Post War

Description

In its time, the Mercedes 300SL was one of the fastest cars that money could buy, and it was one of the better built as well. Its origins can be traced back to a racing car, the W194. A car with which Daimler Benz decided to use to race and to in turn bolster the image of the brand. Its engine, the M186, taken from the Adeneaur – and fitted initially with carburetors. Its power output was less than many of the cars that it competed against, yet its results were strong in 1952. The succeeding year, Benz developed fuel-injection for the engine, fitted the gearbox at the rear axle, and 16” road wheels, and rebodied it in Elektron, saving 85 kilos off the previous version.

In the great spirit of the time, it was the initiative of an American, one Max Hoffman, who persuaded Mercedes Benz that there was due cause to develop a production version of the car and it was launched at the 1954 New York Show as a consequence, with Hoffman submitting an order for 1000 cars.

The Coupe earned the model’s namesake, ‘Gullwing” for its top-hinged doors that allowed for deep sills and consequent great rigidity, but when sales begun to fall, a roof-less version with conventional doors was conceived and again, for US market where Californian sales were important to Hoffman. It was launched at the 1957 Geneva Show. Whilst the roadster tipped the scales at 125kg over the Coupe, its engine was given a power hike to compensate, and many of those who’ve driven both tend to regard the Roadster as the superior car – and not only for its superior ventilation!