Mercedes-Benz 300SL

The 300 SL at a glance: from Le Mans to New York

The name stands for 3.0 litres and "Super Leicht" (super light). Its roots are in the W194 racing car of 1952, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a one-two finish and took the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. Max Hoffman, Mercedes' importer in the USA, convinced the board in 1953 that a road version would sell to wealthy American buyers, and he ordered 1,000 cars. The coupé was presented at the New York motor show in February 1954. The wider story of the brand is told in the history of Mercedes-Benz, and today's line-up is in the Mercedes-Benz catalogue.

Gullwing and Roadster: the two 300 SL models

The Gullwing is the more famous of the two, but the Roadster was the better car to drive. It had conventional doors, lower sills, a revised rear swing axle with a low pivot point that calmed the handling, and from March 1961 disc brakes front and rear. From March 1963 until the end of production, 209 Roadsters received an aluminium-alloy engine block.

Engine and performance: direct injection in 1954

The M198 engine is a 2,996 cc straight-six derived from the 300 saloon, tilted by about 45 degrees so that it fits under the low bonnet. Its Bosch mechanical injection sprays fuel directly into the cylinders, a solution taken from aircraft engines and not seen again in mass-produced petrol cars for decades. Mercedes rated it at 158 kW (215 PS) DIN at 5,800 rpm and 275 Nm at 4,600 rpm; the American SAE gross figures were 179 kW (243 PS) and 294 Nm. The compression ratio was 8.55:1, or 9.5:1 for a higher-output option.

The top speed depended on the final-drive ratio chosen by the buyer. The often-quoted 260 km/h needed the longest ratio; a standard car reached about 237 km/h, according to the old 1cars text. The engine is also flexible: the old text notes that the car could pull in fourth gear from about 1,500 rpm. By our calculation, a 1,295 kg Gullwing carries about 8.2 kg per kW, a ratio few road cars of the 1950s could approach. To see how far road cars have moved on since, look at our ranking of the most powerful coupés.

Spaceframe, gullwing doors and dimensions

The doors were not a styling trick. The 300 SL uses a chrome-molybdenum tubular spaceframe weighing only 82 kg, and its tubes run high along the sides of the cabin. Normal doors would have been impossible, so the engineers hinged them in the roof. Most bodies are steel with aluminium bonnet, boot lid and door skins; only 29 Gullwings received an all-aluminium body, which saved about 80 kg.

Getting in is an art: the high, wide sill means the driver steps over it, and the steering wheel tilts down to make room. The old 1cars text adds that the side windows cannot be wound down, so the cabin becomes hot in summer. The spare wheel fills most of the boot, and luggage travels behind the seats. To compare the car's footprint with a modern coupé, try the size comparison tool.

Running and ownership today

A 300 SL is a collector's car that needs specialist care. The mechanical injection pump must be set up by experts, the drum-braked Gullwing needs a careful driver, and early cars have the tricky handling of the original swing axle at the limit. Parts support from Mercedes-Benz Classic is good, but restorations are very expensive. Silver was the most common colour when new, and other sports cars of the decade are gathered in our 1950s classics.

Safety and equipment

The 300 SL was built long before crash tests, airbags or seat belts were standard; the old 1cars text notes that seat belts were not in the standard equipment lists. The interior was trimmed in cloth or optional leather, with a chrome-finished dashboard. Its safety today depends on the brakes, tyres and steering being kept in perfect condition.

Rivals: how the 300 SL compared

Compared with the Jaguar XK140, the 300 SL was much more advanced, with fuel injection and a spaceframe, and it was faster than almost any rival on the road. Ferrari's V12 GTs matched its power but not its technology. For a very different Mercedes of the modern era, see the twelve-cylinder G65 AMG.