New York, February 6, 1954. The International Motorsport Show opens its doors and Mercedes-Benz wants to strike a big blow to seduce the American public. At the time, the American market already represented a big outlet for German manufacturers.
Americans love cars and have the purchasing power to buy expensive sports cars. We still need to provide them.
The surprise
Porsche is selling its 356s like hotcakes. But Mercedes-Benz thinks bigger, more expensive, classier.
On the first day of the show, Mercedes-Benz lifts the veil on a car that no one expects. Presented on a slightly raised round pedestal, and covered in carefully draped fabric, the car features the brand’s grille decorated with the star, but everything else is new.
Butterfly doors
It’s never before seen in series with a tapered and rounded shape, every centimeter of which seems to have been designed to cut through the air. But what the public present remembers is the presence of gullwing doors, unique at the time on a production vehicle and which still fascinate today.
The 300 SL is born and it already has all the makings of a future classic. In comparison, the second new product located right next to it, the 190 SL, would go almost unnoticed.
An ambitious car
Apart from the presence of these gullwing doors, the W198 (its code name) has many other unique features.
The vehicle features ideal weight distribution and an innovative six-cylinder engine. The suspension is particularly worked to obtain sporty behavior.
The SL 300 is the first production car in the world to be equipped with a four-stroke fuel injection engine with direct injection.
This innovative blend increased engine power by around 25%, from the motorsport car’s 125 kW (170 hp) to 158 kW (215 hp). The result was a top speed of 250 km/h, a truly extraordinary performance in the mid-1950s.
A competitive DNA
In form, the 300 SL corresponds to the racing car of the same name from 1952, with which Mercedes-Benz made a brilliant return to motorsport.
Mille Miglia, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Carrera Panamericana: victories in the most prestigious automobile competitions in the world are written in the genes of the 1954 production car.
The upward-opening doors of the new 300 SL also come from the motorsport car (W 194). The Coupé variant, however, received its own serial number: it was named W 198.
A gadget?
One might imagine that gullwing doors were a marketing gimmick. It was above all a technical necessity. Like the car entered in competition, the 300 SL has a light but very strong tubular frame under the bodywork.
This being relatively high on the sides, it makes it impossible to open sideways of conventionally designed doors. Mercedes will therefore find this solution of doors opening upwards.
A unique characteristic that appeals to the public who quickly give it nicknames. The Americans call it “Gullwing” and the French “Papillon”.
A little air
The particular architecture of the doors makes it impossible to install folding windows. To get some air, owners can remove the windows and store them in the trunk. The supply of fresh air was therefore “all or nothing”.
There were also small rotating rear quarter lights to aid ventilation. As access on board was not easy, the steering wheel could pivot to facilitate leg access to the floor.
Note that the following model, the Roadster 300 SL, appeared in 1957, will have front hinged doors with a modified chassis.
Another tip is the integrated exterior door handle. A detail taken up 70 years later by Mercedes and many other brands.
A great classic
After this presentation, Mercedes succeeded. The “Gullwing” easily attracts customers from all over the world, in the very exclusive super sports car segment.
The 300 SL Coupé was produced in 1,400 units between 1954 and 1957, followed by the Roadster with an additional 1,858 units.
Every 300 SL was already an icon back then and continues to fascinate even today.
