A FOOT IN THE DOOR
Everybody knows the Mercedes ‘Gullwing’ for its fabulously famous doors. Some might know it as one of the world’s fastest production cars in its day, that its actual name is the 300SL Coupe (there was also a Roadster convertible), or that it now commands a price of seven figures.
But beyond the grand tourer’s iconic upward-opening doors, graceful curves and timeless desirability lies a historically and mechanically significant story. The mighty 300SL, or ‘Sport Light’, was conceived wholly and solely as a thoroughbred racer and never as a road-going production car. Well, had it not been for a keen-eyed, cashed-up and convincing businessman in New York.
As the world’s first production car to feature direct fuel injection and a tubular space frame, the 300SL is a big reason why Mercedes-Benz today enjoys such a strong brand value and engineering ethos – it was built so well.
But first, let’s go back a few steps for a better understanding of how the 300SL came to be.
“ENGINEER AND DRIVER HE WAS GOOD. REALLY GOOD”
A RETURN TO RACING
In 1951, the Daimler-Benz board wanted to return to international racing and pick up where it left off before World War II with the successful W125 and W154 Grand Prix ‘Silver Arrow’ cars, for their unpainted aluminium bodywork.
