cars to guarantee the success of the production run; the 300 SL was introduced at the February 1954 New York International Auto Show instead of the Frankfurt or Geneva shows, where company models usually debuted. In addition, the production of a smaller roadster, the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, was announced[5] after Hoffman placed an initial order for 1,000 to support their production. Mercedes received a positive visitor response to both cars in New York, and production began at the Sindelfingen plant in August of that year.
Cost
The price for the 300 SL coupé in Germany was DM 29,000, and $6,820 in the US.[6] The roadster was DM 32,500 in Germany, and $10,950 in the US – 10 percent more expensive than the coupé in Europe, and over 70 percent more in the US.[7]
SL abbreviation
Mercedes-Benz did not announce what the abbreviation "SL" meant when the car was introduced; magazines and company officials have called it "Sport Leicht" and "Super Leicht" ("light").[9][10][11] It was called "Sport Leicht" on the company website until 2017, when "SL" was changed to "Super Leicht" after a chance finding in the corporate archives.[12][13]
300 SLS
A special 300 SLS (Super Light Special) version of the 300 SL roadster was created for the Mercedes-Benz US racing team to compete on the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national circuit in 1957. After the 300 SL coupé dominated
300 SLS
A special 300 SLS (Super Light Special) version of the 300 SL roadster was created for the Mercedes-Benz US racing team to compete on the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national circuit in 1957. After the 300 SL coupé dominated the D Production class en route to titles in 1955 and 1956, the rules were changed to make the class more competitive by enlarging the maximum engine size from 3 to 3.5 liters. Rather than radically modifying its engine size (on the cusp of releasing the company's new 300 SL roadster, replacing the coupé), Mercedes-Benz created two roadsters to campaign on the D Modified class SCAA circuit. They featured a solid cover over the passenger seat, a low-profile racing screen in place of a full-width and -height windscreen, a driver's seat roll bar, a custom cowl with engine air intake, and no front and rear bumpers. These and other modifications lowered vehicle weight from 1420 kg to 1040 kg. Engine output was increased 20 hp, to 235 hp. Team driver Paul O'Shea again won the title for the company.[14]
Overview
The 300 SL has a steel tubular frame chassis, with a steel body combined with an aluminum bonnet, doors, dashboard, and boot lid to further reduce weight. An additional 80 kg could be eliminated with an expensive all-aluminum body, but only 29 were made.[6] Depending on the rear axle ratio, fuel consumption was 17 liters per 100 km (14 miles per US gallon; 17 miles per imperial gallon).
Interior
Three checkered-pattern seat fabrics were standard: grey and green, grey and blue, and cream and red. Most customers opted for leather upholstery, which became standard on the roadster. With upward-opening doors, the coupé has an unusually-high sill; entering and exiting the car is problematic. The steering wheel pivots on its hub 90 degrees away from the dashboard to facilitate entry.[15] Storage space for luggage is behind the seats in the coupé; the boot only holds a spare wheel and fuel tank. The roadster was available with two custom-fitted leather suitcases for the larger boot. The coupé's windows are fixed and roll down in the roadster.
Exterior
Roadster
In mid-1956, sales of the 300SL Gullwing began to decline, prompting the Mercedes-Benz board to consider a convertible version tailored to the California market. A prototype was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1957, and by May the factory had been converted for roadster production.[6][29]
As the gullwing coupe the roadster was adapted from did not have conventional doors, its alloy-steel tubular frame was redesigned to lower its sills, create strong points for door hinges, make space for a proper trunk, and reinforce the frame for rigidity lost transforming it from a coupe to an open car.[6][29] In spite of following the coupe's lead and using aluminum panels for the hood, trunk lid, door skins, sills, floors, and bulkhead,[29] the roadster gained 35 kg, bringing the new car's weight up to 1330 kg.[30]
Racing
Mercedes decided to return to international motorsport at the beginning of the 1950s, and Alfred Neubauer was again entrusted with the task.[33] In 1951, the company built five V8 W165 cars and engines to enter the Grand Prix.[33] Ferrari's V12 performed well at Silverstone, however, and Neubauer knew that the W165 could not win;[33] Mercedes began planning a V12 W195.[33] The FIA sporting commission changed the rules for 1954 in October 1951, and the W195s could not compete;[33] the company began to develop a six-cylinder 300 SL for racing. Its doors originally extended onto the bottom of the side windows, and access through them required a removable steering wheel.[34]
Reception and sales
Sales quintupled in the model's second year but dropped off over the next three years.[6] Roadster sales were initially high before leveling off to about 200 a year.[6] Initially, the model was distributed only by Max Hoffman, later on by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation.[43]
Production numbers
Legacy
Building on the 1954 debut of the 300 SL, a less-expensive, 1.9-liter roadster was introduced the following year as the 190 SL. The latter was succeeded by the then only SL in the Mercedes line, the 230 SL, in 1963, produced in increasing displacement and cost up to a 280 SL through 1971. Subsequent SL generations include the R107 (variously produced in models and displacements from 280 SL to 560 SL from 1971 to 1989) and the R129 (likewise, in 280 SL through 600 SL from 1989 to 2001).
The two generations of the SL that have followed are grand tourers[45] available as coupe convertibles.[46]
The gullwing-door V8 SLS AMG debuted in 2009 as the spiritual successor of the original 300 SL coupé.[47]
Replicas
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was always popular with replica manufacturers. Mercedes-Benz, however, obtained a court order prohibiting faithful reproductions of the 300 SL, as the car's design is protected. For example, the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing[40] and Mercedes 300 SL Roadster[41] models were produced in Germany by the Bavarian automobile manufacturer Scheib. Scheib initially built both models on its own chassis frames. The drivetrain and suspension, however, were taken from the Mercedes-Benz W 124. The Gullwing and Gullwing Roadster replicas came from Switzerland.[51]
This legendary car has inspired many artists, some of whom have created life-size wooden replicas of artworks. A notable example is the famous wooden 300 SL with engine by French artist Rémi Le Forestier. He created it as a tribute to actor Alain Delon, who owned a car of this model in the 1950s.[52]
External links
References
- Michael Rieder: Urahn-Forschung. In: Motor Klassik, 1989, Heft 5, S. 14.^
- 300 SL, Mercedes-Benz Archive^
- Daimler-Media: Der Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194) mit der Chassisnummer 11 Media.daimler.com, 26 March 2012, retrieved 25 July 2017^