1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL W194 competition coupe was aimed at contesting the World Sportscar Championship which was dominated in the post-war era by Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Lancia. Designed by Chief Engineer Fritz Nallinger, Mercedes-Benz's two-seat sports car came equipped with an inline, single overhead camshaft (SOHC) six-cylinder engine from its luxurious 300 series. The rather heavy drivetrain and engine were complemented by a lightweight chassis. Test Department manager Rudy Uhlenhaut and construction engineer Joseph Müller devised a lightweight (154 pound) and rigid lattice-work chassis capable of housing and coping with the inline-six. Since conventional doors would compromise the rigidity of the chassis, the solution was to raise the entry so that the doors cut into the roof. This meant that the doors would be hinged from the top, birthing the car's signature 'Gull Wing' door design feature. The steering wheel was hinged to allow the driver easier access. The engine was laid over at a steep angle allowing for a reduced front aspect and improved aerodynamics.

Auto Motor und Sport wrote introduced the world to the new aluminum-bodied 300SL Coupe prototype fitted with twin Weber carburetors in their January 1952 issue, reporting that at a December test session at Hockenheim, factory driver Karl Kling had driven to speeds in excess of 118 mph and top speeds of approximately 150 mph. The racing debut of the 300SL was in 1952 at the Mille Miglia where Kling placed second while Rudy Carraciola was fourth. At the Grand Prix of Berne, a quartet of 300SLs contested the race and swept the top three positions, Carraciola having crashed in what would prove to be his last race. At the 24 Hours of LeMans, a pair of 300SLs finished in the top two positions. After the race, the two cars were driven back to the factory. Four topless roadsters raced at the German Grand Prix and claimed the top four finishing positions. A pair of coupes and a pair of roadsters competed in the third Carrera Panamericana sports car race in Mexico in November 1952, with Karl Kling and Hermann Lang capturing the top two positions, beating a Lancia and three Ferraris.

During 1953 and 1954, Mercedes-Benz concentrated its efforts on developing its new Grand Prix car, and many of the technologies and lessons learned from those efforts were implemented on the SL when it reappeared in 1955. The 300SLRs were victorious in Buenos Aires and the Mille Miglia, where Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson won at a record average speed of just under a hundred miles an hour. It won at the Nurburgring, Spa, Zandvoort, Aintree, Kristianstad, Monza, Dundrod, and Sicily's Targa Florio. Mercedes-Benz's epic 1955 racing season came to an abrupt end in 1955 when a tragic accident at Le Mans claimed the life of team driver Pierre Levegh and more than 80 spectators. This was one of racing's worst accidents, prompting Mercedes Benz to withdraw from racing for many years.

While the racing legacy of the 300SL was coming to a close, its road-going resume was just beginning. United States importer Max Hoffman understood the emerging American market for European sports cars during the 1950s and made considerable efforts to convince Mercedes-Benz that a niche existed for a road-going series-production version of the 300SL race car. Although the company was reluctant, Hoffman quieted their fears by placing an order for 1000 units. Clearly intended for the American market, the 300SL Gullwing in road-going guise was unveiled at the New York International Motor Sports Show in early February 1954, and actual production began that fall. Its design was faithful to the racing version and had changed only slightly, albeit heavier than the racing model. The 2996cc SOHC 6-cylinder engine was equipped with Bosch Mechanical Fuel Injection and delivered 240 horsepower at 6,100 RPM. It was backed by a four-speed manual transmission, an independent suspension setup, and four-wheel drum brakes. The tubular frame rested atop a steel chassis and was clothed with a steel body. The trunk (boot) lid, doors, bonnet, and dashboard were built from aluminum. Twenty-nine examples were built with a lightweight but expensive all-aluminum body. Zero-to-sixty miles an hour was accomplished in less than nine seconds, 100 mph in 18 seconds, and could easily top 75 mph in second gear. The factory declared it 'the fastest German production sports car'.

The interiors were offered with three checkered pattern seat fabrics consisting of grey/green, cream/red, and grey/blue. Most customers selected the leather upholstery, which was standard on the Roadster. Luggage space was minimal as the trunk was filled by the spare wheel and fuel tank, leaving the area behind the seats as the only storage space. The Roadsters could be optioned with two custom-fitted leather suitcases for the larger trunk. The windows in the Roadster could be rolled down, while the Coupes were fixed.

The road-going version had a more luxurious cabin than its racing sibling, and the doors were cut substantially lower for easier entry and exit. The mechanical fuel injection system of the road car increased output by an additional 44 horsepower and is notable as the first production automobile to feature the since widely copied method of fuel induction.

During the production lifespan of the 300SL, numerous subtle mechanical developments were undertaken including a revised position for the shifter, a re-designed clutch assembly, and adoption of Daimler-Benz's proprietary recirculating-ball steering system. The final drive ratio of 3.64:1 was eventually made a standard specification, while other ratios were available as options.

Among the list of optional equipment included a Becker radio, an accessory luggage set, various rear-axle ratios, and chromed Rudge wheels.

The Gullwing was produced from 1954 to 1957 with a total of 1,400 examples produced. In 1957, the 300SL roadster was introduced and 1,858 examples were built before production ended in 1963.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2021